<p>On Valentine&rsquo;s Day, activists in Bangkok and several other provinces organized activities to campaign for marriage equality, after the proposed amendments to the marriage law to allow registration of marriage regardless of gender were delayed by parliament.</p>

<p>The Thai parliament voted yesterday (9 February 2022) to forward the marriage equality bill, proposed by Move Forward Party (MFP), to the Cabinet for consideration, delaying the bill&rsquo;s first reading.</p>

<p>20 protesters and activists have been charged with violation of the Emergency Decree for participating in the <a href="https://prachatai.com/english/node/9583">28 November 2021 rally</a> at the Ratchaprasong intersection to call for marriage equality.</p>

<p>Despite the Constitutional Court&#39;s ruling that only allowing marriage registration to heterosexual couple does not go against the Constitution, Thai activists are moving forward in their fight for marriage equality.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A <a href="https://www.support1448.org/">petition</a> proposing amendments to the Civil Commercial Code to allow marriage between LGBTQ couples has gained over 100,000 signatures overnight after it was launched during Sunday night&rsquo;s demonstration (28 November).</p>

<p>The Thai Constitutional Court ruled yesterday (17 November) that the current Thai marriage law, which states that marriage can only be contracted between a man and a woman, does not violate the Constitution.</p>

<p>The Constitutional Court has postponed to 14 December 2021 a hearing on a petition filed by an LGBTQ couple and the Foundation for SOGI Rights and Justice (For-SOGI) to rule whether the current Thai marriage law violates the 2017 Constitution.</p>

<p>Mimi, 17, is a gender equality activist who has been charged with violating the Emergency Decree and the Public Assembly Act for giving a speech during the protest at the Ratchaprasong Intersection on 25 October 2020.</p><p>Prachatai speaks to Mimi about the beginning of their activism, life after facing charges for political expression, and the importance of gender justice in the pro-democracy movement.</p>

<p>The student activist group Bad Student staged a protest at the Ministry of Education to call for gender equality and LGBTQ rights in the school system.</p>

<p>Prachatai speaks to Mimi, a 17-year-old gender equality activist facing charges for violation of the Emergency Decree and the Public Assembly Act,&nbsp;about the beginning of their activism, life after facing charges for political expression, and the importance of gender justice in the pro-democracy movement.</p>

<p>On 17 May, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOT),&nbsp;LGBTQ rights activist groups organised a candlelight vigil to raise awareness about discrimination against the LGBTQ community, which was worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Women and the LGBT community have joined pro-democracy protests campaigning to abolish patriarchy, gender stereotypes and social norms that marginalize gender equality. They are also collecting signatures for petitions to decriminalize abortion and sex work.</p>