Land Of Lady Boys? Thailand Is Not The LGBTI Paradise It Appears

Sexual minorities in the Land of Smiles face discrimination in education, work and their love lives, though attitudes – and the law – are beginning to change

BY LAURA VILLADIEGO

 

 

It is a country known to the world for its gay parties and transgender beauty pageants, a Land of Smiles that is welcoming to all.

 

But tell that to members of Thailand’s LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) community and you might receive a puzzled frown.

 

While Thailand is one of the most progressive countries in Asia regarding LGBTI rights, and its capital Bangkok often tops lists of gay-friendly tourist destinations, activists in the country say the gay community suffers not only from a lack of recognition, but from laws and a society that actively discriminate against them.

 

Full story: https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/2163544/land-lady-boys-thailand-not-gay-paradise-it-appears

 

-- South China Morning Post 2018-2018-09-17

“Many organisations or companies don’t accept transgenders … because they are biased and they don’t see the abilities that transgender people have,”

 

 

Biased or not, it is their choice who they choose to employ, end of discussion.

"She was informed she was “no longer suitable” to teach at the institution – Thailand’s second-oldest university – because of inappropriate behaviour on social media, referring to a post on Kath’s Instagram account featuring a photo of a penis-shaped tube of lipstick."

 

This is a very formal university with old fashioned standards, but the fact remains she was given a job in the first place. It's quite plausible any teacher there could have got disciplined over doing the same thing, and if someone's sexuality and identity started to turn into a personal agenda for them, these traits would likely have been considered to be getting in the way of the job.

Give em an inch they take a mile.

 

46 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Give em an inch they take a mile.

 

If your into that sort of thing. Give them an inch and they scream for you to give them a mile worth. 

In never appears to be....all that illusion is created by and on behalf of westerners who don't understand LGBTI and make assumptions based on their biased and untutored personal observations.

As ever threads like this show that Thaivisa has a deep reservoir of homophobia.

Most of those posts reveal the deep hangups these people have about their own sexuality.

It's hard to be sympathetic though for people who clearly need help but are so aggressive in covering up their problems.

It seems ladyboys are very well represented on Thai television as hosts of a varied mix of shows.

I slightly scratched my fingernail.  I demand the law be changed.  I know my rights.

 

...(I don't know my wrongs).

The example they gave isn’t a great one. Teachers at prestigious schools are expected to be conservative in their actions and had anyone posted photos of penis-shaped lipstick online they likely would have been fired too. 

 

If if they had a problem with transgender professors they wouldn’t have hired her and allowed her to lecture in the first place. 

3 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

“Many organisations or companies don’t accept transgenders … because they are biased and they don’t see the abilities that transgender people have,”

 

 

Biased or not, it is their choice who they choose to employ, end of discussion.

It's more than that. Rightly or wrongly ladyboys hit the news again and again for theft, attacking tourists and more. To the extent that, in many peoples view ladyboys cannot be trusted etc etc.  Employers need to ensure their employees work in a trusting pleasant uncomplicated environment. 

 

I have one middle aged very loud very OTP ladyboy in my outer circle family, he is full of drama and loves to generate issues and problems. In the early days he got banned from our house by Thai family members.

 

Unfortunate of course for the ladyboys who aren't troublemakers and just want to get on with life. 

 

 

Gay and Lesbians have been around since forever. Even the Spartan warriors had a tradition, the men stayed in the barracks and their wives stayed at home. The thing about it today is that for some strange reason gay or transgender men have to be provocative about it. You go to a supermarket and the cashier openly tries to get your attention even though your clearly not interested. just goes on and on. Now imagine if it was a real woman behind the register doing the same, people would think she was nuts.

Just now, AlQaholic said:

You go to a supermarket and the cashier openly tries to get your attention even though your clearly not interested. just goes on and on

You must be very handsome man. Never happens to me.

LGBTI? Have heard of LGBTQ, but the "I" on the end of it is new to me. "Intersex?" What does that mean?

4 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

“Many organisations or companies don’t accept transgenders … because they are biased and they don’t see the abilities that transgender people have,”

 

 

Biased or not, it is their choice who they choose to employ, end of discussion.

I totally agree. I would NEVER employ a transgender. 
Call me a racist or accuse me of discrimination - so be it. NEVER. 

LGBTI? Have heard of LGBTQ, but the "I" on the end of it is new to me. "Intersex?" What does that mean?

The “I” is for intercourse between a man and a woman. Very dirty!


