VietNamNet Bridge - Vice Minister of Health, Mr. Nguyen Viet Tien, on behalf of his Ministry, has proposed to modify the Law on Marriage and Family, in which same-sex marriage is permitted because it is the right to live with the true self, the human rights.

The girl who takes photos of homosexual love 

Homosexuals are still 'dreaming' of a wedding 

 

Mr. Tien said that homosexuals have the right to live true to what they have. (Photo: Maika Elan) 

Tien represented the support to same-sex marriage in the presentation entitled "Civil rights, marriage and family of individuals in terms of health - shortcomings and proposed amendments and supplements," which was sent to the Ministry of Justice to serve the online meeting reviewing 13 years of the implementation of the Law on Marriage - Family 2000, scheduled on April 16.
 
"Meanwhile, in the angle of human rights, homosexuals also have right to live, eat, wear, love and be loved and pursue happiness. In the angle of citizenship, they have the right to work, study, have medial examination and treatment, register birth, death, marry.... and have rights and perform the obligations with the State and society," Mr. Tien emphasized in the presentation.

Besides, in terms of medicine, lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender (referred to as homosexuals) are not a kind of disease. From 1990, the World Health Organization has removed homosexuality out of the list of mental illness.

According to Tien, the Law on Marriage and Family has provisions prohibiting marriage "between persons of the same sex" is due to the same-sex marriage goes against traditional morality, contrary to nature, inconsistent with function of the family in maintaining race or because of the fear that if law allows same-sex marriage, it can cause many problems, such as adoption of homosexual couples.

From this prohibition, many homosexuals do not come out because they are afraid of the stigma and discrimination from their relatives, friends and colleagues. Many gay people live under a guise, not true to their sexuality. This lie causes serious consequences for the people involved.

Mr. Tien cited a research of the Institute of Social, Economic and Environment Research (ISEE) as the evidence. According to this work, 90 percent of gays felt negative attitude of the society against them so up to 86 percent of them had to conceal their true sex. Most of them faced prejudice and discrimination by their families and friends. Of 1,800 respondents, because they are gays that 20 percent of them said they had lost friends; 15 percent were yelled by their families; 6.5 percent were unemployed; 4.5 percent were beaten and 4.1 percent were kicked out from home. In addition, they also suffered from physical, psychological, sexual violence and other forms of forcing gays to cure mental illness.

Vietnam does not allow same-sex marriage, but many countries in the world have permitted gay marriages. By 15/6/2012, 11 countries and 10 territories legalized same-sex marriage, 21 countries and 19 territories admitted civil combination between homosexuals and three nations recognized non-registered cohabitation between people of the same sex.

Based on the above analysis, Mr. Tien proposed to modify the Law on Marriage and Family, in which same-sex marriage is permitted. However, before approving this form of marriage, more research and consideration must be conducted.

Tran Cham