A proposed law in Vietnam would allow people the right to change gender identity and get medical access to gender-reaffirming surgery
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- A proposed Vietnam law would allow citizens to change their gender identities and get gender-affirming surgery.
- The proposed law might be included in the government's 2024 agenda, according to Việt Nam News.
- In 2022, Vietnam said homosexuality is "not a disease" and outlawed conversion therapy, Al Jazeera reported.
A proposed law in Vietnam would allow people to change their gender identity, signaling a notable win for transgender rights in the country.
Lawmaker Nguyễn Anh Trí proposed the law which would allow people to change their gender identity, request a different gender identity from the one assigned at birth, and get gender-affirming surgery, according to The Pink News.
The proposed law, which only mentions genders male and female, might be included in the government's 2024 agenda, according to Việt Nam News.
As it stands, there are no regulations on gender identity in Vietnam and no laws that prohibit same-sex relationships or activities, but LGBTQ rights remain controversial, the outlet reported.
Trí said the law would ensure that legislators are "leaving no one behind" with their policies and that the National Assembly, Vietnam's legislative body, was receptive to the suggested legislation, Việt Nam News reported.
"[Society] is relatively open towards the issue already. If we don't soon build a legal corridor, there will be a lot of issues in both institutional and practical dimensions," national assembly secretary-general Bùi Văn Cường said, per The Pink News.
The country tossed its ban on same-sex marriage in 2015, the outlet reported. In 2022, Vietnam's Ministry of Health said homosexuality is "not a disease" and outlawed conversion therapy, according to Al Jazeera.
The struggle for LBGTQ acceptance continues in much of Southeast Asia, where traditional religious and political ideals that are hostile towards gay and trans rights persist, according to the International Bar Association.