Regional Workshop to Promote Family Acceptance of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer (LGBTIQ) Persons in ASEAN

The ASEAN SOGIE Caucus, in partnership with Trung Tâm ICS in Vietnam, organized the Regional Workshop to Promote Family Acceptance of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer (LGBTIQ) Persons in ASEAN. Allies from the academe, the child rights movement, community organizations, and Vietnam’s Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) gathered to discuss key issues regarding families and their relationships with LGBTIQ people, good practices in promoting family acceptance, and potential strategies to move the advocacy forward in Southeast Asia. This area of LGBTIQ advocacy is critical given the symbolic and cultural power families have in the region, which are often considered the fundamental units of society and the nation.

During the final session, participants grouped together to discuss plans of action in both their respective countries and the wider region with the aim of promoting family acceptance on a larger scale. Considerations included engaging with religious leaders and communities, boosting local and national lobbying efforts for inclusive legislation, and strengthening coalition work with other rights-based movements.