Government draws up action plan to tackle male prostitution in cities including Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang
Gay male prostitution is on the increase in several cities across Vietnam, according to government officials.
Le Van Quy, deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City Bureau for Social Evil Prevention, claims a growing number of men are becoming gay sex workers in the South East Asian country, reported Vietnamnet Bridge.
Speaking at last week’s HCMC conference on how to implement an action plan against prostitution, he said: ‘Some spas and beauty salons use gays to serve homosexuals.
‘There is sophisticated development of male and gay prostitution, foreign sex workers and Vietnamese prostitutes going abroad in the form of sex tourism.’
Despite there being no figures to back up the claims, sources in the one party rule country have confirmed to Gay Star News that male prostitution has become more visible.
‘The demand for the sex industry is on the increase for both women and men,’ Le Quang Binh, director of Social, Economic and Environmental Research (iSEE), told GSN.
Le Quang Binh added: ‘Some research indicated that almost all male sex workers are straight but they sell sex to both women and gay men.
‘In the last few years, the visibility of male sex workers has increased and attracted the attention of the local authorities.’
According to Le Quang Binh, if you are caught selling sex you can be fined. The previous law meant you could be sent to a re-education camp.
However, the HCM City Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs says the current fines are too low compared to the ‘income’ of many sex workers.
Can Tho and Da Nang City are also singled out by the bureau as hotspots for gay male sex workers.
by Matthew Jenkin
Source – Gay Star News
