Just looking for recognition

By Pratch Rujivanarom 
The Nation

 

from left, Nateepat Kulsetthasith, Kawinnart Takee, Tanwarin Sukkhapisit, and Tunyawaj Kamolwongwat

 

With four trans MPs now in parliament, the quest continues for legal recognition of rights and liberties for the LGBTQI community

 

Government recognition of their rights and liberties remains a major quest for the LGBTQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex) community in Thailand and other Asian countries, academics say.

 

Despite recent “good news” headlines about more rights being recognised throughout the region, Professor Douglas Sanders of Mahidol University said the positive developments have been limited to only a few countries.

The majority of Asian nations have not yet embraced LGBTQI rights.

 

Some countries have made profound progress in recent years on issues of sexual and gender rights, said Sanders, citing Taiwan’s recent legal amendment to allow same-sex marriage and Thailand’s acceptance of transgender MPs.

 

These can be seen as significant benchmarks for the region, he said. But there was still a long way to go in the region in ensuring adequate recognition, with legislation and policies in most countries remaining hostile to gender diversity and same-sex rights.

 

 

In terms of the law, he said, places including the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and the Chinese territory of Macao have legislated anti-discrimination laws, but elsewhere legal tools to protect the LGBTQI community and women from unfair treatment and gender-related discrimination are still lacking.

 

Former British colonies and socially conservative Muslim countries such as Brunei, Malaysia, Myanmar and Singapore maintain that gay sex is a crime, Sanders said.

 

“The rights and liberty of the LGBTQI group in countries such as Indonesia and Brunei are constantly downgraded, with people now facing more radical laws that prohibit them from displaying gay love.

 

“The sharia [Islamic] criminal code in Brunei, for instance, is enforced on Muslims and non-Muslims alike and threatens them with death by stoning and other hudud punishments.”

 

In Thailand, Chumaporn Taengkliang, an LGBTQI rights activist and an MP candidate for the Commoners’ Party on March 24, said campaigning must continue on gender equality and LGBTQI rights. Even though Thailand has seen significant recognition of such rights, society here remains far from equal and just for all genders and sexual orientations.

 

“I do not think that, after we finally have openly transgender MPs in Parliament, we will eventually win the long campaign for LGBTQI rights in Thailand,” Chumaporn said. “Instead, we still have to work hard to achieve a truly equal society that is respectful towards every person, regardless of their gender and sexual preference.

 

“Just looking at the proportion of males and females in Parliament, we now have 84 per cent male MPs and only 16 per cent female. So we can see that there is a very wide gender gap in Parliament and males still hold the dominant position.”

 

There are currently 417 male MPs and 79 female MPs in Parliament and only four openly LGBTQI MPs. They are two trans women MPs – Tanwarin Sukkhapisit and Tunyawaj Kamolwongwat – and two trans men – Nateepat Kulsetthasith and Kawinnart Takee.

All four MPs belong to the Future Forward Party.

 

Nevertheless, Chumaporn said, having openly LGBTQI MPs for the first time in history sheds some hope. There are now representatives of the community on the mainstream political stage.

 

“We often hear that MPs represent the interests of their own groups. So, since we now have representatives in Parliament, we are hoping they will actively protect the rights and interests of our group and campaign for laws that ensure the recognition of our rights,” she said.

 

Thai society in general doesn’t yet adequately embrace women or people of non-mainstream genders and many people still believe politics is reserved for men only, Chumaporn said. As a result, much criticism and mockery emanating from conservatives is to be expected.

 

However, she said, it is a public duty to protect LGBTQI and female MPs from unfair treatment because, even though transgender MPs are allowed to dress based on their gender identification, they are still looked down on and mistreated by their conservative peers.

 

“I still have hope for a brighter future because society is always shifting and these progressive LGBTQI MPs can lead us towards a more open society that is tolerant of gender diversity and recognises the rights of every person regardless of their sexual preference,” Chumaporn said.

 

Tanwarin said her mission on being elected to Parliament is to expedite the stalled gender-equality policy and her main goal is to amend the civil code to guarantee marriage equality.

 

“We are not sitting in Parliament just to be decorative flowers, as some male MPs have said, but we are willing to do our best to represent the voices of the LGBTQI community in Thailand,”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30370343

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-06-01

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Good to see, far ahead of many western countries.

I trust they are suitably skilled in politics to make a dent in matters beyond LGBTI issues

Just now, RJRS1301 said:

I trust they are suitably skilled in politics to make a dent in matters beyond LGBTI issues

What exactly are "LGBTI issues"?

1 minute ago, ThaiBunny said:

What exactly are "LGBTI issues"?

Merely reflecting some of THEIR comments

We often hear that MPs represent the interests of their own groups. So, since we now have representatives in Parliament, we are hoping they will actively protect the rights and interests of our group and campaign for laws that ensure the recognition of our rights,” she said.

 

Thai society in general doesn’t yet adequately embrace women or people of non-mainstream genders and many people still believe politics is reserved for men only, Chumaporn said. As a result, much criticism and mockery emanating from conservatives is to be expected.

11 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

... many people still believe politics is reserved for men only ...

Isn't that the point of Thailand though - it's still a man's world

In what direction are these MPs transgendering or have they transgendered, from M to F or from F to M or from either gender to X, or is it "politically impolite" to display such curiosity?

