Bangkok Naruemit Pride Parade 2022: Celebrating & Defending Equality for All

📷 Bangkok Naruemit Pride. 'Naruemit' in Thai means to construct or to create.

A Photo-essay by Chumaporn 'Waaddao' Taengkliang, Somsak Natthong, and Notcease

Seen as the first official parade in many years also with strong support from the newly elected Bangkok Governor, thousands of people including women, men, LGBTIQ+ and non-binary community members joined the event on Silom Road on Sunday, 5 June 2022. It was a quite large momentum to push for more Gender Equality particularly after the long COVID-19 pandemic.

Activists and advocate groups demanded for their basic rights based on the 6-color Pride Flag, which represent legal issues (red), state welfare for gender diversity (orange), the future of children and youth (yellow), human pleasure and nature (green), peace (indigo) and spirituality and magic (violet) joined by political parties and business representatives.

In Thailand, there are two bills on LGBTIQ+ partnerships which are 1.) Civil Union bill by the Ministry of Justice which was approved by the cabinet on 7 June 2022 and 2.) the draft of Marriage Equality bill which was proposed by the Move Forward Party and is awaiting parliamentary consideration. LGBTIQ+ community members in Thailand reject the approved Civil Union Bill as it would still treat them as second class citizens.

📷 Thousands of people of all genders joined the parade. Placards with political messages on gender equality are seen throughout the parade.
📷 Bangkok Governor Chadchat Sittipunt gave a remark “Pride should be about celebrating the diversity that exists in a democratic society.” (Quote from Bangkok Post, clickable link on the photo)
📷 The new appointed team of the Bangkok Governor with the female Deputy Governor Dr. Tavida Kamolvej, an expert on disaster risk management.
📷 Free Gender Group with banners that read "Patriarchy shall perish, equality shall prosper." (Click photo for more information from Prachatai English)
📷 The Rainbow Marching Percussion
📷 Gay Community Members took part in the parade.
📷 Friends cheering to a wedding procession in the middle of the event to reflect support for the Marriage Equality bill. Despite the claim that the bill is similar to the Civil Partnership bill approved by the Ministry of Justice, LGBTIQ+ activists and gender advocates defend that the Marriage Equality bill will give them equal rights just like heterosexual couples.
📷 Participation from the global community
📷 LGBTIQ+ Rights are Human Rights!
📷 Members of the Deaf LGBTIQ+ community.
📷 The Rasa Drums: A combination of the words ‘Rasadorn’ meaning the people and drums – It started with a few people in 2020 and later they put out a call for more people to organize a theatrical performance referring to the 99 deaths during the 2010 Red-shirt protesters crackdown in Bangkok. Young actors, performers, and musicians eventually joined the Rasa Drums. (Click the photo for more information)
📷 Sirisak “Ton” Chaited, a human rights activist for gender equality
📷 Swing Thailand calling for the decriminalization of sex work as well as the access to health services, social welfare and social justice system.
📷 Swing Thailand organized a poll. "Should Sex Works be legalized in Thailand?" The majority at the parade said 'Yes'.
📷 A sign says GAYS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN.. DAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS! A reference to Cyndi Lauper's Gay Anthem "Girls just wanna Have Fun."
📷 Fashion shows by sex workers and drag queens.
📷 Typical Bangkok! A Motorcycle-taxi rider participates in the parade.

Credit and Contributors

All photos are under Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0)

Concept, Creator and Photographers: Chumaporn Taengkliang, Somsak Natthong, and Notcease.

Published by: Heinrich Böll Stiftung Southeast Asia

on Monday, 6 June 2022

Permanent Link: <https://th.boell.org/en/bangkok-pride-2022>

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