Proud To Be Us Laos (PTBUL) was founded in 2012 to advocate for the greater well-being of LGBTIQ people in Lao PDR. Our initial work focused on raising awareness of sexual reproductive health issues, in particular, the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS through peer education method. This remains a prominent feature of our work today, but our activities now have a broader approach aimed at ensuring that all LGBTIQ people are respected and included in society so that they are able to make positive contributions to their communities.  Since 2018, we expand scopes of work to ensure that LGBTIQ issues are included, adapt social attitudes and encourage society not to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity through advocacy work, especially in three priority areas such as:

• Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the national development agenda,
• Stigma and discrimination-free in the educational institution,
• Promote Equal employment opportunities.

Proud to Be Us Laos (PTBUL), Laos’ first LGBTI civil society organization, has become the leader of the Laos’ nascent LGBTI movemen[1]t, advocating for the promoting D&I concept in the national development agenda of the government, stigma and discrimination free in the educational institutions and equal employment through policy dialogue with government and development partners. PTBUL has been able to positively navigate the challenging environment and operate within a space slowly opening to represent citizen voices. PTBUL successfully coordinated with Lao government stakeholders to hold Laos’ first and second pride events, highlighting the potential of working with the Lao government to achieve economic and social development goals[2]. PTUBL was also invited by the Lao government to participate in the National Youth Development Working Group to formulate the National Policy on Youth Development 2020-2030, which provides stakeholders an avenue to address youth related issues such as equal health services among youth LGBTI and underrepresented youth. These are a positive sign for the development of Lao civil society and illustrate the increasing willingness of government ministries to engage with NPAs.

Amongst its missions to improve LGBTQ rights and recognition, PTBUL makes a focus on addressing inequality at the workplace and school. In 2018, PTBUL published the first research in the Lao PDR titled “Being LGBTI At Work” in collaboration with the Faculty of Law and Political Science – National University of Laos. PTBUL brings the concept of diversity and inclusion at the workplace and continues raising awareness about this in Laos. Several major employers such as state enterprises, corporates, private enterprises collaborate and promote this concept alongside with our organisation’s advocacy campaign[3]. Because of this, PTBUL was ranked in the Top 9 World LGBT Change Heroes by The Guardian. [4] This also complements the first-ever LGBTI rights-based recommendations that the Lao PDR received from the UN members states: Iceland and Malta at Universal Periodic Review 2020.[5]

[1] https://www.huffpost.com/entry/lgbt-laos_n_5616433ce4b0e66ad4c681cc
[2] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/laos/9359330/Laos-holds-first-gay-pride-event.html
[3] https://www.undp.org/laopdr/blog/taking-pride-our-work-how-lgbti-diversity-and-inclusion-can-unlock-economic-potential-lao-pdr
[4] https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2016/feb/14/fighting-for-the-right-to-love-your-lgbtchange-heroes
[5] https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=168758054400120
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1048566665496197