Equal marriage bill expected to come into effect next year
The equal marriage bill is expected to come into effect next year, the president of the Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand, Kittinun Daramadhaj, said.
His remarks came after drafts of a series of four bills that address issues of gender and propose marriage equality passed the first reading in Parliament on December 21.
This progress paves the way for Thailand to become the first country in ASEAN to legalise same-sex marriage.
Despite differences in the four bills related to same-sex marriage proposed by the Cabinet, the opposition Move Forward and Democrat parties, as well as civil society groups, the overall details are similar to marriage between men and women.
"If there is no mistake, equal marriage bill could be enforced between June and December next year," said Kittinun.
He said many LGBTQ+ couples nationwide are ready to marry once the bill comes into effect. As many as 34 countries have passed the equal marriage bill, and some countries have a civil partnership bill.
"The principle is simple according to the law. Just substitute the word ‘person’ for ‘man and woman in law’, and the word ‘spouse’ for ‘husband and wife’. Everything else is the same," he said.
However, other drafts related to gender equality are expected to take more deliberations.
For instance, the draft on certification of gender identity will allow people to have rights and duties depending on the change of their gender. However, parents will be prohibited from providing gender-affirming surgery for their children.
Meanwhile, the draft on elimination of discrimination aims to boost the acceptance of LGBTQ+, as discrimination against this group has persisted in Thai society for more than 25 years.
"There are two kinds of acceptance: accepting that LGBTQ+ are not sexually perverted, and without conditions," said Kittinun.
Even though the draft on sex workers is being criticised over inappropriateness, Kittinun said these workers should be able to receive protection under the law.
“There are many issues to discuss," he said, "The prime minister is uncertain about this issue because it is a grey business with a lot of risk, but the Move Forward Party wants the occupation to be registered.”
