Gay people in Vietnam, particularly the youth, continue to suffer discrimination and stigma, a year after the lifting of the ban on same-sex marriage, according to reports.
The Southeast Asian nation was hailed as a leader on gay rights in the region when it officially lifted its ban on gay marriage in 2015. The law, however, does not go as far as recognising same-sex unions and granting LGBT couples with equal marriage rights or protections.
"Same-sex marriages can now take place though the government does not recognise them or provide legal protections in cases of disputes. The government abolished fines that were imposed on homosexual weddings in 2013,'' Bloomberg reported.
On top of this, discrimination and bullying are still a problem today and continue to harm particularly the LGBT youth in the country, according to local media.
The country's English-language youth newspaper, which published a report on the anniversary of the lifting of the ban, stated that many young gays are still subjected to insults, intimidation and beatings in the country's schools.
"When they beat me, they insulted my parents for having a gay son," said Le Minh Triet, a student, who was reportedly driven to attempt suicide by his tormentors.
"Nobody helped me,'' he said, according to Thanh Nien News.
Almost half of LGBT students in Vietnam faced serious stigma in schools. Some students even reported being victimised by school staff, according to a UNESCO report on bullying on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity across the Asia-Pacific.
"No other country in Southeast Asia has taken as big a step toward accepting same-sex marriage as Vietnam,'' Phil Roberston, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch said, according to TIME.
While this is still limited, he said the change in policy is expected to have a positive impact especially on the country's stagnant economy.
Last year, bookings have increased by as much as 50 percent compared to previous years, attributing many of these to the influx of LGBT travelers from abroad, said Nguyen Anh Tuan, owner of Gay Hanoi Tours
"[The new law] indicates to everyone that Vietnam is opening up more and welcomes everyone,'' he said. "Vietnam is changing very quickly and there are bigger gay communities and gay events.''
Of approximately 90 million people living in Vietnam, at least as many as 1.65 million people between the ages of 15 and 59 are estimated to be LGBT, reports say.
