Around 130 couples who identify as LGBTQ+ joined a Valentine’s Day marriage registration campaign in Bangkok and Ayutthaya on Tuesday.
In Bangkok, Dusit District Office and Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University held the campaign at Suan Sunandha Palace, with the building modified and decorated specifically for the campaign.
An LGBTQ+ couple who have been together for eight years said they deserved the same legal rights as heterosexual couples.
Another couple said they wanted their marriage registration to be legally effective, calling on the public sector to support the Gender Recognition Bill as it could encourage more people to come out publicly.
The campaign not only provides LGBTQ+ couples with legal support as they wait for the Gender Recognition Bill to pass, but also promotes the district’s tourism to attendees through their rare royal desserts and souvenirs, according to City Hall.
The campaign for LGBTQ+ marriage registration, which does not have legal status but is regarded as a gift of district offices, was held on Tuesday in Dusit, Pomprap Sattruphai and Bang Kholaem. A total of 128 LGBTQ+ couples participated.
Authorities hope to use it as a starting point to pursue the Gender Recognition Bill, said Phongjakkarin Thawornphong, director of the Pomprap Sattruphai district office.
As many couples, including LGBTQ+ pairings, registered their marriage on Valentine’s Day, all district offices in Bangkok provided this service, he said.
Seven LGBTQ+ couples attended the registration at Wat Maha Chulalongkorn Rachuthit in Ayutthaya.
Niwat Rungsakorn, the provincial governor, served as host, and representatives of provincial authorities attended.
The marriage registration campaign for 14 straight and seven LGBTQ+ couples was held to promote social equality.