Thailand award ceremony honours champions of LGBTI advocacy

Today, the Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand, the Army Research Study Institute of Medical Science and their partners revealed the receivers of the inaugural Ardhanareeswara Award to honour unique people and groups working for LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) rights and health advocacy. The occasion was held inside the auditorium at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre.

The award takes its name from Ardhanareeswara, the Hindu divine being with half the body male, half woman. This divine being is stated to be an amalgamation of Shiva and his accompaniment Parvati (typically understood to Thais as Uma Devi), the goddess of fertility and love.

The receivers of the award were chosen and later on evaluated by a panel including LGBTI supporters, and agents from civil society organisations, health organisations and academics. It was the very first worldwide and nationwide award given up Thailand in acknowledgment of gender variety advocacy.

The Ardhanareeswara Award existed to impressive people and groups in 3 classifications: health promo, human rights advocacy, and uniformity assistance.

The award winners are:

Health promo

Dr Frits Van Griensven– Senior consultant for HIV Avoidance at the Thai Red Cross Aids Research Study Centre, and director of the Tangerine Center for transgender health.

Sunpasitthiprasong Health center– A state health center in Ubon Ratchathani that looks after countless HIV and Help clients annual.

Human rights advocacy

Anjana Suvarnananda– A gender supporter with over thirty years of working experience. She is likewise the creator of the Anjaree lesbian rights group.

Bandhu Social Well-being Society– A veteran Bangladesh-based group promoting for LGBTI access to health services and social defense.

Uniformity assistance

Dr Nittaya Phanuphak Pungpapong– A physician with eager interest in HIV avoidance. She assisted to develop the MSM (Guys Who Make Love With Male) Sexual Health Center at the Thai Red Cross Aids Research Study Centre.

Blued Application– The world’s biggest gay social media application that intends to enhance LGBTI copes with innovation and offer gay individuals an online neighborhood.

An unique Pride Award was likewise provided to those who identify the value of gender identity expression and pick to withstand safeguard their own rights and the rights of others. Filmmaker Tanwarin Sukkhapisit– director of the formerly prohibited Bugs in the Yard– took house the award. Siblings Structure– a Pattaya-based group that supports transgender health and rights– was selected as the Pride award recipient in the group classification.

Finally, United States Ambassador Glyn T. Davies got the Relationship Award for his continuous assistance of the LGBTI neighborhood in Thailand.

Gay social media app Blued and filmmaker Tanwarin Sukkhapisit were amongst the receivers of the inaugural Ardhanareeswara Award identifying LGBTI rights advocacy.

The Ardhanareeswara Award takes its name from the Hindu divine being of the very same name with a half-man, half-woman body. images: Melalin Mahavongtrakul