Gay TV series breaks taboos in Vietnam

April 21, 2004 HANOI (Reuters) - An award-winning book that broke taboos in Vietnam with its central theme of homosexuality has been turned into a TV series, but the plot still suggests being gay is a disorder. ADVERTISEMENT  The 10-part series, to be aired in June, is based on the book "A world without women" by former crime reporter Bui Anh Tan. The whodunit is set in the underground world of gay men in Vietnam and won a writing prize in 2002. "The series' main theme is homosexuality is a disorder," Nguyen Minh Tiep, who plays the main character, told Reuters on Tuesday. "It also tries to send a message the gay world is not all bad. There are good people who deserve our understanding." The plot centers on a police investigation into a gang of serial gay rapists and lawmen who go undercover and eventually befriend some gay men to help them solve the crimes. Tiep, who plays a policeman, pretends to be gay and befriends another gay man who helps him with the case. While homosexuality is not specifically banned in Vietnam, it is socially taboo in the Communist country. ---- From JVNET e-list: She has gone through this novel, which once to be of the "best sellers" in Vietnam. Gay men in this novel, as pointed by the actor in the news article above are portraited as people who are socially normal but sexually disordered. They are depressed for their sexual orientation, and the novel gave them unhappy endings. She has not seen the TV series but she guesses it will be commercial. However, she hopes it will help to raise awareness about this particular group, whose existance has not been recognized. May it supports for the idea of including MSM in HIV surveillance. JVnet