As one research piece puts it, “Although there is no overt persecution, albeit, no protection either…” Courtesy: Shutterstock They can go shopping, and out to dinner, and to the mall and Thai people aren’t gawking or throwing holy water at them. So from what I understand, ‘kathoey’ people are ingrained into society with relative ease. This was because HIV most largely impacted gay male communities. Thailand has had universal health care since 2002, but it wasn’t until 2007 that antiretroviral therapy, used to help HIV patients, was covered. Our first “Lady Boy” performance in Bangkok! So, receiving gender reassignment surgery is still seen as a psychiatric illness. However, transgender women are not allowed to serve in the military, and the reason given (at least on paperwork) is “Gender Identity Disorder” which formerly was worded as “Permanent Mental Disorder” until 2011. The Law Hasn’t Caught Up.Īll males in Thailand are required to serve in the military. However, even if that goes through, actual gay marriage is still not legal. This affords them rights like adopting children and holding power of attorney. That document permanently maintains the sex assigned to the individual at birth.Įven just looking at gay rights, only in 2020 was there any kind of real movement in Thailand’s government to work toward legalizing civil unions between same-sex couples. Rih Rih at it again! She was a favorite among our group for sure!īUT, even if you undergo the surgery, you cannot change the gender on your birth certificate. As of May 2021, gender reassignment surgery is legally permitted in Thailand only IF the person has the permission of two doctors who recommend the surgery and the prospective patient is of a certain age. However, a lot of times a country’s laws can be an indicator of their cultural norms. I mean, there’s an entire tourism sector dedicated to watching them perform in a campy style, similar to what we might call ‘drag.’ And I’ve yet to see a bunch of angry conservatives holding picket signs outside those shows begging the performers to repent. ‘Kathoey’ have a pretty sizable presence in places like Bangkok. So, yeah I guess that’s a nice alternative to facing a violent mob for being queer, but it’s not quite equality and it’s obviously degrading. People in this category even believe that it’s a punishment for sins committed in a past life and so ‘kathoey’ might be pitied and given kindness for suffering such a punishment.
Much of my research indicates that in some cases, whatever an individual’s personal feelings toward the ‘kathoey,’ it’s not really seen as a choice. For some people, this means that while being trans or ‘kathoey’ is a rarity, it isn’t a self-chosen abomination. However, multiple sources indicate that the Buddhist texts refer to the existence of four different types of gender. “Lady Gaga” was spot on! There Are a Few Moving Parts Here. As much as their way of life is tolerated - are these people looked at through the lens of autonomy and dignity given to straight people? Not quite.
Tolerance of ‘kathoey’ is statistically greater in cities like Bangkok than in the rural areas of the country. Is there a ‘kathoey’ individual living on a farm in rural Thailand, reading this right now, who has suffered brutality for not being straight, who wants to punch me for saying ‘kathoey’ are pretty much tolerated? Probably.īut, we need to speak in generalities based on data.
Are ‘kathoey’ tolerated in Thai society? Pretty much. Where to begin? An amazing “Bad Girl Rih Rih” impersonation! Really enjoyed the show in Chiang Mai! Courtesy: Shutterstock Are They Accepted in Thailand?īuckle up because as much as other blogs might want you to believe that the answer to this is simple…it’s just not. For example, if you call a person ‘kathoey,’ they might take it as you calling them trans when really they’re gay. This might make the term insulting to a member of the Thai LGBTQ+ community. In fact, in some circles, it’s used a bit lazily to describe anyone with queer tendencies. The actual proper term for this group of individuals is ‘kathoey.’ But, this definitely can be used in a pejorative or demeaning sense as well. The phrase is a western invention that came about as a result of Westerners not being able to wrap their minds around Thailand’s numerous and multi-faceted concepts of gender and gender roles. However, “lady boys” is really a bit of a slur. “Lady boys,” as they are commonly referred to, is an umbrella term for transgender women and gay or effeminate men in Thailand. Sign up now and feel good about it! Who Are the Lady Boys of Thailand? Would you like to help support The March of Dimes? For the months of September and October, I am donating a dollar to every new subscriber to my monthly newsletter.
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