TELLING OUR TRUTH

Through BL and GL series, the media offers a path to show queer lived experiences in Thailand

- TATAT BUNNAG

Pride in Action 2025 unfolded last week at Lido Connect Hall 2 in Siam Square, gathering prominent voices across various fields to empower and celebrate the LGBTI community under the theme "Together Now, Together Always".

From 3pm to early evening, thought leaders, public officials and creatives came together to discuss LGBTI rights, visibility and cultural narratives culminating in one of the most emotionally resonant panels of the day.

Titled "LGBTI Stories In Culture", the final panel explored how culture and media shape and reflect the LGBTI experience. Two celebrated voices took the stage: Sira Siravitch Kamonworawut, better known as Thailand's iconic Madonna impersonator, drag performer, actor and online personality; and Nophasit Thiengtham, vice-president and secretary-general of the Association for the Promotion of Boys and Girls Content, a key figure in the Thai BL/GL media boom.

Their conversation, rich in both lived experience and industry insight, painted a complex yet hopeful picture of where Thailand's LGBTI movement stands today and where it could go next.

"We have come a long, long way, and are really proud of Thailand," Nophasit said as he opened his reflections on this year's movement. "We finally reached this moment. The amount of people who participated at last year's Pride Parade was only half of the people this year, and not only that, Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to legalise same-sex marriage."

He smiled, the weight of progress and years of advocacy behind his words.

"I'm not going to go over it, but we are very happy about it, and we are getting there going slowly, but getting there. So we are not just sitting here doing nothing. The government's also trying to help us, and we are all waiting and ready to see what's coming next."