Gay Pride Bangkok 2022

[reader]

Have to confess that I was unaware of the Gay Pride parade that took place today. As I stepped off the BTS at Saladeang about 6:45, I was quickly made aware by the raucous crowd assembled on Silom opposite the Silom Complex. Police had closed off one side of the road and the street was populated with hundreds of celebrants. 
 

For a run down on other events associated with the 2022 observance of Gay Pride:

https://www.lifestyleasia.com/bk/culture/events/pride-month-2022-events-in-bangkok/

[reader]

From Channel News Asia

BANGKOK: Thailand's capital saw an explosion of glamour, gilt, and glitter on Sunday (Jun 5) as the country's LGBTQ community celebrated their first Pride parade in almost 16 years - but attendees warned true equality was still distant.

Bangkok's Naruemit Pride 2022 - Naruemit means creation in Thai - was organised by a coalition of non-governmental groups with the city's newly ratified governor Chadchart Sittiput also throwing his weight behind it.

Allies and people of all genders, including drag artists, sex workers, feminists and even a few furries - people who are interested in or dress up as animal characters with human personalities - bounded down one of the megalopolis's main throughways for the first official parade since 2006.

"I feel so happy," said grinning drag queen Johnnie Phurikorn, who had paired his red lipstick with an exuberant scarlet ruffled dress for his first Pride.

"I feel glad and thankful to have this moment," the 31-year-old said, but added that his country needed to do more to support LGBTQ individuals.

While the Southeast Asian nation has a highly visible LGBTQ community, many still face major hurdles and discrimination in the conservative Buddhist-majority kingdom.

[PeterRS]

I don't want to put too much of a damper on what happened yesterday. At least it was a larger March than last year's - and that had been the first for more than around 15 years. I did not go but a Thai friend of my partner went. He said he found it rather depressing. Apparently there was some kind of marching band which did nothing when marching and only played very occasionally when it stopped. He reckoned about 50% of the participants were sex workers. Watchers enjoyed the drag guys but he said there were very few ordinary Thai guys in the Parade, unlike in Taipei where the vast majority of the 200,000 or so who now turn up each year are just ordinary guys, girls and some families dressed casually. Of course, many are dressing up in hugely colourful costumes and there are floats from some of the gay bars. When I was last there in 2018 there was even one from Destination, Beijing's gayest night club. But they are very much in a tiny minority.

As has been discussed before, even in this day and age in much of Thailand and especially amongst the middle class the stigma of being a gay can have quite serious consequences at work. Consequently far too many are stuck in the closet and would never consider coming out to take part in any Pride parade. We may not like this - indeed, we may condemn it - but it is fact and there is nothing we are able to do about it. Sadly, a Parade like yesterday's with many in colourful drag outfits, lipstick and all the other drag trappings only reinforces the views of the majority.

[reader]

Speaking as someone who was actually there on the ground, and saw the faces of those celebrating the moment, I can assure you it was simply not a case of glitz and lipstick. These were predominantly a cross section of young people reveling in the joy of celebrating who they truly are and enjoying themselves. They were unafraid to to be themselves—and I envied their courage.
 

I come from that older generation of westerners who had to guard their sexuality for personal or professional reasons. Consequently we never experienced the freedom and exhilaration of being proud of our underlying identity. Bangkok provided the profound but temporary release from the bounds.

I hope we can all celebrate the the fact that the young gays who gathered in Silom Sunday do not share our repression. 
 

Bangkok’s new governor is reported to be among those waving a gay banner. He provides hope and sustenance to those who braved elite society’s ignorance and discrimination on a given day inJune, 2022.

[TotallyOz]

I had 5 friends that went and loved it. None were sex workers and all said it was fabulous and they felt empowered. 3 of them were lesbians.

Sure, this is not the same as Taiwan or NYC marches. But, it is a great celebration and I'm thrilled that this is progressing so well.

