Thailand's legislature has legalized same-sex marriage

Thailand's lawmakers voted Tuesday to approve a marriage equality bill, a move that puts the country on a clear path to legalizing same-sex marriage, the first in Southeast Asia.

Thailand's Senate passed the bill by 130 votes to 4 on Tuesday afternoon. It was approved by the House of Representatives in March. The legislation will become law after being reviewed by a Senate committee and the Constitutional Court and receiving royal assent from the king, a formality that is widely expected to be granted.

“After 20 years of trying to legalize this issue, finally, love has won,” 18-year-old activist Plyfa Kyoka Shodlad said in the Senate chamber after the vote.

The bill's passage clarifies Thailand's status as a relative haven for same-sex couples in Asia. Only Taiwan and Nepal Legalized same-sex marriage.

When India came close to doing so last year, the Supreme Court overruled Parliament's decision. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken strongly against legalizing same-sex marriage.

In some Asian countries, homosexuality is a criminal offence. Indonesia, where same-sex marriage is illegal, outlawed extramarital sex in 2022. In 2019, Brunei made homosexuality punishable by stoning It later said it would not carry out the death penalty after widespread international protests.

After the bill was passed, supporters celebrated the milestone with flags and colorful balloons as a pride rally featuring a drag show took place in downtown Bangkok. Prime Minister Sretha Thavisin said she would host a celebration for the workers on Tuesday evening, though she said she would not be able to attend the event due to a Covid infection.

Supporters such as Mukdapa Yangyuenpradorn, an activist with the Southeast Asia-based human rights group Fortify Rights, also called on authorities to act quickly to enforce the law after it took effect 120 days after the king's assent.

Critics such as General Orapong Sanga-Natt, a senator, said legalizing same-sex marriage would undermine the institution of the family and cause logistical challenges for the Home Ministry.

Thailand's bill, which amends the country's Civil and Commercial Code, calls marriage a partnership between two people aged 18 or over, regardless of their gender. It gives LGBTQ couples equal rights to adopt children, claim tax allowances, inherit property and consent to medical treatment if their partners are incapacitated.

The bill has been controversial since its first version was introduced 20 years ago. Although Thailand is one of the most open places in the world for same-sex couples, it is socially conservative in other ways. Lawmakers in February A proposal is rejected Allows people to change gender on official documents.

However, the majority of Thai people support the marriage equality bill. Last year, 60 percent of adults in Thailand said they supported legalizing same-sex marriage Pew Research Center.

Rin Jirenuwat Contribution reporting.