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Letters | Major powers like China and Japan should lead Asia in LGBTQ rights
- Readers discuss Singapore’s mixed messaging on same-sex relationships and call on Asia’s economic giants to push for gender and sexual equality in the region
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Vietnam’s recent recognition that homosexuality is not a mental health condition, in line with World Health Organization guidelines, is a step forward for LGBTQ rights in Asia, but more still needs to be done.
Today, Taiwan remains the only place in Asia that recognises same-sex marriage legally, although Thailand may soon follow. The Thai parliament is moving forward with two proposals that will give legal recognition to same-sex partnership.
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And just this week, Singapore announced it would decriminalise sex between men, but at the same time will amend its constitution to prevent marriage equality.
Japan, though seen as one of the more progressive countries in Asia in terms of LGBTQ rights, has yet to recognise same-sex marriage legally.
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Across Asia, gay sex is still illegal in a number of countries, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar. In mainland China and North Korea, sexual and gender diversity issues are barred from public discussion by law. Things are worse in Brunei, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, where the death penalty could be imposed for gay sex.
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