The Civil Partnership Bill is facing a delay as government whips once again questioned its necessity and requested another round of focus group interviews.
Chompoonute Nakornthap, policy adviser to the Social Development and Human Security Ministry, revealed her team was asked to review the bill.
In July last year, the cabinet said it would pass the bill to government whips for further consideration. However, the whips recently asked the bill's sponsors to review its content, questioning its necessity and the sponsors' actual intentions, while also addressing religious sensitivity.
"In fact, we have already studied every component of the bill thoroughly since the very beginning, including the areas raised [by the government whips]," said Ms Chompoonute, a member of the Amphawa Declaration panel since 2018.
She also said that despite the Justice Ministry having held five hearings to date, "not to mention the drafting process, which they had revised carefully", government whips were still asking for more focus group interviews.
If passed, the Civil Partnership Bill proposed by the Justice Ministry would allow same-sex couples to register as life partners, entitling them to rights and benefits under the law similar to those of married, heterosexual couples.
However, under the bill same-sex couples won't be eligible for government officials' welfare benefits, as heterosexual couples would.
"[LGBT individuals] have long been oppressed and experienced social injustice,” said Ms Chompoonute. “It is time they receive the rights they deserve."
