Voices of Pride: How LGBTIQ+ activists in Thailand are creating safer, stronger communities

In Thailand, LGBTIQ+ activists are reshaping their communities with courage, creativity and care. In this feature, four inspiring voices share how they are building inclusive spaces where everyone can thrive.

Sommas Wattanachai: Using media to make communities more inclusive

Sommas Wattanachai is a storyteller who believes in the power of communication to build inclusive communities. Born in Surin Province in northeastern Thailand, Sommas grew up in a progressive household that encouraged education and self-expression. While her family embraced her lesbian identity, she knew many others in the LGBTIQ+ community lacked that support.

“I was fortunate, but not everyone has that same safety. That awareness shaped everything I do,” she shares.

Since her student years, Sommas has used media as a tool for inclusion. She launched Dek Dee, a YouTube channel that uses animation to teach children values like empathy, respect and inclusivity. She mentors young LGBTIQ+ creators, documents musical traditions performed by queer artists in rural Thailand and teaches video editing to help young people in rural communities tell their own stories.

“Media isn’t just about information – it’s about identity and connection,” she says. “When young people see themselves in stories, they feel seen and valued.”

Chananya Jokaew: Cultivating inclusive leadership in rural Thailand

From a young age, Chananya Jokaew challenged gender norms. “Even though I was assigned female at birth, I have always expressed myself as masculine,” she says. The respect her father commanded as a local leader helped shield her from the worst of the discrimination many LGBTIQ+ people face.

After moving to Bangkok for work, Chananya returned to Chiang Rai in 2018 to care for her ageing father. With no background in farming, she transformed his rice fields into a sustainable farm using new and sustainable agricultural techniques. She also ran for local council—and won.

“I wanted to lead not for power, but to make decisions that serve everyone,” she explains.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she launched the Puen Nan Pun Suk (“Friends Sharing Happiness”) initiative, which provided food, home repairs and emotional support to villagers. Through her Dek Dee Project, she offers safe spaces and mentorship for youth of all gender identities, especially those at risk of exploitation.

“Being LGBTIQ+ isn’t a barrier. It’s a strength,” she says. “My goal is to create positive change for the community. That’s what matters.”

Matcha Phorn-in: Fighting for justice as an indigenous and ethnic minority lesbian feminist leader

Matcha Phorn-in is a feminist human rights defender, a proud indigenous and ethnic minority lesbian woman, and the founder and executive director of Sangsan Anakot Yawachon, a civil society organization based in northern Thailand.

Born along the Thailand–Laos border and having worked for over two decades at the Thailand–Myanmar border, Matcha has experienced intersecting forms of marginalization based on her ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation since childhood. But rather than break her, these lived realities shaped her life’s mission.

“Instead of breaking me, these experiences built my purpose: to ensure no young person grows up believing they are worth less because of who they are,” she says.

Matcha leads transformative work rooted in feminist, human rights, and digital rights education. She has empowered thousands of Indigenous women and girls, stateless, LGBTIQ+, and young feminists, particularly those affected by the ongoing armed conflict along the Thailand–Myanmar border.

Matcha’s activism is deeply personal. Raised by a single mother, she now shares her life with her wife, Veerawan Wanna, and their daughter, Siriwan Phornin. Together, they are challenging restrictive gender norms, heteronormativity, and advocating for family equality.

“Our rainbow family is a living example of love, resistance, and power, a reminder that families built on care and courage can thrive and lead even in the face of adversity,” she says,” she says.

Ngern Khamseesin: Turning resilience into care and community leadership

Ngern Khamseesin grew up as the seventh of 10 children in northern Thailand. Assigned male at birth, she expressed her femininity from a young age and faced backlash – especially from her father, who put her through hard labour to "toughen her up".

At 10 years old, she entered monkhood, drawn in by the saffron robes but unprepared for the rigid rules and exclusion she would face. Still, her spirit endured.

Later in life, she trained as a hairdresser, opened her own beauty salon, and cared for her ageing mother. At 34, she underwent gender-affirming surgery. “People started to see me for who I truly am,” she says.

In Chiang Khong, she became a Village Health Volunteer, earning recognition for her service, creativity and compassion. She also promotes environmental sustainability through creative recycling projects. Despite facing discrimination, Ngern has always given back. “I want to be a role model for my community, a person others can rely on,” she says. “I was once discriminated against and left behind. Now, I want to lift others.”

Sophie West-Browne, Joelle Charbonneau, Janelle Weissman, Montira Narkvichien, Somchai Yensabai, Naruedee Jantasing, Phurinat Tinnam, Melanie Jarvis contributed to this article.