LGBT rights activist nominates himself for National Assembly seat

A Hanoi LGBTI rights and gender equality activist has nominated himself to contest elections to the National Assembly and Hanoi People’s Council in May.

Luong The Huy, 33, is director of the Institute for Studies of Society, Economy and Environment, which “works for the rights of minority groups in Vietnam to envision a more equal, tolerant and free society in which everyone’s human rights are respected and individuality valued.”

Huy began LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons) advocacy work in 2008.

In 2011 he joined the LGBTI rights movement and worked on the community’s advocacy and capacity building work, dealing with the media, schools and health centers.

He was on Forbes Vietnam’s “30 Under 30” list as one of the 30 most inspiring people under the age of 30 in Vietnam in 2016 and Asia Society’s “Asia 21 Young Leaders” list of accomplished young professionals in the Asia Pacific in 2018.

In 2018 he got a Fulbright scholarship and a Dean’s Fellowship Award to pursue a Master of Laws (LL.M.) at the University of California, Los Angeles, with specialization in law and sexuality.

In 2019 he returned to Vietnam and continued to work at iSEE.

In a post on his social media page, Huy said he is nominating himself for seats in the national and Hanoi legislatures with the sole purpose of “contributing to the development of the capital city and the nation.”

Describing himself as “an expert, researcher, social worker, the voice of young people, a non Party-member who works outside the political and business spheres and has lots of experiences in working with foreign organizations,” he said he has the potential to enrich policy discussions, making them relevant to all walks of life.

From now until election day on May 23 he plans to meet voters in Hanoi, focusing on youths and seeking to engage them in politics.

There are eight other self-nominated candidates for the 15th NA, including two each in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The central government has nominated 203 and local governments, 665.

Of the candidates, 45.3 percent are women, 21.3 percent belong to ethnic minorities and 8.5 percent are non-Party members.

By Minh Nga – VnExpress.net – April 28, 2021