[Min]

54 minutes ago, reader said:

 

Speaking as someone who was actually there on the ground, and saw the faces of those celebrating the moment, I can assure you it was simply not a case of glitz and lipstick. These were predominantly a cross section of young people reveling in the joy of celebrating who they truly are and enjoying themselves. They were unafraid to to be themselves—and I envied their courage.
 

I come from that older generation of westerners who had to guard their sexuality for personal or professional reasons. Consequently we never experienced the freedom and exhilaration of being proud of our underlying identity. Bangkok provided the profound but temporary release from the bounds.

I hope we can all celebrate the the fact that the young gays who gathered in Silom Sunday do not share our repression. 
 

Bangkok’s new governor is reported to be among those waving a gay banner. He provides hope and sustenance to those who braved elite society’s ignorance and discrimination on a given day inJune, 2022.

Wow, you could work as a motivational speaker

[reader]

I’m simply saying—as a gay man who has repressed his sexuality— I now can appreciate the cost of those years.

I’m heartened by the courage I witnessed on Silom yesterday by those who believe that change is indeed possible.

To quote T.E. Lawrence, “Nothing is written.”

[paulsf]

I have a couple of friends that went and also had a good time.   

[Guest]

12 hours ago, PeterRS said:

He reckoned about 50% of the participants were sex workers. Watchers enjoyed the drag guys but he said there were very few ordinary Thai guys in the Parade, unlike in Taipei where the vast majority of the 200,000 or so who now turn up each year are just ordinary guys, girls and some families dressed casually.

He must be quite talented, if he can spot that 50% are sex workers.     Not that there would be anything wrong with that ratio.  

As for your other comment on the composition of the crowd, the facebook photos seem to back that up.   

However, they have to start somewhere and well done to them for organising the event.    

https://www.facebook.com/bangkokpride

[caeron]

 

I remember marching in NYC in from the mid 80s to the early 90s. There was endless whining about the drag queens and the flamboyant people that gave "the wrong impression" and "held us back from acceptance".

It was bullshit then and it's bullshit now.

"Straight-washing" the community does us no favors. Those who want to oppress will always find an excuse. If you start trying to exclude parts of the community to please the bigots, you're just doing their work for them. They'll still hate you. If even one drag queen shows up, they'll point only to that photo and insist we're all perverts.

As the facebook page Z909 posted shows, it looks like a pretty normal crowd to me.

 

[gerefan]

1 hour ago, caeron said:

 

As the facebook page Z909 posted shows, it looks like a pretty normal crowd to me.

 

And good to see that masks and social distancing appears to be ignored.

[spoon]

To even hold a pride walk is a feat on its own, something u cant even do in many countries in the world. If this pride walk inspire one more person to embrace his/her identity, its already a success in my book. Hope future events draws more crowds, as much as g-circuit and white parties do. 

[PeterRS]

I'm happy that I seem to be wrong in my earlier assessment, although my concerns about the conservativeness of Thai society in general and the unspoken ' harassment' of the majority of young professional gay guys continues unabated. Although stating the obvious, Bangkok is not New York in the 1980s or Sydney in the 2000s if only because the three societies are vastly different and at different stages in social development. Hopefully it will get there.

Nothing that I have seen mentions numbers who attended. Anyone able to hazard a guess?

[vinapu]

I did not attend as I found somebody night before who was keen to spend that day, my last in BKK with me in my room but went to soi 4 to have dinner at about 6 pm with another hero of my trip  and found that most of Pride attendees descended on the soi crowding it and making it incredibly noisy so were barely could exchange a word. 

Thus I was reminded why I never liked soi 4 and why with exception of food in G'Bangkok and look of (but not attitude ) of Jupiter guys.

so for variety and spice  now you have gay guy who did not like Bangkok Pride this year, he, he

[reader]

From Thai PBS World

Bangkok governor says Pride Month should also cover political diversity

Pride Month should not just be confined to sexual diversity, but should cover other diversities, such as politics, to put an end to division and promote mutual understanding, said Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt as he participated in a Pride Month celebration at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre today (Saturday).

