“Why don’t we have that right? Are we unusual? What did we do wrong that we do not entitle to have those rights? Frequently, we would hear that it’s our country, our city, our Bangkok, everything belongs to us. But in the end, when we ask about the law, it turns out that those laws are for specific groups. You are not included just because you are homosexuals,” said Thai actor, James Fagerlund, also known as Rusameekae, at the seminar ‘How to prevent LGBTQI+ discrimination and harassment in the workplace’ in Bangkok.

The event organized by Swedish embassy discuss the various aspects of discrimination in workplace and how we can improve the situation to create better working environment for all.

The Swedish ambassador to Thailand, H.E. Jon Åström Gröndahl, said that although Thailand have the best LGBTQI+ anti-discrimination and harassment laws, that’s just written on a piece of paper. What really needs to be changed in order to tackle the problem is the behavior of people in society and in the workplace. People should accept and respect others, regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity.

“This is not a matter of giving people, some people special status. It’s quite the opposite. It’s about recognizing our coming wealth and giving everyone the same opportunity, the same rights and the same respect.”, the ambassador added.

Sweden has been praised for gender equality and is regarded as one of the most progressive in the world when it comes to gay rights. The country has come a long way when just a little over 40 years ago that homosexuality was classified as a disease.

The turning point was in August 1979, when the Swedish government agency received many strange phone calls saying “I’m feeling gay today”. They said that they wanted to stay home and receive the benefit. The same benefit that the Swedish government granted to other sick people.

“Their argument was simple and effective. This clever and highly creative campaign had illustrated the absurdity of viewing people as sick just because they love someone of the same gender. It took only a few months that Swedish authorities stopped classifying homosexuality as a disease”, said H.E. Jon Åström Gröndahl, Ambassador of Sweden.

Since then, Sweden has been aiming at protecting LGBTQI+ rights, for example, allowing adoptions for gay couples in 2003 and gender-neutral wedding in 2009. The country also takes serious matters on preventing discrimination and harassment in workplace for individuals especially those homosexuals will not face the difficulties in dealing with the matter.

Employers in Sweden are required by the Discrimination Act to take active measures to prevent discrimination, and also promote equal rights and opportunities. According to Ulla Perman, Equality Ombudsman of Sweden, for handling sexual harassment, the employers are required to have guidelines and clear prejudice for the prevention. Moreover, organizations need to ensure that they can receive complaints and bring out the action to seek their redress.

In addition, Karl Yves Vallin, Swedish Federation for LGBTQI+ rights presented three guiding principles that organizations or business enterprises can apply these guiding principles as fundamental rules to create the prevention of discrimination and harassment for LGBTQI+ community and individuals in the workplace.

He explained that the first guiding principle is obligations to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. The second one is the corporate responsibility of business enterprise by creating an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment. The last one is the needs of rights and obligations to be matched and appropriated fundamental speech allowing individuals including LGBTQI+ community to report their incidents and seek redress.

Gender orientation or sexual identity should not be the factor for company to concern when it comes to workplace since it is a private matter, as Rusameekae said.

“What kind of human beings who can work in the company and be the smartest one? Are they need be a woman? A man? Actually, there is no gender to be judged, right? It shows that sexual identity and gender orientation is a personal preference which is their private matter. Apart from respecting each other as a human, we should not hurt each other, instead we should respect each other existence.”, said Rusameekae.

Discrimination and harassment in the workplace is preventable and should be given more attention, regardless of gender. As the ambassador mentioned that Thailand has “the best” anti-discrimination and harassment laws, but society would not change unless people in that society change.

By Warissara Sae-han