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

1 minute ago, luk AJ said:

The “I” is for intercourse between a man and a woman. Very dirty!


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

Well, I can't keep up. So many of these things. Just learned that the okay sign in the US is now considered a "White Power" signal. Now, this "I" thing.

Baiting posts and the replies have been removed.

 

Inflammatory posts and the replies have been removed. 

4 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Biased or not, it is their choice who they choose to employ, end of discussion.

Actually in our home countries there are labour laws to protect employees and potential employees from bigots.

 

In Thailand those laws don't exist, but that's rather academic as Thailand has a far more relaxed attitude to gender anyway; something that the bigots here could learn from.

 

In this particular case the teacher was fired for a reason to do with conduct on social media, not for being a ladyboy.

 

If all of those posters claiming "I'd never hire a ladyboy" and similar tosh were to boycott every organisation in Thailand that employs ladyboys, then they wouldn't be abe to purchase any goods or services here at all.

 

Ladyboys in Thailand work in every conceivable type of business, from farming to banking via law, air transport, retail, real estate, etc etc etc.

 

 

 

 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

activists in the country say the gay community suffers not only from a lack of recognition, but from laws and a society that actively discriminate against them.

When has any activist ever said, "We've got everything we wanted, so we'll stop now"

The whole point of activism is to always want more.

"[Thailand] is a country known to the world for its gay parties..."

 

Maybe it's because I don't get invited to parties very often, but this was news to me.

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

It seems ladyboys are very well represented on Thai television as hosts of a varied mix of shows.

I believe it is you who have the problem.. perhaps opinions are biased but most have been accurate.. when a lady starts posting things with sexual intonation or pushes their gender on students.. it affects all students.. when an employee decided not to hire a transgender perhaps it is based not on their gender but on the impact it will have for customers.. it is well known and seen daily how many transgender overact to show their preferred sexuality in Thailand.  Maybe you are just defiant to these things? 

4 minutes ago, thesetat2013 said:

or pushes their gender on students.

what is this? Fantasy land? Do tell us how they 'push their gender' 

1 hour ago, Spidey said:

Oh the old nutmeg, "If you say that you don't like ladyboys, you must secretly love them".

 

I don't mind ladyboys, I have a ladyboy family member and a good friends daughter is a ladyboy, sometimes stays the night at our house, but in no way am I physically attracted to them. The idea of climbing into bed and being confronted by another guy's meat and two veg, repulses me. Does that make me a secret ladyboy lover? No way.

 

If you are happy getting your back door smashed in by another guy, good luck to you, TiT, up to you, but don't foist your perversion on others, to make yourself feel better about your perversion.

Being gay, or a transgender man or woman, is not a perversion. 

14 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

When has any activist ever said, "We've got everything we wanted, so we'll stop now"

The whole point of activism is to always want more.

The whole point of activism is to achieve a goal, be it equality or change. 

3 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

Being gay, or a transgender man or woman, is not a perversion. 

Up2U. I was referring to straight guys who have a preference for ladyboys. Not aimed at LBGT people.

Edited September 17, 20187 yr by Spidey

Just now, Spidey said:

Up2U

Reality. 

Look at things in a different light.  In fact, homophobic is a term constructed of two words joined together as is homophobia.  Homo means man.  Phobic means having an extreme or irrational fear or aversion to something. The term was first applied in modern speech and appeared in print in 1969 by the psychologist George Weinberg.  As an ex-Clinical Psychologist, I never express a person as being homophobic or homosexual, as most other people do.  In my clinical days, I would never knowingly have a person of either designation, in my office, especially the latter as their problems/concerns were outside of my domain and remain so today.  So, if a true light is shed on the term homophobic, it really refers to another person being afraid of such personalities.  How many out there can really say you are afraid of homosexuals? 

 

'nuf sed

 

11 minutes ago, thesetat2013 said:

I believe it is you who have the problem.. perhaps opinions are biased but most have been accurate.. when a lady starts posting things with sexual intonation or pushes their gender on students.. it affects all students.. when an employee decided not to hire a transgender perhaps it is based not on their gender but on the impact it will have for customers.. it is well known and seen daily how many transgender overact to show their preferred sexuality in Thailand.  Maybe you are just defiant to these things? 

What are you on about, what problem? My comment wasn't the least bit derogatory, I was simply stating that ladyboys are very well represented on TV, there doesn't seem to be any stigma attached. I await your apology.

6 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

Reality. 

Sorry. Edited my post after your reply.