Thailand's parliament approves bill to legalize same-sex marriage

Thailand's lawmakers have convened to vote on legalizing same-sex marriage, with a focus on replacing gender-specific terms such as "men", "women", "husbands", and "wives" in marriage laws with gender-neutral language. This move is seen as a significant step forward for the country's LGBTQ community, which has long been known for its tolerance towards sexual minorities. If approved, Thailand would become only the third place in Asia where same-sex couples can legally marry, following Taiwan and Singapore. The legislation is expected to be passed by the Senate upper house on Tuesday, after which it will go to King Maha Vajiralongkorn for royal assent. Activists are hoping that the first same-sex weddings could take place as early as October if the bill passes.