Two actors became engaged after marriage equality passes in Thailand, a Canadian federal leader's Pride attendance is unclear, and the prime minister of Hungary is accused of using fear to attack the LGBTQ community.
Actors Engaged After Marriage Equality Passes in Thailand
Thai actors Both Nattapong Chinsoponsap and Newyear Kitiwhut Sawutdimilin have announced their engagement. This comes after Thailand’s historic passing of legislation that legalized marriage equality, making them the first southeast nation to do so.
According to Pink News, the pair announced their engagement on social media via a TikTok video. Following the video, the couple posted a series of professional photos of their engagement captioned, “B: Will you marry me? Ny: I said ‘yes’ from the first day we met.”
Out Magazine reports that Both and Newyear started dating in 2012 and signified their commitment in 2023 with promise rings.
Fans took to the comments to congratulate the duo, writing, “Finally. Congratulations. Together forever.”
Canadian Federal Leader’s Pride Attendance Unclear
Pierre Poilievrevia. Photo by Humberland, via Wikimedia Commons.
Pierre Poilievre, a Canadian politician, is the only federal leader in Canada whose staff won’t answer questions on whether he intends to participate in Pride events this summer.
According to Global News, other officials such as NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, have responded to inquiries confirming that they will attend Pride events.
“I do believe it is noteworthy to note who is not here, and leaders we do not see making it a priority to uplift our community,” said Jordan Ames-Sinclair, a two-spirit activist during a Pride flag-raising ceremony on Parliament Hill.
Global News reported that Poilievre has not publicly observed Pride Month during his visits to meet other groups.
Hungary’s PM Accused of Using Fear To Attack Community
Victor Orbán. Photo by EU2017EE Estonian Presidency, via Wikimedia Commons.
Victor Orbán, the prime minister of Hungary, is being accused by David Pressman, the U.S. ambassador in Budapest who identifies as gay, of using a “machinery of fear” to launch legal attacks on the LGBTQ community.
According to The Guardian, in 2021, Hungary passed legislation that bans the display and promotion of homosexuality in material that can be accessed by minors. Hungarian politicians and government-controlled media outlets continue to promote narratives that experts and rights groups have described as homophobic.
“Fear is something those who seek to undermine democracy trade on, and their currency is too often you and your families,” said Pressman.
He reflected on the media’s interaction with him during a Pride march in 2023: “The cameras of the government-controlled media were trained on me – as they are right now – and filmed us as he introduced me to his 5-year-old child. The news that evening reported on ‘spotting’ my interaction with this child, and sinisterly described that I was seen ‘interacting with children.’ They didn’t need to finish the sentence – they let fear do the rest.”
Throughout his speech, he drew parallels between Vladimir Putin’s Russia and Hungary, and criticized Orbán’s government for its portrayal of critics.
