Thailand's parliament passed a same-sex marriage bill on March 27, paving the way for the kingdom to become the first Southeast Asian nation to recognise LGBTQ marriage equality. Across Asia only Taiwan and Nepal recognise same-sex marriage, with India's highest court deferring the decision to parliament in October.
The bill sailed through on 399 to 10 votes in the lower house, although it must still be approved by the Senate before it is endorsed by the king, and then published in the Royal Gazette.
And while the kingdom enjoys a welcoming reputation for the international LGBTQ+ community, Thai activists have struggled for decades against conservative attitudes and values. The proposal will change references to "men," "women," "husbands," and "wives" in the marriage law to gender-neutral terms.
Read more here.
