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Wednesday, June 11, 2025
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Lao ‘Pride’ Voice Leads Push for Social Inclusion

This Week

UNFPA Lao PDR – Thavadxai Xaiyakoumman wears many hats. The 35-year-old is an affable guide to many tourists who visit Lao’s picturesque attractions and is a small business owner.

But, the one that sits most comfortably and brings the most pride is her role as a visible and respected voice for sexual and gender minorities across the country. As a coordinator for Proud to be us Laos, the country’s first advocacy group for the LGBTQIA+ community, she is a champion of equality and inclusion for all.

“We work to help people understand what equality really means, not just legally, but socially. In schools, in villages, in families,” Thavadxai said of the landmark organization, founded in 2012 with U.S. government support, that counters discrimination in schools, promotes workplace equality, and improves access to healthcare, especially for people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, including ethnic minority youth in same-sex relationships. 

For Thavadxai, to celebrate this progress forward in realizing LGBTQIA+ rights in the country, the recent IDAHOBIT (International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia) on 17 May is a day of deep symbolism. 

“It is a powerful recognition that we are simply people who love and live differently,” said the Vientiane-based woman.

But, IDAHOBIT is also a time to remember that despite growing acceptance, challenges remain, especially in how LGBTQIA+ people are perceived. 

“Sometimes, society sees us only as entertainers or the punchline to a joke,” she says. “But we are more than that. We have knowledge, skills, and the ability to lead.”

To turn challenges into opportunities, she encourages the younger LGBTQIA+ generation to be confident, but also mindful. 

“It’s important to express yourself, but also to respect the time and place. Confidence should come with awareness. We should be seen not just for our personalities, but for our value as individuals. We deserve respect not because we’re loud or visible but because we’re human.”

For Thavadxai, her own awareness took time to emerge. While she had a happy childhood with two older sisters and expressed herself in ways that felt natural and not constrained by social norms, it was not until much later that she learned the language and concepts that described her identity. 

“When I first heard about terms like gay and transgender, it wasn’t from school, it was through my volunteer work with non-profit organizations on sexual and reproductive health” she said. “That was when I began to understand that being different didn’t mean being wrong.”

This helped trigger her activism in the classroom and community. As a volunteer since Grade 10 when she was 15 years old, she engaged in sharing knowledge on sexual health and gender awareness. She was proud to see UNFPA integrated programs for comprehensive sexuality education and life skills, focusing on inclusion and diversity in curriculums across different grades.  

This journey has continued with Proud to be us Laos and to ensure every citizen can realize their rights, no matter their sexual orientation and gender identity. 

The partnership between Proud to Be Us and UNFPA was fundamental to include LGBTIQ+ voices in different mechanisms related to gender equality and youth rights, particularly when it comes to the development of tools, communication materials, running surveys and advocating for friendly services free from stigma and discrimination. 

In one telling example, Thavadxai recalled a gay man who had been repeatedly denied job opportunities simply because of his identity. With the support of her team, he was connected to an organization that saw his potential and valued his skills—not the labels society placed on him. 

“We want people to know there is a way forward,” she said. “We’re not here to create conflict; we’re here to help people live openly and with dignity.”

Stories like his are made possible through sustained joint advocacy and awareness-raising efforts. Proud to Be Us can now help LGBTIQ+ individuals claim their rights as equal citizens, thanks to the doors opened by engaged partners like UNFPA, government donors, civil society and other UN agencies, all working together to pave the way toward equality and inclusion.

Thavadxai is also an active supporter of UNFPA’s work in Laos. “UNFPA has helped create spaces for people to speak openly about gender, identity, and safety,” she said. 

“It supports access to health services without discrimination and protects our right to express ourselves.”

As part of its commitment to leave no one behind, UNFPA works in Laos and other countries to realize a world where LGBTQIA+ people are afforded the same rights as others.

This means comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights, including the right of all people to have a satisfying and safe sex life. As a marginalized group, LGBTQIA+ people can also face challenges in accessing health care and legal protections. 

Concerningly, consensual same-sex relations are still criminalized in close to 70 countries. Only one-in-three countries legally protect people from discrimination based on sexual orientation, only one-in-10 protect people based on gender identity, and only a handful based on sex characteristics. 

For Thavadxai, she is determined to reach the end of the road when inclusion is the norm and there is no need for vocal advocates like herself. 

“My hope is that we are not just heard but that we are understood, respected, and included. That is what true equality looks like,” she said.

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