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Bangkok to hold first gay pride parade in 11 years
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The pride parade, which usually takes place annually on the island of Phuket, will return to Bangkok as a celebration to unify the local LGBTQ community. (Shutterstock/File)
For the first time in 11 years, Bangkok will hold its gay parade, Bangkok Pride, later this year.
The pride parade, which usually takes place annually on the island of Phuket, will return to the capital as a celebration to unify the local LGBTQ community. It is reportedly scheduled for October to November this year as a six-day event.
Paul Heymans, founder of OUT BKK, one of the LGBTQ organizations partaking in Bangkok Pride, told Mashable, "It was the lack of organization and a definite plan back then that really affected [Bangkok] Pride to go ahead."
Decades ago, pride parades were organized by the business sector, in which capitalization on the gay movement outweighed the promotional aspect for the acceptance of the LGBTQ community, as said by Rapeepun Jommaroeng, the deputy secretary-general of Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand (RSAT), another one of the organizers.
(Read also: Gay pride events festive but some concerned after Orlando)
"I never perceived solidarity within this sector,” Jommaroeng said, adding that because it was more about promoting the businesses of those funding the event rather than the views of activists. Hence, this year’s event as a collaborative effort of many LGBTQ organizations will hopefully see an increase in exposure of the community, which will help advance them towards gender and marriage equality.
The Thai government is said to have begun recognizing this issue following the enactment of a law in 2015 that specifically criminalizes discrimination against people based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Organizers are reportedly planning the six-day pride event to feature a program of workshops, film festivals, social events and a pride march. (mra/kes)
