Thailand has set the record as the first Southeast Asian country to recognize same-sex marriages are legal. As a landmark legislation on LGBTQ marriage equality received an incredible majority of votes in the Parliament with only 10 votes against (399 for and 10 against), it was passed into law. Besides requiring approval from the Senate, a royal endorsement as well as the publication of the bill in the Royal Gazette, the bill signified a crucial turn in favour of LGBT rights in the region.
The progressive Move Forward Party representatives, who have been fighting for more rights of people relating to the LGBTQ+ community in society, claimed a victory that day. Tunyawaj Kamolwongwat MP emphasized,
“Today’s society has told us that they care about the rights of LGBT people.”
Now Thailand, a country with a well-known LGBTQ-friendly reputation, was involved in the marriage of two men and two women, with Nepal being the first Asian state to accept gay and lesbian marriages officially.
If the bill passes, there will be the necessity of a few important steps to be taken. Eponymous phrases like “men”, “women”, “husband”, and “wife” will be replaced by gender-neutral terms, such as “spouses” in the marriage law. This move aims to create an environment where all pairs of the same sex can be treated equally and fairly. Adding to this, adoption and inheritance rights for LGBTQ+ couples are brought about for the first time, which serves as a countermeasure to discrimination in turn.
The Thai PM has himself campaigned for the rights of the LGBTQ community to be respected and the issue of gender equality in the country to be taken seriously. For the head of the government, there is no better way to support stable families than recognizing same-sex marriages. Nevertheless, contrastingly, conservative attitudes in some of the neighboring communities of mainly Buddhist society remain the reality. The LGBTQ community that has moved to higher levels of society continue facing discrimination and overcoming barriers.
Representatives and activists of LBGTQ have highly appreciated this auspicious milestone in the path to Rights LGBTQ support. Chettaporn Yangyuenpradorn, a minister at Fortify Rights, stated,
“It’s a huge leap for our state—as the first one in ASEAN (Southeast Asia).”
The beginning of such an advancement not only shows a positive change in the attitude toward daily customs but also proves the country’s devotion to giving all its citizens equal rights and opportunities.
As the next approval statutes are implemented, Thailand is poised to write a new chapter in the history books of Southeast Asia to record yet another milestone in gender equality within the region.