2 minutes ago, Puccini said:

In what direction are these MPs transgendering or have they transgendered, from M to F or from F to M or from either gender to X, or is it "politically impolite" to display such curiosity?

I believe they are presenting in their affirmed gender in the photograph.

 

3 hours ago, ThaiBunny said:

What exactly are "LGBTI issues"?

They the LGBTI certainly have issues. The people certainly have issues with the military government. The military government certainly has issues about keeping control. Lot of different issues here. 

3 hours ago, ThaiBunny said:

What exactly are "LGBTI issues"?

Everyone should bend over backwards for them but they don't

Comes to something when you can be turned down at a job interview for being a White Hetrosexual Male...

Quote

A police force which rejected a "well prepared" potential recruit because he is a white, heterosexual male has been found guilty of discrimination.

Matthew Furlong, 25, whose father is a detective inspector in Cheshire Police, applied to join the force in 2017.

When he lost out to other candidates, his father lodged a complaint.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-47335859

Positive discrimination is just as wrong as negative discrimination. 

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

LGBTQI community

Wonder what this acronym will have evolved to in, say, ten or so years. LGBTQIYFMPOCN?

 

I distinctly remember that it started out rather modest as LGB about 20 years ago. Then a T was added a decade hence. The Q followed around 5 years ago. And now it has an I, too? 

Just now, Misterwhisper said:

Wonder what this acronym will have evolved to in, say, ten or so years. LGBTQIYFMPOCN?

 

I distinctly remember that it started out rather modest as LGB about 20 years ago. Then a T was added a decade hence. The Q followed around 5 years ago. And now it has an I, too? 

Often one sees LGBTI+

Personally I think this has diminished the impact of the acronym,  but I am old and not relevant to those who did not have to take to the streets in protest, live through the HIV epidemic and fight for marriage equality, as so many of us old buggers and dykes did

18 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

I believe they are presenting in their affirmed gender in the photograph.

 

I lack the experience to be able to tell from their faces or posture, but for three of them, judging from the cut of their clothes, they are presenting themselves as males. Not enough of the vestments of the one with the scarf to see to be able to tell.

Just now, Puccini said:

I lack the experience to be able to tell from their faces or posture, but for three of them, judging from the cut of their clothes, they are presenting themselves as males. Not enough of the vestments of the one with the scarf to see to be able to tell.

I think their skills are more important that the affirmed gender they present with.

 

4 minutes ago, rumak said:

good thing i decided to read a few posts before I added my two cents.   what i was thinking was ," the problem with people getting "rights" is that it usually means they have to be taken away from some other person (s).    I now view myself as belonging to possibly the most discriminated and looked down upon of all groups :  elderly white men  ( i happen to be short as well which  qualifies me  for bonus points  ) "

In a real community when others get their rights recognised, it does not mean that some loose anything, in fact a more equal society is a healthy society.

 

Removed an off-topic post about homosexuals.

 

transgender ≠ homosexual

 

Please feel free to start a new topic, if you like, when you come across a news article about homosexual Thai members of parliament publicly professing to be "just looking out for recognition"

2 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

I think their skills are more important that the affirmed gender they present with.

 

Of course their skills are more important, but I believe you would do nothing wrong, nothing politically incorrect or impolite, if you kindly helped me to satisfy my idle curiosity. Perhaps another kind soul will help me out?

3 hours ago, Puccini said:

In what direction are these MPs transgendering or have they transgendered, from M to F or from F to M or from either gender to X, or is it "politically impolite" to display such curiosity?

I've no idea what they are but whatever it is on the right has lost a handbag

2 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

In a real community when others get their rights recognised, it does not mean that some loose anything, in fact a more equal society is a healthy society.

 

What rights as human beings don't they have ?

2 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

In a real community when others get their rights recognised, it does not mean that some loose anything, in fact a more equal society is a healthy society.

 

that "equal and healthy society" does not exist.   unfortunately.   I wish it did.  and will support all your efforts to bring it about.    I, like the beatles song,  have chosen to try to better myself first.

headlines from today include the 12 people killed by a disgruntled employee and this one on thaivisa :

Brit left with fractured skull after Thai thugs "teach him a lesson for interfering".    

Are you on the front line fighting for that society you hope for ?   good luck with that

Note:  please don't call me a pessimist  ????     I optimistically try to live each day the best i can

17 minutes ago, rumak said:

I optimistically try to live each day the best i can

I'd settle for being able to wee normally.

7 hours ago, ThaiBunny said:

What exactly are "LGBTI issues"?

I think it's the order of the letters. Should probably be LBGTi for LadyBoy Grand Touring injection.

30 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

What rights as human beings don't they have ?

I see "marriage equality" specifically mentioned in the OP (the mobile browser does not offer the quote box, so I use italics for the quote):

 

Tanwarin said her mission on being elected to Parliament is to expedite the stalled gender-equality policy and her main goal is to amend the civil code to guarantee marriage equality.

 

Personally, I see no inequality in the Civil Code on this subject. A trans-male has the same right to legally marry a trans-female as a cis-man has to marry a cis-woman.

 

 

Edited June 1, 20197 yr by Puccini
Corrected a typing error

25 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I'd settle for being able to wee normally.

hahaha   me too.   what we want in life does get simpler as one gets older.