May 18, 2024
The US government has warned that foreign terrorist organizations may attempt to target LGBTQI+ events and festivals around the world during Pride month this June.
The deputy governor of Bangkok has confirmed that the "Bangkok Pride" event, which will begin on June 1, will prioritize everyone's safety.
The US Department of State has issued a warning to Americans abroad to "exercise increased caution" and "stay alert when in tourist areas and Pride celebrations."
The advisory was issued Friday (May 17), a week after a similar alert was issued by US law enforcement agencies.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that "foreign terrorist organizations or their supporters may attempt to exploit the increased gatherings during Pride month this coming June."
While the warning did not mention specific gatherings or locations, law enforcement agencies noted that Messages from the Islamic State (IS) group released in English in February 2023 contained content that was against the LGBTQI+ community, including LGBTQI+ venues and events.
For Bangkok, which has organized a Pride festival to celebrate the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ+ people every June since 2022, this year, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) plans to organize "Bangkok Pride" for the third year under the cooperation of partners from all sectors under the concept of "Celebration of Love, Celebrating Marriage Equality" after Thailand has been trying to push for this issue for more than two decades, and the latest law is in the Senate.
Sannont Wangsangboon, Deputy Governor of Bangkok, told BBC Thai that he had not received an official warning. "But please be assured that everyone's safety is our first priority or number 1 thing." The BMA has officers from both the city law enforcement and the police to closely monitor safety. In particular, the events on June 1 and June 30, 2024, will feature large parades. However, the BMA will soon announce detailed security measures.
The first Bangkok Pride event was held in 2022 on Silom Road, and in 2023 on Rama I Road, starting from the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre to Ratchaprasong Intersection, in front of Central World shopping mall, with more than 100,000 Thais and foreigners attending.
The US Department of State has issued a warning to Americans abroad to exercise greater caution and remain alert when attending Pride celebrations.
Past Pride Attacks
During Pride month in June 2016, a man influenced by the ideology of the Islamic State group shot and killed 49 people and injured 53 others at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
In addition, the FBI and DHS warnings also stated that three ISIS dissidents were arrested for attempting to attack a Pride parade in Vienna, Austria. Last year,
Protests and harassment of LGBTQ people in the United States have also increased, according to figures from experts and research organizations.
According to a report by the Anti-Defamation League and Gladd, formerly the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, there were at least 145 incidents of anti-LGBTQ violence, abuse and vandalism during Pride month in 2023.
Cr.bbc
Sources and further reading
Primary and authoritative sources used for context and fact-checking.
- Frequently asked questions on sexual and gender diversity, health and human rights World Health Organization (WHO)
- Consolidated guidelines on HIV, viral hepatitis and STI for key populations (2022) World Health Organization (WHO)
- STI Treatment Guidelines: Transgender and Gender Diverse Persons U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Legal Gender Recognition in Thailand: A Legal and Policy Review United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
- The struggle of trans and gender-diverse persons United Nations Human Rights (OHCHR)