Keep an eye on 'sexual conservatism', politics and the US's punishment

Keep an eye on “sexual conservative politics” and the United States’ punishment for accepting 2 genders. Thammasat University experts point out that it may have a domino effect around the world. They recommend that Thailand maintain its position and respond to a good quality of life based on human dignity. During this time of change, many countries around the world have expressed their joy for a society that is open to sexual diversity. However, recently, the emergence of the Sexual Conservatism policy has shaken the world once again when world leaders like Donald Trump, President of the United States, signed an Executive Order requiring the federal government to accept only 2 biological genders: male and female, along with canceling the use of other gender options in official federal documents based on gender classification criteria at birth. This policy does not only affect the United States, but also tends to create a domino effect that may spread its influence to many countries around the world and have a wide impact on the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ+ individuals.

From the hot issue that has arisen, experts from Thammasat University have conducted an in-depth analysis of the influence of sexual conservative ideas and explored the potential for opportunities that may be blocked in the future by Asst. Prof. Ronaphum Samakkhi-karom, Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs and Organizational Communication, Faculty of Public Health. As an expert in public policy and LGBT rights, I will decode this phenomenon and show you the influences that are likely to spread widely.

Sexual conservatism: Obstacles to halting development in many dimensions

Asst. Prof. Ronaphum said that Trump's sexual conservatism policy shows that gender is not just a matter of personal identity, but is also used as a tool for building political power. Trump emphasizes the preservation of traditional social structures and views sexual diversity as an unfair factor. After Trump's special order, sexual prejudice has clearly increased, affecting social psychology and many countries with religious and cultural conservative ideas, such as Thailand, have also been influenced.

"Policies that emphasize the recognition of only two biological genders and the cancellation of support for LGBTQ+ organizations have caused many countries to stop pushing forward laws related to gender equality, such as Thailand, which is pushing for important laws such as the Gender Prefix Law / the Suppression of Prostitution Law / the Law Prohibiting All Forms of Discrimination. In addition, the economy and finance have been clearly affected, especially when USAID was ordered to immediately stop using funding, causing projects that previously received funding from the United States to face financial crises, such as organizations that care for and support transgender people or those who work to promote sexual diversity rights that can no longer fully operate.

This impact not only creates obstacles to advancing social rights, but also may cause widespread health risks, such as the outbreak of certain diseases that were previously controlled through civil society health projects. “These policies may recur due to a lack of resources for prevention and treatment. These policies not only block opportunities for the advancement of rights and freedoms, but also have profound systemic impacts on the social fabric and health of populations globally. Coupled with anti-LGBTQ sentiment, they may create an environment that is more open to hate speech and gender-based violence, which poses a high risk of psychosocial harm.”

Looking at the Trend of ‘Thailand’ Amidst Global Pressures and Trends

Asst. Prof. Ronaphum added that in Thai society, sexual conservatism is not new. We have deeply rooted conservative ideas in every generation. The signing of this special order by the United States may not directly affect the conservative movement in Thailand, but it has an indirect influence in terms of creating an atmosphere that encourages sexual conservatives in Thailand to feel more courageous and to come out and express their opinions more strongly, with the conservative trend supported by Trump’s policies.

“Different opinions are not wrong, but they must not be opinions that degrade or devalue humanity, creating hatred based on sexual bias, which may lead to violence, leading to violations of human rights. Therefore, everyone should help be a social parameter to monitor and prevent sexual discrimination in society.”

However, Thailand has laws that support equality and prevent sexual violence, which help counterbalance conservative trends and prevent them from expanding to the point of creating serious conflicts in society. This is a balance that Thailand must maintain so that differences in opinions do not become social conflicts that are difficult to control.

In addition to the psychological and social impacts, the sexually conservative politics of the United States may affect LGBTQ+ related tourism and entertainment industries in Thailand in various dimensions

“Although Thailand is one of the most popular destinations for LGBTQ+ tourists worldwide due to its cultural openness and friendly welcome, this policy may have indirect impacts. One of them is that more conservative tourists travel to Thailand. Although it helps stimulate the economy and makes tourism boom, it may also bring with it gender bias and lead to various forms of discrimination, such as negative expressions towards same-sex couples or even incidents of sexual violence.

The government must therefore take proactive measures to prevent these problems, whether it be issuing policies to create safety in public areas, training tourism officials to be aware of the rights of all groups, and closely monitoring important tourist areas to prevent potential discrimination. In addition, it should focus on creating a culture of acceptance of differences among the public and tourism operators. Ignoring these problems will not only affect the safety of tourists, but may also have a long-term impact on Thailand’s confidence as an LGBTQ+ friendly destination,” Asst. Prof. Ronaphum reminded.

Inside the Opportunities That May Be Blocked and Disappeared from Gender Conservation in the Future

Asst. Prof. Ronaphum further illustrated that the deep impact of gender conservation that is spreading in many dimensions may cause a domino effect, especially in terms of limiting the rights and opportunities of LGBTQ groups, including the regression of health and human rights support systems. One of the opportunities that may be severely blocked is the civil society health service system, which was previously supported by the United States, such as HIV prevention, transgender counseling, and access to hormones for transgender people. The health services of these non-profit organizations are part of helping to reduce the burden on the government in providing health services to the public. If support is suspended or reduced, hospitals and the public health system will face an overload, while people who need specialized services may turn to unsafe alternatives, which risk being deceived or tricked by incorrect information, leading to more severe health problems.

In this regard, Asst. Prof. Ronaphum emphasized that Thailand should adhere to the position and goal of promoting human rights and gender equality, improving the quality of life of all people, and creating dignity as human beings. The position should be based on the principles of justice and basic rights, not just following world trends blindly. At the same time, the government should play an important role in providing urgent services and assistance to those affected by gender discrimination, whether in terms of health, psychosocial, or access to basic rights. Including measures that seriously protect the rights of the people.

“Although Trump’s gender-conservative policies have created ripples on a global scale, Thai society does not have to follow the same path. Adherence to the values ​​of equality and human dignity will be an important milestone in creating a sustainable and inclusive society for everyone. Because in a world where diversity is power, a society that is open and accepting of differences is the strongest society,” Asst. Prof. Ronaphum concluded.

Cr.matichon