Podcast
49. Myanmar: What a decade of democracy meant for LGBTQ rights
In 2011, nearly 50 years of military dictatorship came to an end in Myanmar. The energy unleashed was extraordinary, as citizens seized the opportunity to become engaged in multiple issues and causes that had until then been off limits. Some of that activism came from LGBTQ activists who wanted to get the law criminalizing sodomy repealed, and to achieve greater social awareness and more positive attitudes towards SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression) rights. They made big strides and were well on their way to achieving their legislative goal when a new military coup returned the generals to power, triggering a violent campaign to reverse freedoms and close the political space that had been opened. Hla Myat Tun is the Executive Director of Colors Rainbow, the organization that coordinated the surge in queer activism over the decade of democracy. He looks back at the strategies they used and particularly their determination to highlight their own Burmese experience, rather than importing foreign narratives.