Thailand’s Senate passes measure to legalize gay marriage

Thai lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a measure legalizing same-sex marriage on Tuesday with a 130-4 vote, according to a translation of a Senate statement on social media. Eighteen senators abstained from voting either for or against the proposal. If King Maha Vajiralongkorn approves the measure as expected, Thailand will become the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize gay marriage. In the continent, it would become the third country in all of Asia to legally approve gay marriage, joining Taiwan and Nepal.

What will the legislation do? The Marriage Equality Bill would give same-sex couples the same legal rights and protections as traditional married couples. It would replace language in the country’s Civil and Commercial Code, which distinctly references men and women. The legislation would also allow same-sex couples to inherit and adopt like traditionally married couples.

Some legislators objected to replacing gendered language with gender-neutral terms and argued it would subvert the family unit. Nonetheless, the measure passed with landslide approval rates, with the House of Representatives giving a 400-10 vote of approval in March.

How is the bill being received? Many Thai people hold traditional social values, even as the predominantly Buddhist country has become more liberal. The government announced a celebration days ahead of the bill’s expected passage. The Government House was decked with rainbow flags and other pro-LGBTQ banners before the vote. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin predicted the bill’s easy passage before the final vote. Parliament members will realize the importance of equal rights, he said.

Dig deeper: Read Angela Lu Fulton’s report in The Sift on Taiwanese demonstrators protesting bills on same-sex marriage before it was legalized.