LGBTQ community rejects Civil Partnership Bill, calls for Marriage Equality Bill

The LGBTQ representatives, led by Promsorn Weerathamcharee, met Thankhun Jit-isara, a staff of the House speaker, to submit the group’s letter, which called on the House to accept and pass the Marriage Equality Bill drafted by Move Forward MP Tunyawaj Kamolwongwat.

The Cabinet had earlier rejected the Marriage Equality Bill in March and it instead approved the Civil Partnership Bill of the Justice Ministry on Tuesday.

The government’s bill would allow same-sex persons to register their civil partnership and defines them as civil partners, while the Marriage Equality Bill would allow same-sex persons to register their marriage and become married couples like heterosexual married couples.

Promsorn said the Civil Partnership Bill would treat LGBTQ community members as second-class citizens.

“What we are asking for is nothing more than what a human being should get,” Promsorn said.

“Now, we hope that all political parties, all MPs and the House speaker will see it and increase the level of humanity for us. Please don’t regard the passage of the Marriage Equality Bill as a gift for us but please regard its enactment as tantamount to returning the rights to us to complete our human rights.”

Promson said the LGBTQ community are not different from other people in either thinking or attitudes.

He added that if Thai LGBTQ people are protected by the Marriage Equality law, it would prove that they have the same human rights as the other people.

He said the Marriage Equality Bill would not only allow two persons to register their love legally, but it would also allow them to live their life in harmony.

He said he has read the government’s Civil Partnership Bill several times and he found that the bill failed to provide several rights that LGBTQ couples should get.

“If Thailand has the Marriage Equality law, it would affirm to the international community that Thailand is advanced in terms of having full human rights protection for its citizens,” Promson added.

Meanwhile, Thaweechai Wongpairojkul, a member of the Thai Sang Thai Party’s sexual diversity committee, said the Civil Partnership Bill of the government was a shameful tactic to win support from the LGBTQ community without really providing equal sexual rights.

“The LGBTQI people need full rights. The Civil Partnership bill stops short of giving same-sex couples all the rights and benefits offered to their heterosexual counterparts.

“The same-sex marriage draft bill will ensure full equality with dignity and benefits. We have to fight for the right things,” Tunyawaj said in an exclusive interview with Voice of the Nation on Monday.