Thailand is on the verge of making history as the first Southeast Asian nation to legalize same-sex marriage. The lower house of parliament has given overwhelming support to the bill, with 400 in favor and only 10 against it. If the bill becomes law, Thailand will join the ranks of just two other Asian countries that have legalized gay marriage.
The bill now awaits approval from the country’s Senate and the king before it can be enacted. After more than a decade in the making, the legislation could come into effect within 120 days of royal approval.
The proposed changes in the legislation would replace gender-specific terms in the marriage law with gender-neutral ones and grant LGBTQ couples inheritance and adoption rights equal to those of heterosexual marriages.
Despite Thailand’s reputation for being welcoming to the international LGBTQ community, activists have faced challenges due to conservative attitudes and values. The Constitutional Court’s 2020 ruling that the current matrimonial law, which only recognizes heterosexual couples, is constitutional, has further fueled the need for expanded legislation to ensure minority rights.
In December, the parliament approved the first readings of four different draft bills on same-sex marriage and tasked a committee to consolidate them into a single draft.
The approval of the bill has been met with celebration, with one representative bringing a huge rainbow to mark the occasion.
Article from www.aljazeera.com