In Vietnam, ‘lotto’ shows help boost tolerance of marginalised LGBT community

Hundreds of LGBT performers in the country have found confidence, and a way to earn a living, through a form of entertainment similar to bingo

Vietnam is seen as relatively progressive on LGBT issues, though misinformation about sexual orientation and gender identity is rife

Reading Time:3 minutes

Transgender performer La Kim Quyen of the ‘Sai Gon Tan Thoi’ LGBT troupe during a lotto show in Binh Duong province, north of Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: AFP

Published: 6:00pm, 29 Jun 2020Updated: 6:00pm, 29 Jun 2020

Each night that Nha Vy steps proudly on stage in her traditional Vietnamese ao dai, or sometimes mini dress and heels, memories grow fainter of the taunts she endured as a transgender woman in her rural village.

Nha Vy is one of hundreds of LGBT performers in Vietnam who have found confidence, and a way to earn a living, through lotto shows, a form of entertainment similar to bingo that dates back to the French colonial era and is now wildly popular in the south.

Like many sexual and gender minority people in Vietnam, the 26-year-old has faced stigma and discrimination for much of her life – despite a gradual change in social attitudes in the communist state.

“Not many people from the LGBT community have top class jobs … we generally don’t make it to higher education because we are bullied at school,” she said, perching on a tired floor sleeping mattress in her rented flat in Ho Chi Minh City.

A woman plays a game of lotto at one of the ‘Sai Gon Tan Thoi’ LGBT troupe’s show. Photo: AFP

“Even if I had a diploma, I would still feel inferior and not dare [to apply for an office job].

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x