Marriage equality in Thailand: Meet Ann Waaddao Chumaporn
In 2015, Ireland made history as the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage through popular vote. The resounding “Yes” echoed across the globe as Irish citizens chose love, inclusion and equality at the ballot box. This was heard loud and clear in Thailand, which this year became the first country in South East Asia to legalise same-sex marriage, a decade after Ireland.
It feels like a celebration full of love and they finally get to feel it.
Just as in Ireland, Thailand’s victory was borne from years of tireless activism and a culmination of decades of resilience, hope and an unwavering belief in the right to love freely.
To reflect on this remarkable moment, the Irish Embassy in Bangkok, had the pleasure of sitting down with Ann Waaddao Chumaporn, a human rights activist and co-founder of Bangkok Pride, to discuss her journey, inspirations, and what this achievement means for Thailand and beyond.
Meet Ann Waaddao Chumaporn
What inspired you and your colleagues to found Bangkok Pride?
I think it’s the same as in other countries that we started because of certain issues. I’m a lesbian, and we’ve worked together with LGBT groups for more than 20 years to push the agenda for marriage equality in Thailand. We learned from protests and raising our voices.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to continue our agenda and the Pride parade is a platform for our voices and demands. At that time, in Thailand, many groups said they wanted to organise a Pride parade, but no one had made a plan to actually walk or hold Pride on the streets. My team and I had a lot of experience with student movements and protests, so we invited them to join and dream together.
There were two main reasons why we established the Pride parade: first, for marriage equality; and second, for freedom and rights in Thailand
After all of the work and campaigns, what does this year feel like for you now that marriage equality has passed?
We can call it a celebration this year. We’ve received a lot of messages from LGBT couples saying that this year they are bringing their partners to Pride together. It’s meaningful for them. It feels like a celebration full of love and they finally get to feel it.
It made us reflect and turn back to our team. It hasn’t been easy; we had to pass through so many steps to get here. We’re very excited. It’s not only LGBT couples in Thailand - we have gotten a lot of messages from people in conservative countries, where they have no voice in their country. We know that in Southeast Asia, [Pride and marriage equality] is rare. They message us saying they’d like to join us and ask how to participate. I think it’s really important for Thailand. Many people ask: “What’s the end of the protest?” And we can now show that the end of protest is a benefit for the people.
What are you looking forward to most about this year’s parade?
I like to see the small things. While many people focus on the big crowds and fantastic parades; for me I’m happy when I see something simple like a lesbian couple holding hands while walking in the Pride parade. Last year, I cried because I saw a Chinese lesbian couple sitting on the street where they can show affection for each other. That moment was important for me.
This year you’ll see an even bigger parade. We now have more people joining, including government agencies. That’s good news. When government agencies join, it’s important. It shows they’re willing to protect LGBT rights around Thailand. Business sectors and civil society are also coming in, and we expect a lot of people from around the world to join too.
What’s your message to the rest of the world now that you’ve achieved marriage equality in Thailand?
We would like to invite everyone to visit Thailand and experience our country. We hope that people won’t just come to see us, but that we can learn from their countries as well.
We also know that Ireland has strong voices when it comes to feminist issues and gender justice. As Ireland will hold the EU Presidency soon, we hope you will support us and help us get the license to open the door for Asia, right here in Bangkok.
