Gay relationships bill should be passed by November, Thai experts believe

[webfact]

Gay relationships bill should be passed by November, experts believe

By KORNRAWEE PANYASUPPAKUN 
THE NATION

 

The Barcelona pride parade on June 30. // AFP PHOTO

 

THAILAND SHOULD push ahead with the Life and Partnership Registration bill to promote the rights of people with same-sex partners, participants in a weekend panel discussion said.

 

The Justice Ministry’s Rights and Liberties Protection Department (RLPD) began work on the bill in 2013 after a gay couple petitioned for legal recognition of their right to establish families as enjoyed by heterosexual couples, but it was interrupted after a political setback in 2014. 

 

However, the bill promoting equality of all genders should fare well under the current government, said RLPD director-general Pitikan Sithidej. The draft bill could soon be pushed forward to the ministry’s legal development department, he said.

That was good news for supporters of the bill. 

 

“We want the bill to pass and take effect soon. I want to see it in this life,” said Kittinun “Danny” Daramadhaj, president of the Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand, who helped draft the life partnership bill. 

 

There is no clear timeline, but the bill is expected to go to the National Legislative Assembly by November to ensure it is not delayed until the next government takes office after next year’s election. 

 

South African Ambassador Geoff Doidge said the passing of a similar bill in his country while he was a parliamentarian resulted in him being ostracised by the Christian community.

 

There’s a need to change some people’s views about rights for LGBT people, he said. 

 

Many in Thailand believe that Buddhism regards homosexuality as a sign of sins from past lives, while other religions cite sacred texts, beliefs and practices related to the issue.

 

“We need to think about the role of religion, not only in terms of civil marriage but also religious marriage for same-sex couples,” said Vitit Muntabhorn, a UN rights expert. “Should the faith be forced to perform solemnisation ceremonies?” he asked. 

 

In England and Australia, a priest is not forced to solemnise marriage for gay couples, while in Denmark a priest can refuse, but the church must ensure that the couple can find another priest who will perform the ceremony. “How will Thailand decide this issue?” Muntabhorn asked. 

 

It has been a long and bumpy path for people with diverse sexual identities, but they see hope as countries pass legislation. The Life Partnership Registration Bill, if enforced, would allow same-sex couples to have civil marriages, along with intersex and “genderqueer” people. This includes those born with both male and female genitals and those identifying themselves as gender-less or as having multiple genders, said a member of the committee charged with drafting the bill. “This is a very advanced move,” he added.

 

Professor Amara Pongsapich, former chair of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand, said the bill would soon be in place if collaboration continues between state authorities and civil society.

 

“We still need a ‘champion’ from the judiciary side to push forward this movement,” she said. “I have talked with several judges about this issue and I am worried.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30349607

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-07-09

[Get Real]

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

THAILAND SHOULD push ahead with the Life and Partnership Registration bill to promote the rights of people with same-sex partners

Something that shouldn´t be needed to push anywhere. Whoever want should have the right to live with eachother and marry eachother as they wish. Registration should be open and accept all people, races and genders. There should be no need to make certain changes to anything.

[Jingthing]

14 minutes ago, Get Real said:

Something that shouldn´t be needed to push anywhere. Whoever want should have the right to live with eachother and marry eachother as they wish. Registration should be open and accept all people, races and genders. There should be no need to make certain changes to anything.

Get Real.

Get Real.

Thailand currently has NO LEGAL WAY for same sex couples to legalize their relationship.
Your post is totally ABSURD.

First you say open to all.

This bill is a step towards opening something at all for same sex couples.

Then you say don't push it. Don't make any changes. 

But with any changes, there would still be NOTHING for same sex couples.

Dude, if you're against same sex couples here having a way to legalize their commitment, just say so, instead of playing silly DOUBLE SPEAK games.

Again, GET REAL. 

[Get Real]

27 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Get Real.

Get Real.

Thailand currently has NO LEGAL WAY for same sex couples to legalize their relationship.
Your post is totally ABSURD.

First you say open to all.

This bill is a step towards opening something at all for same sex couples.

Then you say don't push it. Don't make any changes. 

