The Wall Street – The final legislative obstacle to Thailand being the first country in Southeast Asia to pass a same-sex marriage law was removed on Tuesday when the Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill allowing the union of two people.
Despite having a reputation for inclusiveness and acceptance, Thailand has battled for decades to enact laws promoting marital equality. The majority of Thai society is conservative, and LGBTQ+ people claim they encounter persecution daily.
Historically, the government and state agencies have also been conservative, and proponents of gender equality have found it difficult to persuade legislators and public employees to embrace change.
Thailand allows the Same-sex marriage
After Taiwan and Nepal Thailand will be the third country in Asia to permit same-sex unions. 400 of the 415 members present approved the marriage equality measure, which gives married couples of any gender full legal, financial, and medical rights.
The bill passed the House of Representatives just before the previous legislative session came to a conclusion in April.
On Tuesday, 130 of the 152 senators present voted in favor of it, while 18 abstained. It passed the Senate on its final reading.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn must now approve the bill pro forma before it can be published in the Government Gazette, which will determine when it goes into force in 120 days.
The urgency of passing the law is shown by the Senate’s vote on Tuesday, the first day of the current parliamentary session. The country’s Civil and Commercial Code would be amended by the legislation to substitute gender-neutral terms like “individual” with gender-specific terms like “men and women.”
However, there was a problem with its approval. Senator Worapong Sa-nganet, a retired army general, made the case that the law should retain both gender-neutral and gender-specific terminology. Removing them would be a serious “subversion,” of the institution of family” in Thailand.
After the voting, 18-year-old non-binary Plaifah Kyoka Shodladd took the floor to thank all of the supporters of the legislation, referring to it as a “force of hope” that will assist Thailand in becoming a more diverse country. Plaifah declared, “Today, love triumphs over prejudice.
” The administration, sure that the law would pass, declared a few days ago that it would celebrate the milestone by holding an event at Government House later on Tuesday. Flags, rainbow carpets, and a massive balloon shaped like two hands making a heart sign were used to decorate the building.
For the celebration, supporters intended to march from Parliament to Government House. According to Mookdapa Yangyuenpradorn of the human rights group Fortify Rights, the law’s passage is a “triumph for justice and human rights.”
In order to protect LGBTI+ rights, the Thai government must now concentrate on making sure this law is implemented quickly and effectively, the speaker stated. Marriage equality is fundamental to human dignity and it is essential that Thailand protects these rights without delay or discrimination.
One of the primary objectives of the Pheu Thai party-led administration, which came to power last year, is marital equality. It went to great lengths earlier this month to align itself with the annual Bangkok Pride march, which drew thousands of revelers to one of the city’s busiest business areas.
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