#Thailand’s Senate overwhelmingly approves a bill to legalize #SameSexMarriage
June 18, 202412:45 PM ET
By The Associated Press
"Thailand's Senate voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to approve a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage, clearing the last legislative hurdle for the country to become the first in Southeast Asia to enact such a law.
"Thailand has a reputation for acceptance and inclusivity but has struggled for decades to pass a marriage equality law. Thai society largely holds conservative values, and members of the #LGBTQ+ community say they face discrimination in everyday life.
"The government and state agencies are also historically conservative, and advocates for gender equality have had a hard time pushing lawmakers and civil servants to accept change.
"Thailand will become the third place in Asia, after Taiwan and Nepal, to allow same-sex marriage. The marriage equality bill, which grants full legal, financial and medical rights for marriage partners of any gender, sailed through the House of Representatives right before the previous parliamentary session concluded in April with the approval of 400 of the 415 members who were present.
"It passed its final reading in the Senate on Tuesday with the approval of 130 of the 152 members in attendance, with 4 voting against it and 18 abstaining.
"The bill now needs the pro forma endorsement of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, followed by its publication in the Government Gazette, which will set a date within 120 days when it becomes effective.
"The timing of the Senate's vote on Tuesday, the first day of the current parliamentary session, suggests the urgency in getting the bill passed. The legislation will amend the country's Civil and Commercial Code to replace gender-specific words such as 'men and women' with #genderneutral words such as 'individual.'
"But it was not approved without a hitch. One member of the Senate, retired army Gen. Worapong Sa-nganet, argued that the gender-specific terms should still be included in the law along with the gender-neutral terms. He said excluding them would be a severe 'subversion of the institution of family' in Thailand.
"After the vote, Plaifah Kyoka Shodladd, an 18-year-old who identifies as #nonbinary took the floor and thanked everyone who supported the legislation, calling it a 'force of hope' that will help Thailand become more accepting of #diversity."
Read more:
https://www.npr.org/2024/06/18/nx-s1-5010446/thailand-same-sex-marriage