Thai lawmakers pass bill to legalize same-sex marriage

The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage. The bill now goes to the Thai Senate.

Thailand's House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage, bringing the measure of significant progress towards its status. law.

The bill passed 400-10, with a handful of abstentions, and now the bill heads to the Senate. If passed and Thailand's king approves it, the country will become the first in Southeast Asia to recognize same-sex marriages. In Asia more broadly, only Taiwan and Nepal have done so.

The Thai bill describes marriage as a partnership between two individuals, rather than between a woman and a man. This will also give L.G.B.T.Q. couples have equal rights to various tax savings, the ability to inherit property, and the power to give consent to medical treatment for incapacitated partners. The project will also grant adoption rights. Thai law currently allows only heterosexual couples to adopt, although single women can adopt children with special needs.

“The amendment to this law address to all Thais. This is the starting point for creating equality,” Danuphorn Punnakanta, a lawmaker who chairs the lower house committee on marriage equality, told Parliament. “We understand that this law is not a universal cure for all problems, but at least it is the first step towards equality in Thai society. »

The legislation has been more than a decade in the making, with obstacles linked to political upheaval and disagreements over what approach to take and what elements to include in it. The law project. In December, Parliament passed four bills on same-sex marriage; one was proposed by the administration of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, and three additional versions from the Move Forward Party, the Democratic Party and the civil sector were considered. These four elements were combined into a single draft which was adopted on Wednesday.

"This is the biggest victory," said Nada Chaiyajit, professor of law at Mae Fah Luang University. Chiang Rai, which has supported the law since its inception. “We worked hard with the committee. It's not just about L.G.B.T.I.Q., it's about everyone. Equality. »

Thailand is one of the most LGBTQ-friendly countries in the world. people, although some elements of its Buddhist-dominated culture are socially conservative.