It's been a long road to freely celebrating Chiang Mai Pride 2020
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Read the following story by Melalin Mahavongtrakul from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow.
Rainbow flags were flying and there were people of all ages, and even cute puppies, eager to take their first steps at the annual Pride parade set in Chiang Mai.
HUMAN RIGHT
Last Saturday, Chiang Mai Pride 2020 attracted hundreds of participants and spectators to its parade, which started at the Chiang Mai Religion Practice Center (also known as Budhastan).
At 7pm, the first group left the Budhastan, with people dancing. There were silver cupids, shirtless men, drag kings, people in wheelchairs, ladies on traditional tricycles, and much more. The crowd was diverse in nationality, and the atmosphere was fun and friendly. Along the way, there were people waving and taking pictures, cheering along as some parade participants were chanting: "Love is a human right."
Chiang Mai Pride 2020 has become a much-anticipated event following a successful resurrection last year after a decade-long hiatus. However, the amount of spectators and participants was reportedly less than last year -- an unfortunate impact of the coronavirus scare that has hit tourism in Chiang Mai.
Nevertheless, participants had a good time the entire night, enjoying the performances and parties.
HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
Chiang Mai and LGBTI Pride have had a long history together and, unfortunately, it's a rather violent one. On Feb 21, 2009, the second Chiang Mai Gay Pride attracted national attention after protesters surrounded parade participants and stranded them inside Budhastan.
"Political groups were actively against us, accusing us of propagating homosexuality. People said our activity was a disgrace and a shame to the beautiful culture and tradition of the North. Some locals also believed that having gays and katoeys parading down the streets would bring about the downfall of this holy city," said Sirisak Chaited, an independent activist. They were among the organisers of the 2009 Pride, and still remember that day vividly.
A year earlier, the first-ever Chiang Mai Pride went on without a hitch, though it was much smaller. In its second year, the organiser planned to expand the event and named it Gay Pride, just as many other cities have done. It is believed this triggered violent reactions from protesters.
On that day, hundreds of protesters came to Budhastan and blocked people from leaving and entering the venue from 4pm. They were cursing and throwing things at participants, who then decided to sit down and meditate as a sign of peaceful protest. Some also climbed a fence to flee protesters.
"Protesters told us that we had to cease all Pride activity, and that there can't be a Chiang Mai Pride for another 1,500 years. The most hurtful thing was that they demanded we crawl and apologise at their feet, like we're not even humans."
At 10pm, six hours into the protest, the organisers agreed to cease Pride events for people's safety.
The 2020 Pride event marks the 11th anniversary since the incident, and Feb 21 is now remembered yearly in Thailand as End of Violence Against LGBTI Day.
PRESENT MOVEMENT
For the past decade, there has been an attempt to reignite the Chiang Mai Pride movement, though Sirisak admitted that people were still afraid. It wasn't until recent years that the conversation regarding LGBTI rights has become more widespread in the country. And with the Gender Equality Act in place, people also have more courage to push ahead with advocacy.
"There have been more young people joining the cause, too. The new generation wanted to see Chiang Mai Pride happening again. They were ready and eager. And with their support, along with all other partners and organisations, we were able to pull it off last year," said Sirisak.
Section 1: Read through the story and answer the following questions.
1. What time did the 2020 parade start? …………….
2. People from different countries joined the parade. True or false? …………….
3. The Pride event took a break for how long? …………….
4. On what date was the second Chiang Mai Pride event held? …………….
5. Sirisak has very clear memories of the 2009 event. True or false? …………..
6. The first Chiang Mai Pride event had some problems. True or false? …………….
7. The first event was named Chiang Mai Pride. True or false? …………….
8. How many Chiang Mai Pride events have been held so far? …………….
Section 2: Write the noun form of the following words in the space provided.
9. diverse ……… 10. violent ……… 11. beautiful ………. 12. expand ………. 13. meditate ……….
Section 3: Read the following passage. Then, fill in the blanks with the correct words from the choices given.
The LGBTI rights …14… is also trans-generational. In recent years, it has been interesting to …15… new faces of young advocates and groups in Thailand taking a stand. They are speaking …16… for their causes and expressing the …17… of the world they want to live in, where everyone has equal rights and no person or group is discriminated …18… . The movement that …19… decades ago by pioneers has inspired today's youths to continue their work.
14. a. movement b. move c. movements
15. a. witness b. watched c. seen
16. a. to b. and c. up
17. a. vision b. visible c. visibility
18. a. with b. for c. against
19. a. begins b. start c. began
Section 4: Find words that match the following definitions.
20. people who take part in an event ……………
21. a new beginning for something which is old ……………
22. left in a place with no way of leaving ……………
23. spreading an idea …………
24. made something happen suddenly ……………
Answers: 1. 7pm. 2. True. 3. 10 years. 4. Feb 21, 2009. 5. True. 6. False. 7. False. 8. Four.
9. diversity. 10. violence. 11. beauty. 12. expansion. 13. meditation.
14. a. 15. a. 16. c. 17. a. 18. c. 19. c.
20. participants. 21. resurrection. 22. stranded. 23. propagating. 24. triggered.
SCORE 21-24: Excellent! 17-20: Good. 13-16: Fair. 12 or fewer: You'll do better next time!
