The UK and U.S. embassies in Thailand have come together to co-host an annual pride event, demonstrating their support for LGBTQ+ rights and celebrating efforts towards inclusion in Thai society. Under the theme ‘United in Love’, supporters expressed their desire for equality, including the legalization of same-sex marriage.
LGBTQ+ advocates are calling for an accelerated legalization process to protect the LGBTQ+ community, as a same-sex marriage bill awaits approval in Parliament. Having entered into a civil partnership in 2005, UK Ambassador to Thailand Mark Gooding, during the event on June 23, expressed the significance of transitioning to marriage after the enactment of the UK’s Equal Marriage Act a decade later, emphasizing the symbolic importance of equal treatment within society.
U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Robert Godec also espoused U.S. values regarding the pursuit of equality for the LGBTQ+ community in Thailand. He acknowledged that every nation is on its own journey towards equality, with the United States having made progress in recent years but still facing challenges in certain areas.
With the formation of a new government expected in July, Ambassador Gooding emphasized the potential for future cooperation with Thailand’s new government on LGBTQ+ rights, adding that the UK is looking forward to working closely with the new Thai government on all issues related to diversity and inclusion, including LGBTQ+ rights, equality legislation, and discrimination.
The UK and U.S. ambassadors later conveyed messages of support to human rights defenders and LGBTQ+ rights advocates in Thailand, with Ambassador Gooding emphasizing the universal right for individuals to marry whomever they love, irrespective of gender, and expressing hope for global recognition of this right. Ambassador Godec meanwhile expressed his gratitude for participating in the recent Pride Parade in Bangkok and restated his dedication to supporting the LGBTQ+ community and their rights. (NNT)
