Four marriage equality bills, separately proposed by the government, the opposition and a people’s network, were debated in the House of Representatives today, as supporters of the right to same-sex marriage appealed to legislators to pass the first readings of the bills as a “New Year’s gift”.
Deputy Prime Minister Somsak Thepsuthin told parliament that the government-sponsored bill aims to amend Section 68 of the Civil and Commercial Code, regarding the definition of marriage, to cover all genders, instead of just between a man and a woman.
He explained that the government’s bill is not meant to write a new law on marriage and, hence, it does not go against Sharia law, which is enforced in the southernmost provinces.
He also claimed that the government’s bill has received overwhelming support from the people and leaders of all religious faiths.
Somsak said it is…