But with any changes, there would still be NOTHING for same sex couples.

Dude, if you're against same sex couples here having a way to legalize their commitment, just say so, instead of playing silly DOUBLE SPEAK games.

Again, GET REAL. 

Oh dear! I know that this is a big question for you, but you have to read and realize what it is you are reading. Not just go on emotions because you so strongly believe that somebody is against you.

Even if you think I am against same sex partnership and marriage, that is not the case. You got it worng from start.

My comment here was meant to say, that I believe it should not be needed to have any talk about this, and that it should be allowed automatically. I know that is not the case, but I wish it would be.

[Get Real]

1 hour ago, Get Real said:

Something that shouldn´t be needed to push anywhere. Whoever want should have the right to live with eachother and marry eachother as they wish. Registration should be open and accept all people, races and genders. There should be no need to make certain changes to anything.

Above you can see what I wrote! Now I am also going to break it down for you, so you realize you have no reason to be angry and act like you just did.

 

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Get Real.

Get Real.

What does that mean? What have I done wrong this time?

 

Quote

Thailand currently has NO LEGAL WAY for same sex couples to legalize their relationship. 
Your post is totally ABSURD.

I know they have no legal way, that´s why I comment that I believe they should have. How can that seem absurd to you. Again you react in the wrong way.

 

Quote

First you say open to all.

Yes, I strongly believe that registration should be open to all. I never say it is today, but I would be happy to see that happen. I have nothing against same sex marriage.

 

Quote

This bill is a step towards opening something at all for same sex couples.

Then you say don't push it. Don't make any changes. 

No, what I say is that it should not need to be, or make any changes. This is something that I believe should be automatically allowed worldwide. I never said don´t push or don´t make any changes. What I said was that there from start should be allowed and not even something that was unlawful to begin with. 

Please do not let your sensitive feeling get in the way of understanding and realizing what I am posting.

 

Quote

But with any changes, there would still be NOTHING for same sex couples.

I guess you mean without, and not with. I already comment that I belive that the changes should have been made long time ago. Actually I went so far so I stated that this hsould have been allowed automatically from start.

 

Quote

Dude, if you're against same sex couples here having a way to legalize their commitment, just say so, instead of playing silly DOUBLE SPEAK games.

Again, GET REAL. 

After reading and understanding above, I expect you also understand that the above two lines was totally uncalled for.

[sirineou]

 Why does there need to be a sexual component for two people to engage in a civil union? 

[Get Real]

45 minutes ago, sirineou said:

 Why does there need to be a sexual component for two people to engage in a civil union? 

It doesn´t! What did you get that from.
You are perfectly free to not engage in sexual activities with your partner. 

[sirineou]

31 minutes ago, Get Real said:

It doesn´t! What did you get that from.
You are perfectly free to not engage in sexual activities with your partner. 

well the term is :same sex unions" sex being the operative word and  the title of this thread starts with "Gay relationships bill  " gay being a sexual orientation ,all pertaining to a sexual component for the union.

Why can there be a civil union provision available to any two humans who want o live their lives together and want all the legal protections afforded with in traditional marriage.

 

[sirwilly]

GREAT NEWS the sooner the better ?

[Mickmouse1]

4 hours ago, Get Real said:

Oh dear! I know that this is a big question for you, but you have to read and realize what it is you are reading. Not just go on emotions because you so strongly believe that somebody is against you.

Even if you think I am against same sex partnership and marriage, that is not the case. You got it worng from start.

My comment here was meant to say, that I believe it should not be needed to have any talk about this, and that it should be allowed automatically. I know that is not the case, but I wish it would be.

I understood that very well and with ease.However, Thai is a Buddhist Country how would such law fare within the culture and religion there?

[Get Real]

7 minutes ago, Mickmouse1 said:

I understood that very well and with ease.However, Thai is a Buddhist Country how would such law fare within the culture and religion there?

As you state, probably not very well. That itself is a disgrace. However, I am pretty sure you can find that problem in most religions in the world. Due to that most countries starting to make sidelines to that and are today more open to all sexual orientation as long as it is not morally wrong or deemed criminal.

