Image by tikisada from Pixabay

Introduction

Great news for the people of Thailand! Lawmakers are close to legalizing same-sex marriage. If the law is passed, this would make them the first Southeast Asian country, and the third Asian country to do so; as countries such as Taiwan and Nepal have already done so. People have been lighting for this for many years, and Thailand is known as a relatively LGBTQ+ friendly place. A law was even passed that made it illegal to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people. So what took so long?

Years of Fighting

As of Mar 27, 2024, Thailand’s lower house approved a bill that will legally recognize same-sex marriage. It would also change the wording of the Civil and Commercial Code from “man and woman” to “spouse” in order to be more inclusive. The bill then has to be approved by the senate, and endorsed by the king. However, this fight has ben going on for years.

In 2013, the president of the Gay Political Group of Thailand (Natee Teerarojjanapong) tried to obtain a marriage certificate with his husband, but was denied. In June of 2020, a bill legalizing same sex marriage was introduced. And in 2022, multiple bills concerning same sex marriage passed their fist readings of the Thai parliament, but they were ultimately dissolved due to the 2023 election.  This bill and the support of the government can now give hope to gay couples who have been yearning to get married.

My Thoughts

I’ve watched a lot of BL dramas, and it seems like Thai BL dramas are very marketable and popular. I was surprised to see that gay marriage wasn’t legal despite how big the community is there, and the overwhelming amount of BL dramas that are produced. But then I realized that it was just that: fanservice. While people enjoy watching actors do skinship and act close with each other, they fail to realize that there are actual gay couples who are struggling to gain equal rights. Conservative countries like Korea and Japan also mass produce BL comics an dramas for fanservice purposes, but fail to support real gay couples.

I think it’s great that Thailand is finally taking those steps to give same sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples. People may think that it’s not that important, or that it’s just a piece of paper, but it’s not necessarily about having a big wedding or a cake. This is about equality. This is about people having the same rights and benefits as anyone else regales of sexual orientation. I hope that the bill finally passes, and that other countries will follow Thailand in legalizing same sex unions.