Thailand moves 'one step closer' to legalising same-sex marriage

With the first vote on the bills anticipated later on Thursday, the Thai parliament is about to start debating four draft laws pertaining to same-sex marriage, bringing the nation one step closer to legalising it. The current government’s same-sex civil union bill and related draft laws were discussed by parliament last year, but no decision was made before the session ended. Four draft bills—two from the opposition Move Forward and the Democrats parties, one from the new government that took office following the May general election, and one each from civil society organizations—are being discussed on Thursday. They all take similar tacks. “In principle, this draft law is for the amendment of some provisions in the civic codes to open the way for lovers, regardless of their gender, to engage and get married,” Deputy Prime Minister Somsak Thepsuthin told parliament about the government’s draft bill. “This will provide rights, responsibilities and family status as equal to the marriage between a man and a woman presently in all aspects,” he said. Somsak said the government conducted a survey between Oct. 31 and Nov. 14 that showed 96.6% public support for the draft bill. Thailand has one of Asia’s most open and visible lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities but many political activists say the country’s laws and institutions have yet to reflect changing social attitudes and still discriminate against LGBT people and same-sex couples. If the draft laws are approved in parliament’s first reading on Thursday, they could be tabled for final reading votes early next year, which could make Thailand the third place in Asia, after Taiwan and Nepal, to recognise same-sex marriage. (with inputs from Reuters)