Up in arms: Photos displayed at the Voice Out exhibition tell stories of homosexual couples and HIV positive people's right to love.

HA NOI — Six youth groups of different ages and various backgrounds have used photography to express their thoughts and concerns about sexuality and love.

Each photo at the Voice Out exhibition held yesterday in Ha Noi tells a real story of emotion and love by a photographer.

The organising groups of workers, students, HIV-infected youths and people from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community tell visitors their own stories. Some are sad, others happy, but they all show the young harbour dreams and keep a strong faith in life.

The exhibition calls for everyone, including friends, families and teachers to eliminate prejudice against sexual orientation.

Home Coming, a group of youths who are HIV positive, shared a desire to be loved, to marry and have children - despite being discriminated against in daily life.

They send a message that people living with HIV also have the right to pursue and enjoy happiness. "Discrimination helps neither them nor society. Love and compassion are truly the best remedy to prevent HIV."

Da Nang-based Nguyen Huynh Ngan, who is with a group of high school students, said like other groups, they had six months to take photos and prepare their stories.

"We bring our feelings, teenage love affairs, and our uneasiness about sexuality, gender and sex," she said. "We desire to learn about sexuality and reproductive health and life skills at school, and know how to openly discuss sexual concerns with parents and teachers without being judged."

A group from Information Connecting and Sharing, an organisation supporting the rights of LGBT in Viet Nam, bring to the exhibition photos and keepsakes to illustrate their stories. They also created a space for visitors to react with their stories and express their opinions.

"I support LGBT people's love rights are not supposed to be voted on. That's what rights are about," said Rachel Maddon, a visitor.

The exhibition was organised by the Sexual Rights Alliance as a contribution to a safe and happy sexual life for all Vietnamese. It will run until June 16 at 45 Trang Tien Street, Ha Noi. — VNS