Thailand on track to legalize same-sex marriage, first in Southeast Asia

Never before has any Southeast Asian country passed such a law. Thai lawmakers overwhelmingly approved the legalization of same-sex marriage on Wednesday, according to images broadcast by Parliament Channel.

The text marks an important step forward, but still needs to be reviewed by the Senate before it is finally promulgated by the King. The procedure may take several weeks or even months. “Today Thailand has taken another step towards equality among people,” reacted Danuporn Punnakanta, a spokesman for the prime minister’s party.

The kingdom could become the first country in Southeast Asia to recognize unions between two people of the same sex, and the third in Asia after Taiwan and Nepal. The LGBT+ community is highly visible in a country known for its values ​​of tolerance, but laws seen as conservative continue to fuel discrimination against gay or transgender couples.

“A huge step”

The proposal passed by MPs aims to change references to “men”, “women”, “husbands” and “wives” in the Marriage Act, replacing them with gender-neutral terms. New legislation should also grant same-sex couples adoption and inheritance rights.

“This is a huge step for our country,” said Mukdapa Yanguenpradorn, a spokesman for the rights group Fortify Rights. “I hope that the final phase goes smoothly and that Thailand ends up on the same level as the rest of the world when it comes to LGBT+ rights,” she continued.