Thailand Becomes The First Southeast Asian Country To Legalize Same-Sex Marriage

Happy Pride Month! 
Asia
Koreaboo

Content Warning

This article includes descriptions of graphic content and sexual assault that may disturb some readers.

Thailand has officially become the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, along with full adoption rights, rights related to inheritance, health care decision-making, and more!

Thailand has long been more accepting of the LGBTQIA+ community than other Asian countries. The nation is known for its BL (Boy Love) and GL (Girl Love) dramas, as well as sex reassignment operations (gender-affirming surgery), as they have been performed in Thailand since 1975. It’s been a popular destination for those looking to undergo the operation or simply searching for a haven to express their true identities. However, Thailand was not always as progressive.

In 2013, the Bangkok Post said that “while Thailand is viewed as a tourist haven for same-sex couples, the reality for locals is that the law, and often public sentiment, is not so liberal.” A 2014 report by the United States Agency for International Development and the United Nations Development Programme said that LGBT people “still face discrimination affecting their social rights and job opportunities”, and “face difficulty gaining acceptance for non-traditional sexuality, even though the tourism authority has been promoting Thailand as a gay-friendly country.”

— Wikipedia

Popular BL drama “Bad Buddy”

According to The Nation, “Thailand was the first Asian UN member state to pass a comprehensive same-sex marriage law, as well as the first in Southeast Asia and the 37th in the world. About eight percent of the Thai population, five million people, are thought to be in the LGBT demographic.” Yet, Thailand has not always been as LGBT+ friendly as the rest of the world often assumes.

Private, adult, consensual, and non-commercial sodomy was decriminalized in Thailand in 1956. However, same-sex attraction and transgender identities were still seen as socially unacceptable in many cases: those whose gender expression or behavior falls out of social norms are less likely to be tolerated or accepted. Through the Penal Code Amendment Act of 1997 (Thai: พระราชบัญญัติแก้ไขเพิ่มเติมประมวลกฎหมายอาญา-(ฉบับที่-14)-พ.ศ.-2540), the age of consent was set at fifteen years regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

In 2002, the Ministry of Health announced that homosexuality would no longer be regarded as a mental illness or disorder.

In 2007, the Thai Government expanded the definition of a sexual assault and rape victim to include both women and men. The government also prohibited marital rape, with the law stipulating that women or men can be victims.

— Wikipedia

Throughout the years, progress has been made slowly but surely. Citizens have attempted to “legalize marriage equality over the past decade,” but it had been stalled. Finally, today, the Sentage voted in overwhelming favor of passing the bill, with 130 senators, for marriage equality, with only four in opposition.

The bill still requires endorsement from the king before marriage equality can become reality in Thailand, but this process is considered a formality. The law will then come into effect 120 days after it is published in the royal gazette.

— CNN 

Thailand is now the third country in Asia to legalize marriage equality. Taiwan legalized same-sex marriage in 2019, and Nepal did so just last year.

The bill represents a monumental step forward for LGBTQ+ rights in Thailand. The potential impact of this bill is immense. It would not only change the lives of countless couples but also contribute to a more just and equitable society for all. Beyond the legal implications, the passage of this bill would send a powerful message of acceptance and inclusion. It would inspire the younger generation to come out and live their lives authentically, it would showcase Thailand as a progressive and inclusive country – attracting tourists and businesses … and will foster a culture change where LGBTQ+ individuals feel accepted and supported.

— Panyaphon Phiphatkhunarnon, founder of Love Foundation – an NGO campaigning for LGBTQ+ equality in Thailand via CNN

Thai members of the LGBTQIA+ community are happy to finally be able to get married. Pokpong Jitjaiyai and Watit Benjamonkolchai, who reside in Bangkok, look forward to getting married now and hope that “the marriage equality bill will start a ‘domino effect’ in other countries.”

When I was young, people said people like us couldn’t have a family, can’t have children, so marriage was impossible. Over 10 years ago, we could not live together the way we are now. We could never be our true selves, the way it is now… and now I can freely say that I am gay. …I want the people around the world see how love is. Love is love

— Pokpong Jitjaiyai via CNN

Watit Benjamonkolchai and Pokpong Jitjaiyai say they plan to get married as soon as the law goes into effect, in Bangkok, Thailand on June 18, 2024. Mark Phillips/CNN-061824-5.jpg
“Watit Benjamonkolchai and Pokpong Jitjaiyai say they plan to get married as soon as the law goes into effect, in Bangkok, Thailand on June 18, 2024.” | Mark Phillips/CNN

Netizens have also expressed their joy at Thailand’s legalization of same-sex marriage, which is a massive step forward in diversity and inclusion.

Happy Pride Month!

Source: CNN and Wikipedia (1) and (2)

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