The Vietnamese government has declared being gay, bisexual or transgender is ‘not an illness’ and cannot be cured or converted in a landmark win for LGBTQ+ rights in the country.
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The Ministry of Health said it was outlawing conversion therapy and that medical professionals should treat those who are LGBTQ+ with respect and make sure they are not discriminated against.
The ministry said being LGBTQ+ was ‘entirely not a illness’ so there is no cure for it and that it does not need to be cured, in an announcement sent to provincial and municipal health departments nationwide before being posted to government websites on August 8.
The announcement stated that Vietnam’s health minister had received information of ‘cures’ for homosexuality being offered in healthcare settings, The Guardian reported.
‘It is something that we never thought would have happened, let alone coming from the most trusted source for medical information in Vietnam … I think the impact on queer youth will be very, very evident,’ Vuong told Al Jazeera.