2013 Photo Contest, Contemporary Issues, 1st prize

The Pink Choice

Photographer

Maika Elan

MoST Artists

04 July, 2011

Vietnam has historically been unwelcoming to same-sex couples, but in 2012 the Vietnamese government announced it was considering recognizing same-sex marriage, a move that would make it the first Asian country to do so.

About the photographer

Maika Elan

Maika Elan (Nguyen Thanh Hai) is a freelance photographer based in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. After studying sociology at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Hanoi,...

Background story

Hanoi, Vietnam

Bao Quynh (23), an interpreter, is given a kiss by her partner’s son from a previous marriage. Trinh Hien (26) works as an accountant. All three have lived together in Hanoi for more than four years.

 

Vietnam has historically been unwelcoming to same-sex couples, but in 2012 the Vietnamese government announced it was considering recognizing same-sex marriage, a move that would make it the first Asian country to do so. Despite past human rights issues and a long-standing stigma against homosexuality, parliamentary debate on same-sex marriage was scheduled for 2013. Polls showed that majority public opinion remained opposed to the idea. In August 2012, the country’s first gay pride parade took place in Hanoi.

Technical information

Shutter Speed
1/100 sec
Focal length
35 mm
F-Stop
2
ISO
1600
Camera
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II

This image is collected in