STRATEGIC CONSULTATION HELPS ADVANCE LGBTI RIGHTS IN THAILAND

LGBTI advocacy in Thailand received a welcome boost late last year via a strategic consultation involving 32 of Thailand’s top LGBTI legal experts and human rights activists.

An initiative of APCOM with support from the British Embassy in Bangkok, the Thailand Legal Experts Consultation On LGBTI Human Rights took place in mid-November in Bangkok.

The purpose of the consultation was to provide a forum for participants to share their ideas and approaches in relation to LGBTI law reform in Thailand and improve strategic collaboration among participants and their organisations.

Key issues around the legal aspects of LGBTI rights were discussed and updated including: the Anti-Discrimination Bill, the Civil Union Bill and the Repeal of the Civil Code on Family and Marriage; and gender equality law, the Legal Gender Recognition Bill and the Bill for Gender Recognition for Transsexuals.

In addition to several government representatives, parliamentarians and independent LGBTI legal advocates, the consultation was attended by leaders from Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand, Foundation for AIDS Rights, Thai Transgender Alliance, and Togetherness for Equality and Action (TEA-Group).