202002LGBT_Vietnam_photos1

Lieu, 19

 

Lieu told her parents in grade 10 that she was bisexual. Her father was supportive, but quiet, and her mother was vocally against her daughter’s sexuality. She also came out to her best friend at school, who then told the entire class. After that, classmates began to bully and isolate Lieu. Some threw water on her from a balcony, others cut her books and uniform with scissors. In 11th grade, classmates pushed Lieu from the second-floor terrace and she fell, breaking her arm. Lieu told her parents the injuries occurred while she was playing basketball, but her father did not believe her. He even followed her to school one day so he could witness the bullying himself. When he told the teacher what he had seen, she told the entire class to not treat Lieu that way, but never investigated what had happened.

 

© 2020 Sally Deng for Human Rights Watch