Myanmar's first gay wedding

Reporter: ZawHtet
Length: 410
INTRO
For the first time in Myanmar a gay couple have pulically !eclare! their relationship"
#he couple celerate! their tenth anniversary with a celeration in $angon in March"
Local me!ia pic%e! up the story an! rumours of Myanmars first gay we!!ing &uic%ly sprea!"
'ome people some see the announcement as a ig step for the L()# community"
#he news however also cause! pulic outrage"
ZawHtet went to see the couple to set the story straight*
TEXT
#in +o+o an! Myo Min Htet have een living together for 10 years" #hey are ,ust li%e any other couple
-they coo% together an! en,oy tal%ing aout their !ay"
.arlier this month they celerate! their tenth anniversary in a lavish ceremony in $angon"
#hey invite! their frien!s an! family ut within hours the news sprea! on social me!ia an! local
newspapers pic%e! up the story"
#heir photos were splashe! across the front pages of national papers"
/n! they were even mentione! in the 0all 'treet ,ournal"
Myanmar wedding, Tin Koko cli ! "Male, #$rmese% 123t is4 !istressing" #he story was mentione!
without permission" /n!5 there are a lot of errors" 0e celerate! the tenth anniversary5 not the
we!!ing"6
#his is the first time a gay couple has openly !eclare! their relationship"
/n! it has stirre! pulic !eate"
'ome people thought their union was unnatural ut others thought it was a goo! step for the L()#
community"
3n Myanmar homose7uality is not illegal 8 ut so!omy is"
/n! the wor!ing of the law means some heterose7ual acts are also illegal"
/t a press conference /ungMyo Min an L)(# rights activist sai! the law is flawe!"
Myanmar wedding, &$ngMyo "Male, #$rmese%' 1#he law itself has flaws" 3t also tal%s aout acts
against women" )ut5 it is threatening to us" #here is no actual law against homose7uality"6
3f convicte! you can e charge! with 10 years to life imprisonment"
/fter#in +o+o an! Myo Min Htetss celeration5 news sprea! that the police were investigating them"
Myanmar wedding, Tin Koko cli ( "Male, #$rmese%' 1/ctually5 they !i!n9t interview us an! the
police !i!n9t ta%e any action against us" #hey got their information from Faceoo%" #he :eputy station
officer from western !istrict police station ha! alrea!y state! that they !i!n9t ring us an! as%
&uestions"6
3n fact he sai! they ha! no prolems at all with the police"
Myanmar wedding, Tin Koko cli ) "Male, #$rmese%' 1'ince we have finishe! the anniversary
celeration5 he goes to his wor% an! 3 am !oing my ,o" #here is no prolem"6
#in +o+o is a memer of L()# rights group 1+ings ; <ueens6" /n! Myo Min Htetwor%s at
anorganisation that assists L()# people with healthcare"
:espite their wor% with the community they sai! their tenth anniversary celerations was notan event
to get international attention a!vocating L()# rights"
Myanmar wedding, Tin Koko cli * "Male, #$rmese%' 10e care for each other" 0e can as% each
other for help" 3t is li%e a family" 0e en,oy it" #hat is all"6
#here is no legal protection for L()# people in Myanmar" #hey face wi!esprea! social !iscrimination
an! police persecution"
#in +o+os frien! =gel=gel is a well8%nown eautician in $angon" He has suffere! years of ullying
from his ol! colleagues for the way he !resses"
He left home ecause he coul!nt stan! his fathers !isapproval"
Myanmar wedding, NgelNgel cli ! "Male, #$rmese%' 13n school they sai!5 oy must e li%e oy
an! girl must e li%e girl" #hey elieve that we are against the nature" 3 wante! to live on my own style5
so 3 ha! to fight against all of them">
)ut =gel=gel sees that attitu!es towar!s the L()# community are slowly changing"
3=#: NgelNgel, #ea$tician, male, +$rmese
Myanmar wedding, NgelNgel cli ( "Male, #$rmese%' 13n the past5 everyo!y lame! us" =ow5
people are getting more awareness an! it is encouraging for people li%e me"6
/fter their ig celeration an! the following press interest5 #in +o+o an! Myo Min Htet ,ust want to
get ac% to normal"
Myanmar wedding, Tin Koko cli , "Male, #$rmese%' 1Li%e the past ten years5 we will try to
un!erstan! each other" 0e will uil! un!erstan!ing etween us"1
Myanmar wedding, Myo Min -tet "Male, #$rmese%' .3 am worrie! there woul! e repercussions
from what we !i!" ?eople are watching us" #heir eyes &uestionif can we e as successful as other
couples"6
For /sia @alling this report was pro!uce! y ZawHtet from :A)