Thailand might soon be the first country in South East Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.
In an almost unanimous decision, 400 members of the House of Representatives supported a bill recognizing same-sex marriages – also known as gay marriage – on Wednesday.
Only 15 lawmakers present for the vote did not support it. They were drowned out by applause and the waving of Pride flags when the result was announced.
‘This marks the start of equality’, Danuphorn Punnakanta, an MP and chair of the lower house’s marriage equality committee, said as he presented the draft bill.
‘This law aims to give back these rights to this group of people, not just grant them the rights.’
The bill must now be approved by the Senate and endorsed by the Thai king Vajiralongkorn to become law 60 days later.
‘I’m glad and already excited that it is really going to happen’, the BBC reported gay police officer Phisit Sirihirunchai as saying.
‘I am coming closer and closer to seeing my dreams come true.’
Thailand is known for being relatively supportive of LGBT+ rights in a region that has been slow to accept them.
It already has laws prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, making it one of Asia’s most LGBT+ friendly countries.
Taiwan and Nepal are currently the only Asian countries that have legalized same-sex marriage, doing so in 2019 and 2023.
More than 96% of people in Thailand supported same-sex marriage in a government survey late last year.
But it’s taken years of campaigning and unsuccessful attempts to get this bill close to becoming a law.
The new bill defines marriage as a partnership between two individuals rather than just between a man and a woman.
Besides being a symbolic approval after years of activism and failed attempts, it would make a real difference in the daily lives of LGBT+ couples.
It would provide them with equal rights in terms of marital tax benefits, inheritance, and decision-making for partners who are unable to make decisions for themselves.
The bill would also permit same-sex spouses to adopt children.
But it retains the use of the term ‘fathers and mothers’ instead of the ‘parents’ as recommended by the marriage equality committee.
‘Equality has happened today. It’s a historic day for the Thai parliament that stands to fight for the rights of LGBTQI+’, said Tunyawaj Kamolwongwat.
The gay MP from opposition party Move Forward, who has spent a decade advocating for marriage equality.
Efforts to make same-sex marriage legal have not succeeded in the past, but Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has strongly supported it since taking office last September.
In December, the lower house approved four proposed laws regarding marriage equality.
On Wednesday, a combined version of these bills was approved.
Thailand would become the 37th country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage if the bill receives royal approval.
Estonia became the first ex-Soviet Union country to legalize marriage equality on January 1.
Greece's parliament voted to legalize same-sex marriage last month, making it the first majority Christian Orthodox country to do so.
Nepal witnessed its first same-sex marriage officially recognized in November following a temporary Supreme Court decision.
Some other countries are taking steps backward on LGBT+ rights.
In 2023, Uganda implemented the death penalty for homosexuality.
Same-sex activity is still prohibited in 65 countries, with 12 of them enforcing the death penalty for it, but countries are starting to change their stance one by one.
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