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It has been legal to be gay in Thailand since 1956, and the culture is thriving for gay people as both locals and travelers. A Buddhist country, where sex and sexuality have no real distinction, where people are free to choose without the necessity to label themselves or be fixed to one gender.
A fluid culture, westerners have largely created the gay lifestyle – however public displays of any sexual nature in Thailand are considered inappropriate and expected to occur in private spaces. Furthermore public nudity rarely happens and if it does, it’s by a westerner on a specifically created beach for – westerners.
A popular meeting place is Sunee Plaza in Pattaya known for its thriving gay nightlife. It has hosted its own Pride festival since 2000 established by a group of local businessmen in Boyz Town to raise funds for charitable trusts. The gay nightlife includes everything from Karaoke, Cabaret, to discos and bars, Bangkok is the primary city, closely followed by Phuket. Bangkok is a hectic, congested and relatively polluted city but here you can hop on Tuk-Tuks to take you around. In Phuket enjoy the natural splendour of Phang Nga Bay, or one of the country’s most important temples – Wat Chalong.
Outside the cities check out the Similan Islands for coral reefs, tropical jungle and white sandy beaches, or Koh Tao otherwise known as Turtle Island. In Thailand you will be welcomed and embraced by the local people.
Discovering new cultures and mingling with different types of people is a fantastic way to travel. It’s also an opportunity for those who are advocates and believers in LGBTQ+ rights to make the world more inclusive and equal.
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Pope Francis has taken a significant step in his efforts to foster a more inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ Catholics within the Roman Catholic Church.
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