[jak2002003]

This is great news and has made my day.

 

We have been married for 11 years with a same sex partnership from the UK.  It will put my mind a rest about legal, financial and other implications here for the future, and hopefully make things a little easier with the immigration visa things too.

 

The poster saying about how it will fit into a Buddhist country?  It will fit in very well.  Buddhist religion does not have anything against homosexuality.  In fact, it is seen a better to not to have any sex or relationships... gay or straight in that religion.   It teaches that people should act with compassion and see the consequences of their actions.. good or bad.  So, so long as people try to be the best they can, it would not matter what their sexuality was.

 

 

[Get Real]

2 minutes ago, jak2002003 said:

This is great news and has made my day.

 

We have been married for 11 years with a same sex partnership from the UK.  It will put my mind a rest about legal, financial and other implications here for the future, and hopefully make things a little easier with the immigration visa things too.

 

The poster saying about how it will fit into a Buddhist country?  It will fit in very well.  Buddhist religion does not have anything against homosexuality.  In fact, it is seen a better to not to have any sex or relationships... gay or straight in that religion.   It teaches that people should act with compassion and see the consequences of their actions.. good or bad.  So, so long as people try to be the best they can, it would not matter what their sexuality was.

 

 

That´s great to hear! Hope everything turns out as you and your partner wishes.

[lanista]

The whole worlds gone mad.

 

As George Carlin once said....just sit back and watch as our society swirls around and around the sink and finally speeds up  and disappears down the drain.

We're almost there.

[Krataiboy]

3 hours ago, Get Real said:

It doesn´t! What did you get that from.
You are perfectly free to not engage in sexual activities with your partner. 

 

True, as endless couples who had great sex before they were daft enough to get married will tell you.

[Get Real]

9 minutes ago, lanista said:

The whole worlds gone mad.

 

As George Carlin once said....just sit back and watch as our society swirls around and around the sink and finally speeds up  and disappears down the drain.

We're almost there.

Would you care to explain that galactic piece of pure nonsense? We can start with 3 simple questions for you to answer:

 

1. Are you in any kind of way affected by people with the same sex living together as a married couple, with the same benefits and resposibilities that follow such a union?

 

2. Are you sure that Geogre Carlin didn´t generalize, and not was more than another person that couldn´t accept more then his own version of reality?

 

3. At last, can you please explain what madness, and then also intelligence, have do do with and incommon with a different sexual orientation?

[Scott]

A homophobic remark and replies has been removed.  

[mfd101]

1 hour ago, jak2002003 said:

This is great news and has made my day.

 

We have been married for 11 years with a same sex partnership from the UK.  It will put my mind a rest about legal, financial and other implications here for the future, and hopefully make things a little easier with the immigration visa things too.

 

The poster saying about how it will fit into a Buddhist country?  It will fit in very well.  Buddhist religion does not have anything against homosexuality.  In fact, it is seen a better to not to have any sex or relationships... gay or straight in that religion.   It teaches that people should act with compassion and see the consequences of their actions.. good or bad.  So, so long as people try to be the best they can, it would not matter what their sexuality was.

 

 

Yes, there do seem to be different views of what Buddhism - and particularly Thai Buddhism - do or don't say on the subject. I suspect the differences in people's attitudes more generally - and at the political level - are based on socio-economic or 'class' factors as much as anything. In many countries that were colonized by C19th Europeans (eg Uganda), the C19th moral & religious attitudes have been frozen in place, I guess as part of the post-colonial ruling classes' status seeking. But of course, as we all know, Thailand was never colonized ...

 

As for the peasants, attitudes are entirely different. When I married into a poor Khmer family near the border here in south Surin 5 years ago, I asked about attitudes to gay marriage etc and was told - by the family - that Buddhism simply says that marriage is for 2 people who love each other. When I asked whether we would be married by a monk, they laughed and said: No, monks are for deaths. We'll have the oldest man in the village who's still got his marbles to marry you. I asked about registering the marriage with government agencies. They laughed and said: No we never do that. Too complicated and anyway it makes getting a divorce more difficult. [Which is a version of: The king is far away and there are many paddy fields. Or: We don't care about them. They don't care about us.]

