4-6-2023 (BANGKOK) The leading candidate for Thailand’s next prime minister participated in a Pride parade held in Bangkok on Sunday (Jun 4), pledging to enact legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage and protect gender identity rights if elected.
Thousands of LGBTQ+ individuals, their supporters, and political leaders marched through central Bangkok, commemorating Pride Month and advocating for gender equality in the country’s second official Pride parade.
Participants waved rainbow flags, with one person holding a placard that read “freedom to choose gender” and another displaying “love is love” in vibrant rainbow colors. Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt stated that this year’s Pride parade drew over 50,000 attendees, more than double the turnout of the previous year.
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ประเทศของเราขับเคลื่อนด้วย ‘ความรัก’ ไม่ใช่ ‘ความกลัว’‘ความหลากหลาย’ ไม่ใช่ ‘จุดอ่อน’ แต่คือ ‘จุดแข็ง’ ของประเทศนี้
ความรักก็คือความรัก และความรักต้องชนะ
ดังนั้น #bangkokpride2023 ไม่ใช่แค่เดือนที่เรามาเฉลิมฉลอง ไม่ใช่แค่การเดินมาเหรด… pic.twitter.com/ZDwjClG4i5
— Pita Limjaroenrat (@Pita_MFP) June 4, 2023
Among the political figures joining the parade was Pita Limjaroenrat, the leader of the progressive Move Forward party. The party aims to lead a coalition government after securing the highest number of seats in the May 14 general election, where voters expressed their desire to end nearly a decade of military and military-backed rule.
Limjaroenrat addressed reporters during the parade, stating, “Once the government is formed, we will support the Marriage Equality Act, Gender Identity Act, and several other initiatives, including welfare. These measures will not only make Pride Month a celebration of diversity but instill pride in our society at all times.”
The coalition, consisting of eight political parties, has jointly pledged to pass comprehensive laws, such as the Marriage Equality Act, to ensure equal rights for all couples irrespective of gender. The draft legislation and related measures had been stalled in parliament during the previous government’s tenure.
While Thailand boasts one of Asia’s most open and visible LGBTQ+ communities, many activists argue that Thai laws and traditional institutions have yet to catch up with evolving social attitudes, continuing to discriminate against LGBT individuals and same-sex couples. The commitment to enacting pro-LGBTQ+ laws by political leaders is seen as a step towards rectifying this disparity.
