<p>The human right organization Fortify Rights issued a statement today (1 November) calling&nbsp;on the Thai parliament to approve the Marriage Equality bill, which is expected to re-enter parliament during the current legislative session.</p>

<p>LGBTQ rights activists went to parliament yesterday (8 September) to file an <a href="https://www.facebook.com/femliberateth/photos/a.100889168409175/610728587425228/">open letter</a> calling for parliament to pass the Marriage Equality bill in its second and third readings.</p>

<p>The Drafting Committee for the Civil Partnership bill and the Marriage Equality bill has said that it will push for both bills to go before parliament before the end of the current session, while concerns have been raised about homophobia among committee members.</p>

<p>The Thai Parliament on Wednesday (15 June) voted to pass the Marriage Equality bill and the Civil Partnership bill in their first reading.</p>

<p>The first reading of the Marriage Equality bill has once again been delayed, while the Cabinet has endorsed the Civil Partnership bill, previously criticised for not granting the same rights and dignity to LGBTQ couples as heterosexual couples.</p>

<p>LGBT activists held a demonstration on Saturday (25 July) at the Democracy Monument in the name of gender equality, LGBT rights, and democracy, as well as calling the government out for their failure in handling the Covid-19 pandemic and demanding the dissolution of parliament.</p>

<p>The Thai Cabinet yesterday (8 July) approved the Civil Partnership bill, which was proposed by the Ministry of Justice to allow for same-sex couples to register their partnership, and has submitted the bill to the House of Representatives Coordination Committee for consideration before it goes before Parliament.</p>

<p>More than three years after the first bill in Thai history to recognise the existence of same-sex couples was introduced, the Thai junta still shows no sign of passing it. Meanwhile, many LGBT activists point out that although the bill might provide greater equality, it still discriminates against LGBT people.</p> <p></p>

<p>Citing further legal protections for LGBT people, the Thai authorities have introduced a bill to ‘certify’ gender identity. LGBT experts, however, have asked why they need the state to approve their gender identity at all.</p> <p>On 14 March 2017, leading LGBT activists and legal officers from the Office of Women’s Affairs and Family Development (OWAFD) under the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security gathered at a public forum to discuss the Gender Certification Bill drafted by OWAFD.</p>

<p>Thai lawmakers have scrapped an opportunity of marriage equality for all SOGIEs (sexual orientations and gender identifications and expressions) in Thailand in the draft constitution, saying that the nation is not ready.</p> <p>According to the&nbsp;<a href="http://forsogi.org/?p=290">Foundation for SOGI Rights and Justice (FOR SOGI)</a>, the Constitutional Drafting Committee (CDC) reached a consensus on 26 June 2015 to remove the phrase “rights to marriage” from Article 38 in Section 2, the section on citizens’ and human rights of the draft constitution.</p>

<div> <div>Another gender-related bill to be deliberated soon is the Gender Equality bill, which criminalizes discrimination among the sexes and genders. If passed, it will be the first Thai law to contain language mentioning homosexuals. However, gender activists have cried foul, saying that the bill still perpetuates discrimination.&nbsp;</div> </div> <div> </div>

<div>The parliament appointed by the military junta is expected to pass the Civil Partnership Act, the first law in Thailand to recognize the existence of same-sex couples. However, the bill is widely unacceptable to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists.</div> <p></p>