Chiang Mai Court Shoots Down Anti-Gay Rule

[webfact]

GAY RIGHTS

Court shoots down anti-gay rule

By Janjira Jarusupawat

The Nation

Gay rights advocate Natee Teerarotchanapong yesterday praised the Chiang Mai Administrative Court's ruling, which said it was unlawful for the Nakhon Chiang Mai Municipality to ban gay people and transvestites from appearing on the 2010 Loy Krathong Festival's floats, based upon new standards earlier enacted to assist Chiang Mai in becoming a model city without discrimination or unlawful issuance of regulations.

The court read the verdict at 9.30am in response to the lawsuit filed against the Chiang Mai Mayor.

The plaintiff, Natee, secretary of the Chiang Mai Araya Group, claimed the regulation - stating that presenters on competing Loy Krathong floats must be ladies or gentlemen or the floats would not be included in the competition - in effect barred gay people and transvestites from participating and violated the constitution.

The court ruled that the criteria, especially regarding the parade participants' sexual orientations, was unlawful. It was also noted that the regulation, which was limited to the particular parade contest, ended on November 22, 2010, before the court ruling, so there was no need for the court to prohibit the rule banning gays from floats.

Feeling pleased with the verdict, Natee said those affected by social discrimination - not only those with gender diversity - had rights and could seek justice. She added that the court's ruling was a positive sign and urged state offices to cease all forms of discrimination.

-- The Nation 2011-08-10

[leebeeUK]

Could you have imagined the scenario? Johnny Foreigner, maybe Jane too, in Thailand for a couple of days (ok, nights!) marvelling their little cotton socks off at the quite evident sexual 'diversity'.. and then go to see a parade and.. presto.. 'Nah.. no homosexuals in this country, Mister and Missus Farang, all our women are REAL women, see!!!'.. er.. yeah.. right! Really don't think we're gonna get a positive confirmation on that particular declaration by street-parade, peeps!!!!!!!

Edited August 10, 2011 by leebeeUK

[kek]

Feeling pleased with the verdict, Natee said those affected by social discrimination - not only those with gender diversity - had rights and could seek justice.

She added that the court's ruling was a positive sign and urged state offices to cease all forms of discrimination.

Whoops! She is a He

Edited August 10, 2011 by kek

[leebeeUK]

Feeling pleased with the verdict, Natee said those affected by social discrimination - not only those with gender diversity - had rights and could seek justice.

She added that the court's ruling was a positive sign and urged state offices to cease all forms of discrimination.

Whoops! She is a He

That's can be a problem, you see.. of jumping from exhuberant parade practices and your everyone welcome, everything goes social hangouts etc. and straight into marching directly into the serious business of courts and their judges, not to mention the glare of the media etc.. you just don't know quite where you are!!.. Am I in my 'Just call me Samantha' pretty weekend garb or the Mister Do-Right-and-Proper pinstriped suit?

[PoorSucker]

So are the Chiang Mai 51 red-shirt going to accept this?

Will there be a Gay pride festival now that they are in power?

[TechnikaIII]

Feeling pleased with the verdict, Natee said those affected by social discrimination - not only those with gender diversity - had rights and could seek justice.

She added that the court's ruling was a positive sign and urged state offices to cease all forms of discrimination.

Whoops! She is a He

The "he" and "she" pronouns are often misused, incorrectly translated from Thai to English. Maybe a proof-reader could have picked it up prior to going public, but not necessarily so. I am regularly seeing this, which is a common error, and means nothing. Google Translate will get it wrong 50% of the time. In addition to the dozen or so uni students I have regular dialogue with, there are older, well educated professional people I talk to, including an experienced lawyer. She often makes mistakes with gender pronouns, and asks me to correct her.

By the way, I am sure that the author's English is much better than your Thai.

[virtualtraveller]

ridiculous that a court even had to consider this, if a man stands on a float how on earth do you decide that he's of certain 'sexual orientation'.

Despite being one of the more popular and welcoming cities for the gay community in Thailand there really are some phobic and conservative elements in the city. They objected strongly to the naming of a openly gay hotel 'Lanna Lavender' because it used a word of provincial heritage.

Mind you, this guy looks suspiciously like the head of a gay organisation that encouraged the Red Shirts to break up a planned Gay Jamboree a few years ago.

[davidkia]

yes live and let live , the land of smiles be free and enjoy your time, life here as it's wonderfull.

[jdinasia]

A step in the right direction.

[KKK]

presenters on competing Loy Krathong floats must be ladies or gentlemen

So is a gay man not a gentleman, a lesbian woman not a lady, a transvestite not a gentleman or lady? Has Thailand managed to reclassify the sexes (not to be mixed up with sexual orientation)?

Ask a gay man, a lesbian woman or a transvestite what sex they are. The answer would be man or woman...there are no other choices.