As the Thai government prepares to implement the marriage equality law next month, progress on gay rights remains uneven across Asia. In South Korea, one of the most vocal opponents of gay rights, netizens are fervently linking same-sex activity to diseases such as AIDS and monkeypox. Some attribute this strong opposition to the rise of evangelical Christianity, although the country’s civil penal code does not explicitly address homosexuality.
In Malaysia and Indonesia, where the majority of the population is Muslim, politicians argue that gay marriage is part of a Western-driven agenda to colonize Asia. Unsurprisingly, a Malaysian government spokesman noted that there are no registered gay marriages in the country. Additionally, a state legislature proposed creating “rehabilitation” centers for gays.
Vietnam declassified homosexuality as a disease in 2022, but while it is neither illegal nor officially accepted, the government remains neutral. Singapore, in the same year, decriminalized homosexuality but amended its constitution to define marriage exclusively between a man and a woman. In Myanmar, amidst an ongoing insurgency, authorities have stated that “gender issues, unlike in the West, are not important here.” Meanwhile, Laos authorities largely ignore LGBTQ+ issues, though they have warned some bars not to display rainbow flags.
In Cambodia, former Prime Minister Hun Sen claimed there are around 100,000 gay individuals in the country who do not face discrimination. While they can marry, the country does not offer civil law recognition or state certificates for same-sex marriages. The Philippines, Asia’s only predominantly Roman Catholic country, has a strong LGBTQ+ rights lobbying movement, but the legislature remains hesitant to address sexual orientation beyond the decriminalization of same-sex activity.
Despite widespread indifference or hostility from many ruling governments, gay activists are hopeful. The Asian Pride Alliance highlighted Thailand as an unexpected beacon of liberalism. “It was the military-backed, right-wing government here that first agreed to the concept of same-sex marriage and decriminalized cannabis,” said the spokeswoman, referring to the post-coup administration that lost power last year. “Never give up!” she concluded.
