Thai school embraces LGBTQ rights: Students enjoy hair freedom

Photo courtesy of The Nation

In a groundbreaking move that left students beaming with “Pride,” Boon Wattana School in Nakhon Ratchasima is now allowing LGBTQ students to wear their hair in a style that best reflects their gender identity.

This progressive measure has seen many male students proudly sporting shoulder-length hair, a privilege previously reserved only for female students.

Panwarit Patwimonsilp, a 16 year old student at Boon Wattana, expressed his delight at the change.

“Last year, I had to cut my hair like other male students, which really affected my self-confidence. When I heard the school would allow us to choose our hairstyles, I began growing my hair back over the last school break. This new policy makes me excited to attend school every day.”

School principal Wichien Thongklee revealed that Boon Wattana is the first school in the region to acknowledge and support students’ rights to express their gender identity through their appearance. The decision was reached after a collaborative meeting involving the school’s board members, executives, parents, teachers, and student representatives.

“This move has been widely welcomed by students and their parents. All the LGBTQ students I met today looked genuinely happy. This aligns perfectly with our policy of promoting good and happy learning.”

In another inclusive step, the school is constructing dedicated rainbow toilets for LGBTQ students, with the project set to be completed within a week, reported The Nation.

Principal Thongklee mentioned that the school will continually assess the new policies to ensure they meet the needs of all students.

In related news, as Thailand gears up to potentially host the prestigious World Pride event in 2030, Siam Piwat Group is championing a progressive stance on LGBTQ rights.

The property and retail giant has launched the Celebration: Right to Love campaign in anticipation of the same-sex marriage bill’s enactment by the end of the year. This legislative milestone would position Thailand as the first Southeast Asian nation to legalise same-sex unions.

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Puntid Tantivangphaisal

Originally from Hong Kong, Puntid moved to Bangkok in 2020 to pursue further studies in translation. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Comparative Literature from the University of Hong Kong. Puntid spent 8 years living in Manchester, UK. Before joining The Thaiger, Puntid has been a freelance translator for 2 years. In her free time, she enjoys swimming and listening to music, as well as writing short fiction and poetry.

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