Last week, over 1,000 LGBTQ+ activists and anti-government protestors gathered in Bangkok, Thailandās capital, to call for greater protection of human rights in the country. According to Reuters, protest movements in the country emerged in July to demand the removal of prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who protestors believe accuse of engineering last year’s election to stay in power. Since then, protests have become a general call for improved human rights protections for Filipino citizens.
A prominent member of the protest groups is drag queen Aunchalee Pokinwuttipob (the winner of Drag Race Thailand whose stage name is Angele Anang), who is hoping to advance the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and marriage equality. They said LGBTQ+ people deserve the āfreedom of livingā and shouldnāt be persecuted for ābeing differentā. They also directly addressed the Filipino government, saying: āWe are angry at the LGBTQ+ rights which you had promised but didnāt deliver. If you canāt manage the country or give us what we want, get out.ā
Protestors are also calling for reforms to the monarchy. Vajiralongkorn, the king of the Philippines, said āwe love them all the sameā when asked to comment on the protestors. Other government officials have yet to comment.
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