‘I don’t want to lie’: Gay pioneer stands in Myanmar election

 | 
10/04/2020

Outraged over ongoing discrimination in Myanmar, Myo Min Tun decided to stand as the first openly gay election candidate in a country where same-sex relations are illegal. His decision to enter the political fray came after transgender friends told him how they had suffered police harassment. The officers allegedly forced them to remove their bras and kneel in humiliating positions before touching them inappropriately, Myo Min Tun told AFP. “This was a violation of their rights,” he said. “And I realised there’s no one in parliament to talk about this.” So he decided to run for a seat in the regional assembly in his home city of Mandalay. “I’m doing this to be a pioneer for all LGBT people so they know we can be anyone we want.” From florist and noodle soup chef to HIV prevention worker, the 39-year-old says he has been lucky not to suffer discrimination in his varied career in Myanmar’s second city. But a British colonial era law means same-sex relations are still illegal — even if space is opening up for the LGBT+ community in the conservative country.

Regions: ,

Share this:

Latest Global News

Added on: 11/10/2024
11/09/2024
As the reality of President-elect Donald Trump’s victory begins to settle, LGBTQ+ rights groups and individuals are grappling with the realities of what that …
Added on: 11/09/2024
11/08/2024
Local authorities in Turkey’s metropolitan Istanbul province banned a screening of the LGBTQI-themed movie “Queer” on Thursday because of concerns that it would endanger …
Added on: 11/09/2024
11/08/2024
On December 4, Chase Strangio will step into the U.S. Supreme Court to argue a case that could fundamentally reshape the future of transgender …

Explore LGBTQ+ Issues

Other News from ,

Added on: 11/09/2024
In September 2023, Aidil Iman Aidid, a Malaysian youth activist, was invited by a group of students at a university in Kuala Lumpur to …
Added on: 11/05/2024
Many of us, as children, often imagined royals as living happily ever after in a faraway castle. For those of us who enjoyed shows …
Added on: 11/05/2024
In August, a principal in the Bangladeshi city of Kurigram was suspended from his job after allegations surfaced that he is gay, part of …