praised as “monumental” step toward equal rights as aristocratic confirmation confirmed
PUBLISHED: 24 Sep 2024 at 22: 35
His Majesty the King has approved the Marriage Equality Bill, making Thailand the fourth nation in Asia to recognize same-sex unions after Taiwan and Nepal.
The law will become effective on January 22, 2025, 120 days after it was published in the Royal Gazette on Tuesday, enabling same-sex couples to commence officially registering their unions.
” The legislation is a huge step towards equal rights in Thailand”, Waaddao Anne Chumaporn, the leader of Bangkok Pride, said on Tuesday.
On January 22, she intends to hold a large marriage for more than a thousand LGBTQ lovers in Bangkok.
The bill’s ultimate reading was approved by the Senate in June, the climax of protesters ‘ efforts for more than 20 years. An overwhelming preponderance of politicians in the lower house voted in favor of it.
The decision was welcomed at the time, with LGBT rights activists claiming that it would establish Thai rule over wedding equality in Southeast Asia.
The rules on union today uses gender-neutral words in place of “men”, “women”, “husbands” and “wives”, and also provides adoption and estate rights to same-sex couples.
The Marriage Equality Bill will be one of the most gender-inclusive legislation, according to Vitit Muntarbhorn, a respected international human rights professional and legal professor.” It will amend around 60 to 70 parts of the Civil and Commercial Codes,” she said at a new website.
He said that around 50 other rules, such as the Surrogacy Bill, Gender Recognition Bill, employment-related costs, and welfare-related expenses, need to be amended to ensure equitable and inclusive constitutional protections for LGBTQ communities in Thailand.