Understanding the LGBT subculture in Vietnam: Toward theories of cultural studies

Abstract

In Vietnam, the gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender/transexual group - abbreviated as LGBT - is a social minority group that receives little attention. However, in recent years, the LGBT community has been mentioned more and more in social media, becoming the object of a survey in several NGOs' research programs and intervention projects. But for the government, research community, and even the LGBT group in Vietnam, the LGBT community has not been recognized as a cultural entity, a piece of Vietnam culture. Is the LGBT community, in the opinion of cultural researchers in Vietnam, too sensitive, or are cultural researchers rejecting the LGBT subculture as part of Vietnam's diverse culture? In this article, we will repeat a few cultural definitions and analyses to confirm that the LGBT community is a cultural entity that needs to be studied and the LGBT subculture in Vietnam is part of Vietnamese culture. Moreover, we search and synthesize the characteristics of the LGBT subculture in Vietnam from cultural studies