Bangkok, Thailand – Thanadech Jandee is thrilled that Thailand’s wedding justice act, allowing exact- sex couples to marriage, is moving closer to becoming law.
Thanadech, who was born medically feminine and underwent gender reassignment surgery last month, lives with his partner and her child from a past relationship.
” I want to pass a law establishing equal wedding.” The 34-year-old Grab delivery drivers in Bangkok told Al Jazeera that it will make my family finish like any other household of men and women.
But along with some Transgender activists, Thanadech concerns about the president’s terminology.
According to activists, using the legal terms “parents” and “mother and father” did legally bind LGBTQ people to the same status as other couples.
However, thus far attempts to incorporate the bill’s language have failed.
Instead of a man and a person or a father and a woman, the proposed marriage fairness law may define relationship as a collaboration between two people. People may have full rights, including receiving medical treatment, tax efforts, estate rights and the right to adopt kids.
Thanadech remarked,” I only want to do whatever it takes to own right that regular men and women have.”
After the Senate voted against the costs at its opening hear on Tuesday, Thailand’s parliament became closer to legalizing same-sex unions. The preceding year, Thailand’s lower apartment – just 10 of the 415 sitting politicians did not vote in its favour.
Before two more readings are scheduled for July, the costs will be subject to Senate assessing committee scrutiny. Thailand’s king must approve and sign it in order for it to be finalized.
” It’s a cause for celebration”, Mookdapa Yangyuenpradorn, a Thailand human rights associate at Fortify Rights, told Al Jazeera.
However,” to avoid any unfair implementation of the Civil and Commercial Code, it is important to confirm that the more diverse and gender-neutral language” parents are included in upcoming revisions. We remain firm in our phone for total protection and acknowledgement of LGBTI+ privileges”, Mookdapa added.
In contrast to some other Asian countries, Thailand has huge allowed for, including Pride. Additionally, it hosts global trans beauty contests and is a leader in gender reassignment surgery globally. In 2015, it passed the Gender Equality Act, aiming to guard all people from female- based prejudice.
However, Thailand continues to offer no constitutional protection to trans people despite having one of the most inclusive LGBTQ communities in Asia.
Ariya Milintanapa was born a biological man, but she identifies as a trans person. The 40-year-old has two boys under the age of two with her father Lee, who she married in the United States in 2019. Because of her gender difference, Ariya was able to follow her then eight-year-old brother as her “uncle” because she was the one who supervised her younger brother’s care. Their eldest brother is a 10- year- ancient from her father’s past relationship.
She says the law makes it “difficult” for them to survive as a home.
” It causes a lot of issues, including comprehensive and traveling. We applied for one class but they kept asking for]legal proof] that we were” kid “and” dad”. Even jerks say]to our children ] that their grandmother is various”, Ariya told Al Jazeera.
The next step, where the target is more on the child’s benefit than the birth gender, is” we hope to hear,” Ariya said.
Bullying chance
Without identifying similar- gender and LGBTQ couples as “parents”, there could be a surge in prejudice and abuse between children, according to Nada Chaiyajit, a Gay advocate and law lecturer at Mae Fah Luang University.
” If the law does not recognise” parents” status, it would potentially create discrimination in a form of social bullying”, Nada told Al Jazeera. Your mother is a f***** and not your real mother, or something similar.
Nada says it’s unclear what other legal rights LGBTQ people who do n’t legally identify as parents or campaigners will receive if they are n’t legally identified as LGBTQ.
There is still a lot to be done, he said. We still have a chance to work with the Senate to reintroduce the phrase “parents” to usher in the era of family establishment. We will keep pushing”, Nada added.
Emilie Palamy Pradichit, the founder of the Manushya Foundation, a human rights organisation in Bangkok, say the wording means the proposed law is not truly for marriage equality.
Because it is a same-sex bill, not a true marriage equality bill, it means only those who are recognized as fathers or mothers will be permitted to marry. For example, if a transgender woman wants to marry a non- binary person … they wo n’t be able to. Thailand does not have a legal gender identity law – that’s a core issue”, she told Al Jazeera.
However, that might change in the future. A draft gender recognition law is being considered, according to a Thai MP.
” Draft gender recognition law … Intentional gender identity … I’m working on it. to allow people to define themselves in various ways, including gender. It is something that must be continuously pushed forward”, Tunyawaj Kamolwongwat, a lawmaker with the Move Forward Party posted on the X platform.
For now, Thailand’s focus remains on the marriage equality bill.
The draft legislation has a lot of political support, and it has taken more than ten years of campaigning to get to this point. Srettha Thavisin, the first minister to lead after elections last year, has it.
” It is considered the pride of Thai society that together]we ] walk towards a society of equality and respect diversity”, the Thai Prime Minister wrote on Twitter, formerly X, last week.
Thailand will become the third country in the wider Asian region to legalize same-sex unions if the bill is passed, joining Taiwan and Nepal as the first other country in Southeast Asia.
Ipsos Group, a company that studies the population of Thailand, claims that 9 % of Thai citizens identify as LGBTQ. The country has more than 71 million people.
Since the community’s initial reading of the law in December, more people have inquired about wedding ceremonies.
” There’s definitely an increase of interest. So that would be about like 25 percent of all the bookings. A lot of couples are looking to celebrate”, Wannida Kasiwong, the owner of Wonders and Weddings in Thailand, told Al Jazeera earlier this year.
