Bangkok – A new version of Thailand’s constitution could acknowledge a “third gender,” according to a member of the Constitution Drafting Committee, the group working on the document.
A third gender would be defined as someone who doesn’t consider themselves to be male or female. It would also give the citizens of Thailand the right to self-identify.
Kamnoon Sittisamarn, the spokesperson for the committee, said that introducing the third gender option will hopefully help reduce discrimination in their society.
The older version of the Constitution was inclusive of its citizens’ religions, but if approved, this would be the first time the country recognizes the transgender community. This lack of recognition means that currently, discrimination isn’t reported because it isn’t considered a crime, and individuals aren’t allowed to change their gender on government documents.
The constitution will be sent in for review by the military junta in April with the final decision Aug. 6.
Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan are among many other Asian nations that recognize transgender citizens.
