Thailand lawmakers pass landmark LGBTQ marriage equality bill

Bangkok — Lawmakers in Thailand’s decrease home of Parliament overwhelmingly authorised a wedding equality invoice on Wednesday that may make the nation the primary in Southeast Asia to legalize equal rights for marriage companions of any gender. The invoice handed its closing studying with the approval of 400 of the 415 members of the Home of Representatives who had been in attendance, with 10 voting in opposition to it, two abstaining and three not voting.

The invoice amends the Civil and Business Code to vary the phrases “women and men” and “husband and spouse” to “people” and “marriage companions.” It might open up entry to full authorized, monetary and medical rights for LGBTQ+ {couples}.

The invoice now goes to the Senate, which hardly ever rejects any laws that passes the decrease home, after which to the king for royal endorsement. This is able to make Thailand the primary nation or area in Southeast Asia to move such a legislation and the third in Asia, after Taiwan and Nepal.

Danuphorn Punnakanta, a spokesperson of the governing Pheu Thai get together and president of a committee overseeing the wedding equality invoice, mentioned in Parliament that the modification is for “everybody in Thailand” no matter their gender, and wouldn’t deprive heterosexual {couples} of any rights.

“For this legislation, we wish to return rights to the (LGBTQ+ group). We’re not giving them rights. These are the basic rights that this group of individuals … has misplaced,” he mentioned.

Lawmakers, nonetheless, didn’t approve inclusion of the phrase “mother or father” along with “father and mom” within the legislation, which activists mentioned would restrict the rights of some LGBTQ+ {couples} to kind a household and lift youngsters.

Thailand has a status for acceptance and inclusivity however has struggled for many years to move a wedding equality legislation.

The brand new authorities led by Pheu Thai, which took workplace final 12 months, has made marriage equality one in every of its predominant targets.

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