10 Jul Second Hanoi Viet Pride Festival to be held this August
Vietnam will host its second LGBT pride festival in two years from 2-4 August. The organizers of the 2013 Viet Pride Festival in Hanoi are hopeful of building on the success of last year’s event.
[In 2012] for the first time ever, Vietnam saw the rainbow flag waving at its capital’s streets, bringing tears to the eyes of many Vietnamese LGBTs,’ organizers said in a statement.
‘Nevertheless, equality and dignity for gay people are yet to become a reality.
Misunderstanding and social stigmas are still widespread. Insinuation, ridicule, parents’ disapproval, and humiliation are common experiences of gay people.
‘In schools, families, offices, factories, gay people’s dignity and security are still compromised. There are still people, especially the young ones, living in fear of being disowned, being hated, being treated differently.’
Aiming to solve these issues, Viet Pride 2013 will be providing a Strive with Pride youth scholarship program to members of LGBT community in Vietnam at Viet Pride’s opening night.
The Strive with Pride scholarship program aims to assist disadvantaged LGBT youth to acquire vocational training, undergraduate education, or to study English and Viet Pride 2013 has received 50,000,000 VND (nearly $2,600 US) in donations towards the program.
Viet Pride 2013 will also include a Say Yes to Employment Equality Campaign that aims to explore LGBT issues in the business sector and will include multinational and local corporations based in Vietnam.
Source: Gay star news