This year has seen a lot of development regarding LGBTI communities in Thailand, around the world, and even on-screen, and although Covid-19 has led to more stigma and discrimination, there were still victories in some places
Tanwarin Sukkhapisit, second left, was removed from their position as a member of parliament.
DOMESTIC PROGRESS
'Surprise" is the word that can be associated with a lot of things this year. From the political landscape to LGBTI rights advocacy in Thailand, we have witnessed the unexpected play out in broad daylight and in the heart of the capital no less. Giant rainbow flags were paraded down the streets of Silom and around Democracy Monument as thousands joined demonstrations calling for equal rights for LGBTI. The queer presence was alive and well in youth-led protests that have become part of the city's culture for the past few months.
There have been some welcome changes though. Pioneered in Chanthaburi province, a few provincial authorities are now allowing their civil officers to dress according to their gender identity. We usually see this kind of progress in universities (more of them are improving). So, having the trend continue further into the bureaucratic system was definitely a positive sign.
For unwelcome changes? Tanwarin Sukkhapisit was removed from her position as a member of parliament. Long known for directing queer and provocative films, Tanwarin joined the political arena and became the first katoey MP in the history of Thailand last year. It was sadly a short-lived career, but history has been made nonetheless. Tanwarin may have been among the first LGBTI politicians to sit in parliament but she surely won't be the last.
And then there's the future. Next year, keep an eye on the law. There is currently an effort to push the gender recognition bill and also same-sex unions. Independent activist Nada Chaiyajit recently made a draft for the gender recognition law that is based on case studies and Malta's Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics Act 2015, and adapted it to fit the Thai context. This "Draft Zero", as Nada called it, addresses the rights of transgender, non-binary and intersex people and the intersectionality of that with education, labour, social development and more. The activist said it'll require more work next year to develop further drafts but there is also a plan to form a coalition to push it forward.
The prospect of same-sex unions and marriage is also a work in progress. The drafts for the civil partnership bill and another bill to amend the existing marriage law are both quietly moving forward. A recent meeting held by the Rights and Liberties Protection Department addressed the benefits of such a law while discussing religious concerns and opinions of stakeholders. It remains to be seen how this will proceed and which bill -- or neither, or both -- may possibly come into effect.
AROUND THE WORLD
The biggest and most-recurring headlines of the year were hands-down related to the ongoing pandemic. But while Covid-19 affects everyone in the world, it's the vulnerable and marginalised population -- LGBTI included -- that have been hit the hardest. There have been reports of increased stigma and discrimination and transgender people especially have found it difficult to gain access to necessary healthcare services during lockdowns. For example, an outbreak in South Korea was linked to a gay nightlife district which heightened homophobia in the country. Moreover, even in the midst of the pandemic, many countries continued to refuse blood donations from men who have sex with men, although some others chose to relax the rules.
Further away from the coronavirus, trouble was found in a fantasy world when J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter book series, published an essay criticising the transgender rights movement. LGBTI fans of the series have been left disappointed and in a dilemma over the attitude of the creator of their childhood paradise. However, at least we were proud to see several cast members of the movie franchise come out and support the transgender community. Dumbledore's Army has spoken and the verdict is out: transgender witches are witches.
Things may seem bleak at times but we remain resiliently hopeful. This year, we've definitely seen some positive news from around the world. Same-sex marriages were legalised in Costa Rica, Germany banned conversion therapy for minors, and the Bhutanese government passed a bill to decriminalise homosexuality. Even Pope Francis voiced his support for same-sex union.
Just recently, actor Elliot Page came out as a non-binary, transgender person. As GLAAD said on Twitter: "Elliot will now be an inspiration to countless trans and non-binary people. We celebrate him. Every trans person deserves to be accepted." Page's courage and honesty to live as their authentic self was admired and they also received support from celebrity friends and fans around the globe. It was a good day but the road ahead may not always be pretty, a fact that Page also acknowledged on social media regarding the invasiveness, jokes and even the violence that could follow after coming out. Reportedly, at least 40 trans people were murdered in 2020 alone. The threat is devastatingly real and the fight to eradicate this violence is far from over.
The festive lesbian rom-com Happiest Season starring Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis is set to open in Thailand on Jan 7.
QUEER CONTENT RULES
It's been interesting to witness the amount and variety of LGBTI content on the screen this year -- from TV and streaming to cinema, and from Hollywood to Asia. Earlier in the year, we had the hit K-drama Itaewon Class featuring a transgender character and a storyline concerning her coming out. Disney also showed one of its animated mythical characters as a lesbian in Onward. In a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, a minor character made a quick remark about her girlfriend. Is it revolutionary? Perhaps. But maybe we're desperately grabbing for anything that comes our way due to the lack of LGBTI representation in content for young audiences. Even with such a small mention, the film was met with bans and censorship attempts in several countries.
Streaming, on the other hand, is overtaking mainstream channels to be on the forefront of LGBTI inclusivity. Netflix, in particular, has released a good selection of original queer films, series and documentaries. There's Alice Wu's The Half Of It, which is about a Chinese-American teen harbouring a crush on another girl at her school. Ryan Murphy, who's signed a development deal with Netflix, also produced several projects including Hollywood, A Secret Love, Circus Of Books, The Prom and more that added to the queer line-up this year. You also can't miss Disclosure, which explores Hollywood's depiction of the trans population. There's also the unexpectedly sapphic The Haunting Of Bly Manor. This shows commitment from Netflix and we hope other platforms try to catch up.
Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan in Ammonite. Photo © imdb.com
In Thailand, the Boys' Love trend continues with the popularity of 2gether: The Series in which two college guys get into a fake relationship only for it to blossom into something real. The show has attracted a large following at both local and international level. It is reportedly the most-viewed Thai series in the BL genre. Later in the year, we saw the coming-of-age I Told Sunset About You, a drama and romance between two childhood friends that propelled the genre even further with its story, performance and cinematography. Sunset Part 2 is set to be released in March. It's quite obvious the BL fad won't be going anywhere anytime soon.
We'll also finally have a date with Happiest Season and Ammonite. After some delays, two lesbian films of different time periods and settings, of Christmas gatherings and seaside fossil finds, will be showing on our local screens very soon.
South Korean hit drama Itaewon Class features a transgender character and a storyline concerning her coming out. Photos © imdb.com
Thailand's hottest Boy's Love TV series of 2020 Phro Rao Khu Kan.
