Lezbelib

Will Vietnam Become The First Country To Legalize Gay Marriage In Asia?

Details: Published on Tuesday, 31 July 2012 15:55; Written by E-Li

sapa-vietnam

Vietnam could become the first Asian country to legalize gay marriage.

According to The Seattle Times, the Justice Ministry proposed to make amendments to the country's marriage law by including same-sex couples in the definition specifying that a new law would also clarify disputes between same-sex couples living together, and address issues such as owning property, inheriting assets and adopting children.

The minister said besides in an online chat broadcast on national TV and radio: "I think, as far as human rights are concerned, it's time for us to look at the reality.

"The number of homosexuals has mounted to hundreds of thousands. It's not a small figure. They live together without registering marriage. They may own property. We, of course, have to handle these issues legally."

For the moment, one does not know when the law could be voted.

However, the Justice Ministry will consider opinions from the public along with government agencies before submitting its draft proposal to the National Assembly next May on whether to recommend same-sex marriage or some other type of legal recognition with rights. Then, it must be approved by a majority of parliament, reports the newspaper.