Cambodians have a fairly relaxed attitude about sex. Brothels and sex workers are common sights. Many young people appear to have active sex lives and begin having sex at a relatively young age. Some men visit prostitutes before returning home to their wives.. Condoms are called "Number One" after the best-selling brand. In the early s, authorities warned teenagers not to embrace or have sex in public.
Those who were caught had to endure morality education and swear to never do it again. We only round them up to educate them not to conduct immoral activities.
Having sex with a virgin is greatly prized in Cambodia. Many Cambodian men believe that deflowering a virging will bring good luck, prolong life and eliminate any chance of getting AIDS. Young women are expected to be virgins when the marry. A boy on the other hand is always percent golden. Gay rights is not a major issue in Cambodia. Same-sex civil unions are not legally recognized, but many marriages in Cambodia are common law rather than officially registered.
Cambodian society, as in neighboring Thailand, is generally tolerant of homosexuality. Former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk, who died in October , caused a stir in when he wrote on his website that he supported the right of gay couples to marry. Sihanouk said he was inspired to state his views after watching news reports about gay marriage in San Francisco.
The late king said that as a "liberal democracy," Cambodia should allow "marriage between man and man Gays and lesbians would not exist if God did not create them," wrote Sihanouk, who abdicated in favor of his son later that year. Khav Sokha, a former motor-taxi driver turned medicine woman, married her female lover in Phnom Penh.
