Matcha Phorn-in (Thai: มัจฉา พรอินทร์; born 1979/1980)^[1] is a Thai feminist and activist for indigenous and LGBT rights.

Early life

Phorn-in grew up in Isan, as a member of an ethnic minority,^[2] and was raised by a poor single mother.^[3][4] These factors led her to be bullied in school.^[3] Starting at age 9, she began to work on the weekends to support herself and her mother.^[3]

Phorn-in was able to attend university after receiving a scholarship.^[3] After graduating, she participated in a one-year grauate program at Thammasat University.^[3]

Activism

Phorn-in is the executive director of Sangsan Anakot Yaowachon, an organization which supports youth from marginalized communities, primarily in the villages on Thailand's border with Myanmar.^[2][5] She founded the organization in 2007.^[5] In the organization's first decade, it was able to provide scholarship to 1,000 children, but the program was discontinued in the late 2010s due to lack of financial support.^[5]

Phorn-in is a board member of International Family Equality Day (IFED),^[6] and a former board member of ILGA Asia.^[3] She is a regional council member of the Asia-Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD).^[3]

Phorn-in has also spoken in favor of legal abortion up to 20 weeks, compared to Thailand's stricter legal standard of 12 weeks.^[7][8]

In 2020 and 2021, Phorn-in criticized the Thai government for not providing financial aid to ethnic minorities, who consequently were more harshly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.^[9]

Recognition

In 2023, Phorn-in was named to the BBC's 100 Women list.^[10]

Personal life

Phorn-in is a lesbian.^[2] Her partner also works at Sangsan Anakot Yaowachon.^[5] Phorn-in also has an adopted daughter, her biological niece, who was born in the early 2000s to Phorn-in's younger brother.^[5][11][12] After he and his wife separated, their daughter was raised by her grandmother, until Phorn-in took her in at age 9.^[12] However, Phorn-in was not able to legally adopt her daughter until she became a legal adult, as her extended family objected to Phorn-in having a woman as a partner.^[11][13]

Phorn-in and her family live in San Kamphaeng, Chiang Mai.^[4][12] In 2016, a neighbor set fires near their home several times, which Phorn-in believed were driven by homophobia; despite reports made to the police, no action was taken.^[12]

References