what happened last week in Asia, Africa and the Americas

Hey, this is Sham Jaff, your very own news curator. Each week, I highlight some of the biggest stories from regions and countries that are historically underreported in Western media. My goal is to burst our Western-centric bubbles, and expand the view we hold of the world we share with one another. Questions, comments, concerns? You can reach me anytime by replying to this mail. And if this newsletter was forwarded to you, you sign up at whathappenedlastweek.com.

Today in the newsletter: Issue #360 is looking at Thailand's potentially historic move towards marriage equality, a first in Southeast Asia. The entire region is making such progress, and we don't talk about it often enough.

Thailand might legalize same-sex marriage as the first country in Southeast Asia

What happened
On November 21, the government gave a big thumbs-up to a bill that could make same-sex marriage legal. The Parliament's set to vote on it next week, on December 12.

Why this matters
If Parliament says "yes" and King Maha Vajiralongkorn signs off, Thailand's going to make a splash as the first nation in Southeast Asia to say "I do" to marriage equality.

Tell me more
Under the amendment to marriage law, “men and women” and “husband and wife” would be replaced by “individuals” and “marriage partners” and same-sex partners would have the same rights as heterosexual couples, AP reported deputy government spokesman Karom Polpornklang as saying.

What's the status quo now?
As of today, the country has legalized same-sex unions. The proposed amendment marks a "significant shift from the existing Life Partnership Act, which only acknowledges the right of same-sex couples to live together but does not extend full marital rights to them," writes Thailand Business News. Moreover, the Cabinet has instructed the Council of State to review other laws to ensure equitable treatment of same-sex couples, particularly with regard to inheritance rights.

Is Thailand pro-LGBTQ?
Yes. Thailand’s already got a rep for being LGBTQ+-friendly. Since he entered office this August, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has been pushing for Thailand to take things a step further and introduce marriage equality once and for all. Last month, the political leader said in a post to X (aka Twitter): "I believe that everyone should be entitled to equal rights, regardless of their gender." The stars are looking good this time around. There may be a bit of pushback from some religious groups, especially down south, but most people don't think it'll be enough to stop the bill in its tracks.

Zoom out: The Asia Pacific region has witnessed significant progress in LGBTQ+ rights, especially in recent years, writes International IDEA’s Democracy Tracker.

Nepal: In June 2023, Nepal became the first South Asian country to order legal registration of same-sex marriages.
Taiwan: Taiwan has been moving towards full marriage equality. In January 2023, it lifted restrictions on registering same-sex marriages between Taiwanese and foreign nationals. Additionally, Taiwan granted full adoption rights to same-sex couples in May.
Vietnam: Vietnam's Health Ministry declared in August 2022 that homosexuality is "not an illness," instructing medical practitioners to stop treating it as such.
Singapore: Singapore repealed a colonial-era law banning gay sex in November 2022. However, the government also introduced constitutional amendments to limit marriage to heterosexual couples, signaling mixed progress.
Japan: Japan has experienced growing pressure to legalize same-sex marriage following court rulings declaring same-sex marriage bans unconstitutional.
South Korea: A court recognized the rights of same-sex couples to receive health insurance for the first time.

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