While Thailand has a warm reputation among the world’s LGBTQ community, Thai protesters have struggled for decades to change traditional values and attitudes.
The bill passed with 399 to 10 seats in the lower house, but it still needs to be approved and supported by the king before it can become the nation’s laws.
” Thailand is eventually accepted and recognisedas truly’ heaven for LGBTQI'”, Chanya Rattanathada, 27, told AFP in thehalls outside the election room.
The final vote was accompanied by a small burst of applause and clapping in, with one agent waving a rainbows symbol.
” Today, culture has proved to us that theycare about LGBT right”, said Tunyawaj Kamolwongwat, an MP with theprogressive Move Forward Party, which has longer pushed for LGBTQ rights.
” Then we finally will have the same freedom asothers”.
The plan may shift references to”men”, “women”, “husbands” and “wives “in the country’s relationship law to gender- negative terms.
Following the passage of the act, Srettha Thavisin, the prime minister, declared he was “proud of our satisfaction.”
On the social media platform X, he wrote,” The passage of this law in the parliament today is a happy time for Thai society who will work together to honor differences.”
Simply Taiwan and Nepal in Asia recognize the same type of sexual relationship. Last month, India’s highest judge deferred the choice toparliament, and Hong Kong’s top prosecutor stopped just short of granting fullmarriage right.
– ‘ Making everyone similar’-
” It’s a big step for our region– it is thefirst in Southeast Asia”, Mookdapa Yangyuenpradorn, a spokeswoman withactivist party Fortify Rights, told AFP.
Mookdapa expressed wish that the bill’s early stages would go smoothly, ensuring that her nation” will be on par with the international level in terms of LGBT rights.”
The vote comes after Srettha’s cabinet made a decision last year that gave the go-ahead for the legislature argument.
The prime minister has firmly backed the Gay group, calling the marriage equality plan a hot button, and confirming his family structure-building claim next year.
Pheu Thai party spokesperson Danuphorn Punnakanta welcomed the outcome of the lower home following the vote.
” Today, Thailand is one step forward in words ofmaking all equal”, he said.
Describing the rules as one for” all Thaipeople”, he emphasised that it would not offend homosexual couples’rights– but increase them for all connections.
” It’s merely a earn- win situation”.
While Thailand has a reputation for compassion, muchof the Buddhist- lot region remains liberal and Transgender people, whilehighly accessible, still face barriers and discrimination.
For more than a decade, protesters have been fighting for same-sex marriage rights, but their efforts did not succeed in a nation where politics is frequently stifled by mass street demonstrations and uprisings.
Thai lawmakers approved two bills that may help same-sex unions and two others that would permit civil unions in 2022.
However, the policy was voided as a result of the dissolution of parliament, which opened the way for a year-long public election.
Plaifah KyokaShodladd, 18, told AFP that as the new law progressed toward its final assent, there was a lot of excitement surrounding it.
But for now, they said:” We are happy”.
