FOCUS THAILAND LGBTQIA+ RIGHTS

'Equality for all': LGBTQIA+ community in Thailand calls for more rights

epa11424792 Thai transgender teacher Guntaphat Suwanreung walks past Buddhist monks on her way to school at Wat Pathum Wanaram temple in Bangkok, Thailand, 28 May 2024 (issued 20 June 2024). Guntaphat, 42, is a rare example of a transgender woman who is allowed to wear a typical female civil servant's uniform while teaching her students. She says a gender recognition law in Thailand would remove some of the obstacles trans people face. 'I dress as a female but my legal documents identify me as a male, which confuses people, especially when I have to travel outside of Bangkok for conferences, when organizers always put me in a shared room with a man. It takes time to explain and it is not easy to change.' Thailand has just passed, on 18 June, a historic marriage equality bill that will grant same-sex couples advantages that are currently only enjoyed by heterosexual married couples, such as tax benefits, as well the right to inherit and manage their spouse's assets; or to give spousal consent for medical treatment and to adopt children. But activists and rights groups say that more action is needed if Thailand is to justify its reputation as a relatively safe and welcoming place for LGBTQIA+ people. EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT ATTENTION: For the full FOCUS ESSAY text please go to: https://epaimages.com/misc.pp?code=section-focus

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