Siriwan was selected as an Asian Girls Ambassador and Asian Girls Human Rights award winner for her outstanding effort in advocating for the rights of children of LGBTQ+ families. As a daughter of two mothers, Siriwan shared her personal difficulties of navigating legal recognition, school, and comments from the public. As the Thai government has yet to recognize same-sex marriage, her mothers cannot legally adopt her, so the family is “unrelated.” Though the three live lovingly under the same roof, Siriwan’s mothers cannot travel abroad with her even with their consent, nor can they legally represent her if she needs medical treatment.
With these challenges, Siriwan has felt the need for more public awareness of LGBTQ+ families, particularly in schools. Some people question the legitimacy of LGBTQ+ couples raising children. Some days, it really brings her down, and she feels that no one should have to feel this way. These discriminatory stereotypes occur in schools and, at times, spiral into bullying. Siriwan believes that teachers should be more informed and open about sex education, not only so gender bullying can be brought to an end, but also because the more the general public acknowledges LGBTQ+ families, the more likely the chance there is to push for legal reform, especially following a previously failed attempt in 2019.
Since receiving the Asian Girls Human Rights Award, Siriwan has continued with her campaign by using her public profile, artistic talent, and storytelling skills to share her own stories on the internet. As the award winner, she was able to collaborate with the Thai government-affiliated organization The Office of the Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth: https://reurl.cc/qgGLLD) on a manual entitled This House has Gender Diversity for parents with LGBTQ+ children, which shows parents how to better understand their children and support them through the difficulties they will face in society.
Her involvement in the rights of the LGBTQ+ community and her award-winning status have supported her in her acceptance to the prestigious Chiang Mai University, where we are sure to continue to see her growth as a rising star in Asian LGBTQ+ rights activism.