Transgender Beauty Pageants

[j0j0]

I am an undergraduate Social Anthropology student at Queen's University, Belfast, N Ireland.

I am planning to travel to Thailand this summer to undertake a period of anthropological research, which will form the basis of my dissertation.

I intend to research how participating in beauty pageants may reinforce the chosen gender identity of transgender people in Thailand. I would intend to, amongst other things, interview a number of transgendered people about themselves and their gender identity generally and attend some beauty pageants and talk to participants and observers there. I would ideally like to reach some understanding of what it means to be a kathoey/transgendered person in Thailand.

My research so far has suggested that beauty pageants specifically for kathoey are quite common. I was wondering someone here might be able to tell me when and where these take place? I will be in Thailand from about the middle of June until the middle of September, and can travel to anywhere in the country as needed.

if anyone wants to email me directly you can send me a PM

thanks folks

[wowpow]

Pattaya has annual competitions at Alkazar and Tiffany theatres which are both dedicated to ladyboy extravaganzas - search up their websites. Gay bars often have competitions watch out for info on dreadedned and boxertravels websites.

"may reinforce the chosen gender identity of transgender people in Thailand" many would say that their identity is not "chosen".

I find your research topic a bit odd. I am gay. I did not choose to be gay. Appearing in a gay show would not affect my gender/sexual identity. I don't think that ladyboys entering or not entering competitions affects their gender identity. I wonder what leads you to think that it might?

Edited March 4, 2007 by wowpow

[Khun Bob]

There are many locations that you can meet kathoey's and frequently they will be happy to chat. Many travelling likae shows, farang populated bar areas, universities, shopping malls, even in villages...

Their english ability can be very good, as I beleiev that given an opportunity they will work very hard and be much better then their male counter parts.

On this topic a good film to watch is beautiful boxer - if you would like this let me know...

There are also a number of women who choose to be more like men - the thai's call them 'Tom's' as in Tom boy.

If you find out where transgender beauty contents are, please post the details on here... Particularly if they are out of the farang populated areas - however I suspect that will not be the case.

[j0j0]

Thanks for the info. I formulated the general idea for the research after reading an article about transwomen taking part in a beauty pageant in Tonga. I thought it might be interesting to look at similar events elsewhere in the world. I am still obviously in the early stages of planning and researching, and the wording of my original post obviously reflects that. I hate to think that I might be offending or upsetting people by referring to gender identity as chosen. It seems to be pretty standard terminology in many the academic articles that I have been reading on the subject, and I just didn't think that it would be a problem. I will change the wording that I use in future.

As for the actual topic I am intending to look at, it is pretty fluid and can (and surely will) change as I read more and when I actually get to Thailand and start talking to people as well. I just thought it was a topic of anthropological interest

[wowpow]

Thank you for acknowledging that using the word 'choice' in such a context is not appropriate. Why people are gay/transexual/travestite or whatever is still unclear though there seems to be a move towards 'nature' rather then 'nurture'.

I think that from a Social anthropological interest Thailand would be very interesting as Thai society is much more accepting of the ladyboy/katoey than most cultures. The local schools in Pattaya are taken to the Tiffany or Alkazar shows as part of their education.

It is a minefield to achieve full understanding. For example, I know of one mature merchant marine officer who came to Thailand and had the surgery to turn him into a female. He stayed on assisting patients who were visiting the Chonburi hostpital where the work was done. Eventually he fell for a post-operative and now they are a happy 'lesbian' couple. The drive to make the body the same as the mental orientation seems very strong even when it clashes with sexual orientation.

[endure]

You might want to get hold of some of the books by Peter Jackson who's done research in this area in Thailand:

http://rspas.anu.edu.au/people/personal/jackp_pah.php

[j0j0]

thanks for the link, Im actually currently trying to get hold of some books and articles by Peter Jackson via inter-library loan, as my uni library doesn't have them.

wowpow, that is a really interesting fact about the local schools. Other less accepting cultures (eh, where I live in N Ireland for example!) could certainly learn from that approach!