Viet Nam

Since the country gained independence from France in 1945, the Vietnamese government has made some important legal reforms for LGBTIQ individuals, such as the removal of same-sex unions from the list of forbidden relationships and the withdrawal of a clause prohibiting transgender people from changing their legal gender. But tangible progress has not always followed. For instance, while a law granting official recognition to transgender people was supposed to be implemented in 2017, transgender people still face discrimination in accessing gender-affirming health care and procedures to change their legal gender markers on identification documents. A draft law would provide for the right of trans people to undergo gender-affirming surgery, but it is still under consideration as of April 2025. 

LGBTIQ persons face societal discrimination and stigma, and family pressure to conform to cisheteronormative lifestyles. A 2020 report highlighted the high levels of verbal harassment and, in certain cases, physical violence faced by LGBT youth in Vietnamese schools and the lack of adequate responses by school administrations. Lesbian, bisexual, and queer women in Vietnam experience online gender-based violence, including cyberstalking and hate speech, and do not always report such cases or access services for survivors due to the lack of clear reporting processes or mistrust in service providers.

LGBTIQ organizations can operate and work openly on issues related to sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics, although they face government surveillance, as do other NGOs. In August 2022, the Vietnamese Health Ministry officially stated that same-sex sexual attraction and transgender identity are not mental health disorders, in concurrence with global health and human rights standards. The same statement also condemns “conversion therapy.”

*Outright research indicates that the bodily autonomy of intersex people is not respected and protected in this country.