Gays pedal with pride in Vietnam

HUNDREDS of people will pedal through Hanoi on bicycles this weekend to mark Vietnam's second gay pride parade.

The scale of events across Vietnam reflects wider acceptance of debate on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues in several Southeast Asian countries.

Just a few years ago in Vietnam, the only representation of gay people in the media was of petty criminals and prostitutes.

Now, training for journalists and campaigns are challenging those negative stereotypes.

Despite some speculation that Vietnam could become the first country in South-east Asia to legalise same-sex marriage, it was not included in a recently approved proposal on revisions to the Marriage and Family Law. However, the draft does remove the article banning such unions.