LGBT Rights in Thailand - LGBT Life in The Country

LGBT Life in The Country

Thailand had long had a reputation of tolerance when it comes to human sexuality, many LGBT nightclubs and bars have existed and the first LGBT Thai magazine began publication in 1983.

Yet, In 1989, Natee Teerarojjanapongs, an activist for LGBT-rights stated that the situation is a bit more complicated;

The problem for lesbians and gay men in Thailand is not one of direct state repression. Rather, it is a question of subtle negation through invisibility and a lack of social awareness about homosexual people. There's very little overt discrimination against lesbians or gay men. Nevertheless, though many people acknowledge the existence of homosexuality, they are still not used to the idea of openly gay people. Even fewer have any understanding of the notion of lesbian and gay rights.

This gradually began to change in the 1990s with more public events, such as LGBT-pride festivals that were regularly held from 1999 to 2007, until internal disputes within the LGBT community and arguments with the festival's financial backers, prevented future events from being held