Gays marching in Tet Parade run into opposition

That was then: San Jose 2007

Plans by the Gay Vietnamese Alliance and other Viet GLBT groups to march in the Westminster Tet parade have caused at least one Viet Christian activist to call for a boycott, and the Viet councilman who chairs the parade committee has expressed his opposition as well.

The GVA, Sống Thật Radio (“live true”), and Ô-môi are some of the better known GLBT Viet groups. They announced Sunday in a press release (below the jump) that GLBT Viets will participate in this year’s Tet Parade down Bolsa Avenue.

Which is, of course, not the first time the GLBT people join the Tet celebration: The first time they marched was in 2004 in San Jose.

This time, though, the groups ran into heated opposition, most notably from the Rev. Tran Thanh Van, leader of the coalition of religious figures called Hội Đồng Liên Tôn (Interfaith Council).

The Christian minister has called for a boycott of the Tet Parade, and is asking other political and religious groups to do the same.

To which, Councilman Andy Quach, chair of the organizing committee, said in a letter written in Vietnamese here that he’d love to ban the gays but he can’t, so would everyone please enjoy the parade.

The controversy is not over. The Hội Đồng Liên Tôn has scheduled a press conference for tomorrow morning at the Vietnamese Catholic Center.

The press release from Sống Thật Radio is as follows. See also OC Register story here.

February 6, 2010

Press Release Contact: Thanh Do, (408) 718-7647 or thanhis@yahoo.com

History in the Making: Vietnamese-American Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Organizations to March for the First Time in Westminster Tet Parade to Increase Community Awareness about the Needed Love & Support for ALL Children and about Marriage Equality

Westminster, CA – Press Release

On Saturday, February 13, 20010, from 9:30 am to 10:30 a.m., the Partnership of Vietnamese Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Organizations will join forces to march in the Annual Westminster Tet Parade. For the first time ever in the history of the Westminster Tet Parade, Vietnamese LGBT people are joining in the parade.

Under the theme of “Coming out from Northern to Southern California for Marriage Equality and Family Support,” The Partnership of Vietnamese Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Organizations is marching in unity to demonstrate that there is a thriving Vietnamese Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community in California.  This Partnership wants to promote acceptance and inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the mainstream Vietnamese community.  This Partnership is composed of Sống Thật Radio, Gay Vietnamese Alliance, Ô-Môi, and Vietnamese Lesbian and Bisexual women Network and Friends.

Following the banner which reads “Support same-sex marriage: Equality for ALL” will be a same-sex wedding to increase community awareness and to urge the community to support same-sex marriage and marriage equality because lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, like everyone else, deserve the right to have access to marriage, to form a family, and preserve a long lasting relationship.

Song That Radio is a grass-root organization which has the dual task of operating a radio program to focus on enhancing community awareness of LGBT issues, with the aim to create social change in attitude towards LGBT people and to organize social and political events that advocate, support and empower the Vietnamese-American LGBT community by increasing LGBT visibility and inclusiveness. Our goal is to improve the quality of life of Vietnamese LGBT people by reducing and eliminating the disparities within the Vietnamese-American community in dealing with LGBT issues.

Ô-Môi is a support group for lesbians, bisexual women, and transgender of Vietnamese descent. Our goal is to provide a support and resource space for queer, female Vietnamese to come out and network.

Gay Vietnamese Alliance provides a safe and supportive environment for gay, bisexual, and transgendered men of Vietnamese descent from all over the world to network, voice issues, promote wellness and foster leadership.

The Vietnamese Lesbian and Bisexual women Network and Friends is a support network of women, young and old alike, who provide support to Vietnamese women who are questioning their identities or simply proud to be lesbians or bisexual women.

In our ongoing efforts to strengthen partnerships with the mainstream Vietnamese and American society, we welcome open dialogue with the media and other community partners.

To join us in the march, we will be meeting at:

Time: 9:00 am

Place: Intersection of Bolsa and Magnolia Streets in Westminster, California (Look for our banners: Sống Thật Radio, Ô-Môi and Gay Vietnamese Alliance)

Contacts: Thanh Do (Gay Vietnamese Alliance): (408) 718 – 7647

Vuong Nguyen (Sống Thật Radio): (408) 476 – 3977

Gina Masequesmay (Ô-Môi): (818) 677-7219

Quynh Anh (VLBWN&F): (408) 623-6513

For more information about our organizations, please visit the following websites:

Sống Thật Radio              http://www.songthat.com/

Gay Vietnamese Alliance http://www.gvalliance.org/