Feature: Transgender people to be recognized in Vietnam amid concerns from LGBT community

Transgender people are expected to be registered under a new gender category for the first time in Vietnam following the newly-amended Civil Code which will take effect in January 2017.

However, worry remains among the local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community due to a lack of specifics regarding the law's instructions.

Luong The Huy, a technical officer on LGBT rights at the Hanoi-based Institute for Studies of Society, Economics and Environment (iSEE), told Xinhua in an exclusive interview that in 2013, the Vietnamese government had initiated procedures to amend the Civil Code.

"During this process, the local transgender people and LGBT organizations in Vietnam started dialogues with law drafting agencies to put forward the rights of transgender people, making it a 'hot' debate in Vietnamese society," Huy said.

The activist attributed Vietnam adopting transgender recognition at earlier time compared to other countries to the public's huge empathy toward the legal difficulties that transgender people have been facing over the years.

"Most of the local public agreed that the recognition of rights of transgender people is legitimate and essential," Huy said.

Saying that such recognition is a big step toward ensuring equality for the LGBT community, Huy said "it will contribute to changing public awareness, as well as removing the stigma and discrimination against the LGBT, especially transgender people."

Concerning the public's reaction to the change, Huy cited some social media campaigns with such hashtags as #ToiChuyenGioi (I'm transgender), #DungBoSot (Don't leave us behind) that went viral on social media before the amended Civil Code was passed by legislators in late 2015 in a breakthrough vote.

"In general, the public hold a friendly and supportive attitude on the rights of transgender people. But there remains a minority that continue to be worried about incomplete procedures and conditions for carrying out registration as being transgender," said the activist.

Despite taking effect in the next few days when 2017 begins, the transgender registration will not be officially implemented in Vietnam due to a lack of specialized laws on conditions and steps and procedures, said Huy, adding that "The official time when transgender people can claim their civil rights will be regulated in the law".

Moreover, in order to put an end to the stigma and discrimination against different sexual identities, Huy proposed the entire education system and the whole of society to respect the values of diversification and not to follow pressure from the minority.

Echoing Huy, Huynh Tri Vien, a popular trans-guy in southern Ho Chi Minh City, said on local media that the recognition will breathe a new life into him and all those like him.

"My friends who are transgender but dare not publicize it for fear of severe discrimination will have a chance to step out into the light and to be themselves for the first time. There will be no more hiding, no stigmas while applying for a job and no students will be dismissed from school or insulted," said Vien.

However, even Vien remained skeptical. "Can a legal change lead to a change in public awareness? A great thing has just started, but the fight must continue," said Vien. Enditem