Political diversity means acceptance of various political opinions, without having to fight with or hate each other, he said.
The governor planted a rainbow flag, with activists for gender equality and feminists, to mark the launch of Pride Month which, he said, will be one of the 12 monthly festivals in Bangkok.

He also said that the city administration, under his governorship, plans to extend health services to cover LGBTQ+ groups, providing them with medical counseling.

 

[jason1975]

Seems like a lovely gentleman. I would vote for him if I could.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, reader said:

Political diversity means acceptance of various political opinions

I hope the organisers stay clear of that idea.   If a pride event gains a political element, then those in power with vested interests would have more reason to oppose the event in the first place.   Also, they might diversify the content of the event so far that the original purpose becomes less relevant.  Finally, political diversity could include ideas from all across the spectrum and participants in the original event wouldn't necessarily want anything to do with some of the ideas.

By all means organise a separate political diversity event.    Once they do that, there is of course the big question which we must not discuss here.

[reader]

I can’t think of anyplace else on the globe where the struggle for gay rights was won outside of the political arena.

Gay rights and gay pride are inseparable concepts. 

[TotallyOz]

7 hours ago, PeterRS said:

I'm happy that I seem to be wrong in my earlier assessment, although my concerns about the conservativeness of Thai society in general and the unspoken ' harassment' of the majority of young professional gay guys continues unabated. Although stating the obvious, Bangkok is not New York in the 1980s or Sydney in the 2000s if only because the three societies are vastly different and at different stages in social development. Hopefully it will get there.

Nothing that I have seen mentions numbers who attended. Anyone able to hazard a guess?

Oh, I know you are right in the conservatives of the Thai society in general. I think that in general they are accepting of others but not so in their own family.

[Lucky]

So if the parade was in fact a sex workers parade, would guys here flock to see it?

[TotallyOz]

16 hours ago, gerefan said:

And good to see that masks and social distancing appears to be ignored.

Sorry, I don't know how to feel about this. For one, I am OK with masks in public. For another, I'm happy to meet a new fuck buddy and risk sex without a mask. So, I am still a bit unsure where I stand on this.

[TotallyOz]

Just now, Lucky said:

So if the parade was in fact a sex workers parade, would guys here flock to see it?

Yes, I would!

[Guest]

51 minutes ago, TotallyOz said:

Sorry, I don't know how to feel about this. For one, I am OK with masks in public. For another, I'm happy to meet a new fuck buddy and risk sex without a mask. So, I am still a bit unsure where I stand on this.

This is one for another thread, but I start by asking myself should masks be mandatory for ever ?     The only answer I get to is a resounding no, as we cannot indefinitely inflict masks on young people.  It should be a matter of personal choice.

 

51 minutes ago, Lucky said:

So if the parade was in fact a sex workers parade, would guys here flock to see it?

It would make no difference, so yes I would go to see the parade, if I were in Bangkok.    However, in a country where such work is illegal, I can't envisage any parade being advertised as such. 

For me to adjust travel plans to go and detour to see it, there would need to be the prospect of something more like the Taiwan event.   

[vinapu]

3 hours ago, TotallyOz said:

 For one, I am OK with masks in public. For another, I'm happy to meet a new fuck buddy and risk sex without a mask.

 

2 hours ago, z909 said:

This is one for another thread, but I start by asking myself should masks be mandatory for ever ?     The only answer I get to is a resounding no, as we cannot indefinitely inflict masks on young people.  It should be a matter of personal choice.

 

time to get rid of that mask nuisance and let adults make their own choices. Only exceptions I'd reluctantly make are really crowded places like public transport 

Yesterday when changing flights it was so refreshing to see NOBODY in Zurich airport wearing masks and we deplaning from the Bangkok flight really looked strange masked 

[reader]

8 hours ago, TotallyOz said:

Oh, I know you are right in the conservatives of the Thai society in general. I think that in general they are accepting of others but not so in their own family.

Reminds of similar prejudice against blacks: “Yes, but not in my backyard.”