 

And so we proceeded. With half the village present and the old ladies correcting the old man whenever he forgot the words of the prayers. Hilarity all round and a great time was had by all.

[jak2002003]

5 hours ago, lanista said:

The whole worlds gone mad.

 

As George Carlin once said....just sit back and watch as our society swirls around and around the sink and finally speeds up  and disappears down the drain.

We're almost there.

Poor you.... that you feel that all of society is collapsing because 2 men can get a certificate to say they are a couple.

 

I personally would say you need to get outside in the real world and see the bad sides of society and help to improve them, then you will understand what bad people are really like.... and they are not the average gay couple lol. 

[Get Real]

15 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Get Real.

Get Real.

Thailand currently has NO LEGAL WAY for same sex couples to legalize their relationship.
Your post is totally ABSURD.

First you say open to all.

This bill is a step towards opening something at all for same sex couples.

Then you say don't push it. Don't make any changes. 

But with any changes, there would still be NOTHING for same sex couples.

Dude, if you're against same sex couples here having a way to legalize their commitment, just say so, instead of playing silly DOUBLE SPEAK games.

Again, GET REAL. 

How can you make an attack like this morning, and after that refuse to explain yourself when confronted about how wrong you were? Is that the kind of person you are?

[Jingthing]

How can you make an attack like this morning, and after that refuse to explain yourself when confronted about how wrong you were? Is that the kind of person you are?

Bait not taken. Don't try again.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[HAKAPALITA]

You cant even say hes a Pain in the Arse these days.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[Jingthing]

You cant even say hes a Pain in the Arse these days.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

You can do and you just did. It's not a gay related saying but it is rather an archaic one. So we now know you're an old dude.

 

My Dad used to say painy ass but I still don't know if that was his regional accent blurring the words. I never thought to ask him.

 

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

[Get Real]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Bait not taken. Don't try again.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

What is it with you? What bait? Can´t you just be big enough to realize that you had the wrong opinion about me. I have nothing against gay orientation, gay relationship or the right to register pertnership. I am not personally a part of it, so I do not need to be against it. What is it you still don´t understand?

 

[Jingthing]

What is it with you? What bait? Can´t you just be big enough to realize that you had the wrong opinion about me. I have nothing against gay orientation, gay relationship or the right to register pertnership. I am not personally a part of it, so I do not need to be against it. What is it you still don´t understand?

 

I replied to a post that gave a clear impression that you later say it didn't. I would reply the same way to a similar post in future. Consider massaging your writing more carefully. You already explained yourself and that should be good enough to stand. If you're seeking an apology don't hold your breath. Now please move on from this.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Get Real]

4 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I replied to a post that gave a clear impression that you later say it didn't. I would reply the same way to a similar post in future. Consider massaging your writing more carefully. You already explained yourself and that should be good enough to stand. If you're seeking an apology don't hold your breath. Now please move on from this.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Nope you didn´t. That due to the fact that nobody else reacted like you did. Instead they understood, and didn´t give any rotten remarks.

"Consider massaging your writing more carefully."?? Consider writing more carefully in my post must be what you mean. What do you mean? Like below?

 

7 hours ago, Jingthing said:

You can do and you just did. It's not a gay related saying but it is rather an archaic one. So we now know you're an old dude.

I guess it´s niether sensitive or careful to take for granted that you are given the right to call out somebody for beeing an old dude. Age can be as sensitive as gender and sexual orientation for some people. Just trying to get a hold on what you mean.

 

I am not seeking an appology, just a reaction. Which a got. I will just tell you once again that my post gave a clear impression, but not the one you got. That was the one everybody else got, and understood what I meant. They didn´t let sensitive feeling and some kind of bad judement take over. Now I will move on as you wish, but I the future it is you that should read more careful so that you better understand what it is you are replying too, and what it really means before you reply.

[Jingthing]

Yeah, whatever, dude.

Time to move on. 

All this extra drama may be fun for you, but I reckon it's a big OLD bore for everyone else.

Cheers.