VietNamNet Bridge – Over 3,000 people participated in the campaign to collect signs to support equal marriage in Vietnam, held by the organizations for the community of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders (LGBT) in Vietnam from September 26 through October 11.

More than 3,000 comments and letters of the parents of homosexuals and the open letter of the Institute for Social Development Studies (ISDS) that proposed legalization of same-sex marriage were sent to the Office of the National Assembly in the afternoon of October 17.

"We call them homosexuals, which means they are still human. Why are not they treated as heterosexual? They have the right to be happy," said Phuong Tram, from Ho Chi Minh City, one of the persons who support same-sex marriage in Vietnam.

The people who signed and made comments for this campaign are not only those in the community of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders, but also ordinary people.

"My best friend is gay. I hope he is happy besides the one he loves. Tung, I wish you happiness! I love you, BBF!," shared Nguyen Thanh from Hai Phong.

Photo: Signing in favor of gay marriage on October 17 in Hanoi.

Along with this campaign, the ICS organized an online survey "Raising Voice Together" to collect opinions of the LGBT community in Vietnam on the draft amendments to the Law on Marriage and Family relating to same-sex relationships. The survey results showed that 71 percent were disappointed about the draft, 97 percent did not support the article on the state’s non-recognition of marital relationships between persons of the same sex.

According to the study "Living with the same-sex people" by iSEE, same-sex couples said that 72 percent of difficulties occurring in their process of living together resulted from not being recognized by law and 68.7 percent because of no recognition of the society and community.

Mr. Nguyen Duc, a gay man said his company bought insurance for the families of their employees, but his boyfriend did not enjoy the insurance because they did not have marriage certificate. He was seriously wounded in a traffic accident but his boyfriend was not allowed to sign in the surgery commitment and he had to wait in the surgery room for four hours to wait for his father.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hai Yen, a representative of the LGBT community, also hoped that the law will recognize same-sex marriage right this time of law revision. "We do not need special rights, we just want to be the same with others - finding for ourselves one person to love, to make commitment to and to live together," Yen said.

In addition to the recommendations of the LGBT community, the parents of many homosexuals signed a letter asking the law to protect the equal rights for their children as any other citizen.

Mrs. Nguyen Thanh Thuy, whose son is gay, said she used to not accept her son as a gay but now when she understands and supports her son, the law "does not recognize" the right to marry of her son. "If I tell my son that I don’t ban you as a gay but I do not recognize him, is that I'm insulting him?" she questioned.

Mai Phuong