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Video: CNA: Thai king signs same-sex marriage into law


groyn88

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On Tuesday, 24 September 2024, Thailand's official Royal Gazette announced that the Thai king had signed same-sex marriage into law, making Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia and the biggest place in Asia to recognise marriage equality.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn gave royal assent to the new law, passed by parliament in June 2024, which would take effect in 120 days - meaning the first weddings were expected to take place in January 2025.
The law on marriage now used gender-neutral terms in place of "men", "women", "husbands" and "wives", and also granted adoption and inheritance rights to same-sex couples.
The king's formal approval marked the culmination of years of campaigning and thwarted attempts to pass equal marriage laws.
Thailand had long had an international reputation for tolerance of the LGBTQ community, and opinion polls reported in local media had shown overwhelming public support for equal marriage.
However, much of the Buddhist-majority kingdom still retained traditional and conservative values and LGBTQ people said they still faced barriers and discrimination in everyday life.
More than 30 countries around the world had legalised marriage for all since the Netherlands became the first to celebrate same-sex unions in 2001.
India's highest court deferred a decision on the matter to parliament in 2023 and Hong Kong's top court stopped just short of granting full marriage rights.
Thai activists had been pushing for same-sex marriage rights for more than a decade but, in a country where politics was regularly upended by coups and mass street protests, their advocacy did not get far.
LGBTQ activists staged a drag show in Bangkok on Friday, 20 September 2024 to celebrate progress and show their enthusiasm for the law to come into effect.
Apiwat Apiwatsayree, a well-known figure in Thailand's LGBTQ community, and his partner Sappanyoo Panatkool, who had been together for 17 years, were among those who had been waiting for the law to pass so they could finally marry. "We've been waiting for a long time," Apiwat, 49, said on Friday, 20 September 2024. "As soon as it becomes law, we will go register our marriage."
The legislation was pushed through parliament by former prime minister Srettha Thavisin, who was vocal in his support for the LGBTQ community.
He made marriage equality a signature issue and told reporters ion 2023 that he believed the change would strengthen family structures.
Srettha was kicked out of office by a court order in an ethics case in August 2024, to be replaced by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of controversial ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Links:

https://the-singapore-lgbt-encyclopaedia.fandom.com/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_in_Singapore

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2 hours ago, egal said:

china?  lol....

Yes, China.  It is a non-religious country and don't underestimate China citizen being quite open minded and compassionate about people of different orientation.  

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Guest Who next

Thailand, Taiwan, Nepal.... all the Buddhist countries. Vietnam or Japan next?

 

China even though is Buddhist country too, seems unlikely to legalise ssm anytime soon because they think of it as western values. Smh

 

Sg, HK and Korea with strong evangelical Christian influences are unlikely to legalise ssm anytime soon too.

 

 

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