Vietnam Now Allows, But Does Not Officially Recognize, Same-Sex Marriage
The most permissive approach to gay unions in Southeast Asia
Vietnam's new marriage law, which went into effect New Year's Day, abolished regulations that "prohibit marriage between people of the same sex."
Same-sex marriages can now take place, though the government does not recognize them or provide legal protections in cases of disputes.
This has been in the works for a while, and it isn't the first step the country has taken toward a more permissive system. The government used to punish gay weddings with a fine, but that stopped in 2013. In practical terms, the real change happened then; it's just that now the marital law has been officially revised.
The fine, incidentally, was about $24. If this process ends with the nation fully recognizing same-sex unions, it'll be darkly comic if registering the marriage costs a $24 fee.
