Burma: First LGBT film festival to be held in the country’s largest city
Burma’s first LGBT film festival is to be held next month in the former capital city of Rangoon.
According to Irrawaddy, the &Proud LGBT Film Festival will be held from 12-14 November at the French Institute.
The festival’s aim is to celebrate the sexual and gender diversity of the region.
Colors Rainbow program officer Hla Myat Tun said: “We hope that festival will help the public to change their views about the LGBT community, or at least give them ideas that those views can be changed.
“We want to make a point that members of the LGBT community should be proud, and we wish to correct wrong messages that are being spread throughout the community by popular media.
“Some people will say that this is a bad idea, but it’s better than not saying anything about LGBT rights.
“In the past, we couldn’t talk about LGBT issues. Since 2012, however, political reforms have made us more confident and able to speak out for the LGBT community.”
The festival will show 30 films mainly from ASEAN countries, including Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand, and at least five from Burma.
Despite there being a law against same-sex relations, it is rarely enforced. However, gay rights activists have complained for a long time about harassment and discrimination.
Homosexuality as a taboo appears to have relaxed in the past few years, however.
The first traditional and public same-sex ‘wedding’ took place in Burma in March.
