Facebook Friendship Blossoms Into Gay Marriage In Trang

[Beetlejuice]

Is this news because,

(1) They met on Facebook

(2) They got married

(3) First known Internet relationship in Thailand or;

(4) They are gay?

This happens all around the world everyday, people meet on the net, fall in love and get married. Can't wait until the media find out about interracial marriages. Stop the press "Thai girl meets farang on net and gets married"

My thoughts exactly.

What`s the big deal about this?

[Jingthing]

Is this news because,

(1) They met on Facebook

(2) They got married

(3) First known Internet relationship in Thailand or;

(4) They are gay?

This happens all around the world everyday, people meet on the net, fall in love and get married. Can't wait until the media find out about interracial marriages. Stop the press "Thai girl meets farang on net and gets married"

My thoughts exactly.

What`s the big deal about this?

No big deal except for the novelty item of two men, one with gender identity issues (is he a ladyboy or is he a feminine gay man? I don't know, you don't know, maybe he doesn't know?), who had a party with their loving supportive family, and said they're married, calling themselves groom and wife even adding to the stare at the freaks factor news editors love; even though they're not really legally married (which they conveniently fail to mention is because the laws of Thailand forbid that). Like I said before, human interest. Color story.

That's why I thought, given its really a nothing story in its specificity, that a more interesting offshoot would be about the actual lack of legal LGBT civil rights in Thailand. The story behind the story.

Edited January 10, 2012 by Jingthing

[yumidesign]

Arguments about whether Thailand is more advanced than some other country in acceptance or toleration of people of minority sexual orientation are specious.

It is my view that the difference in anger and violence targeted at such people in many jurisdictions runs parallel to the importance the people of a given culture place on hermeneutic analysis of ancient texts and legal constructs. In East Asia the hermeneutic approach to social order is less developed than in the West so the poster above who asserts that "By Thai culture, they are married" is right in my view.

Following long association (since 1971) with a number of Thais from all classes, I am aware that those educated Thais who self identify as gay, rather resent the popular Thai perception that Katooey are gay as it leads to the perception that all gays are Katooey. Those in middle-class situations certainly feel more oppressed than their UK counterparts whereas those in HiSo or LoSo feel they have more freedom for different reasons.

Good luck to this couple however they perceive themselves.

I believe it is a human right to enact your life in accordance with your self perception of your sexual orientation and sexual identity. If you find a companion in that, who cares how you or anyone else labels the relationship.

excellent all of the above exactly true

[balo]

And which boy won the Miss Krabi contest ? Who is the lady in the family ?

[Jingthing]

And which boy won the Miss Krabi contest ? Who is the lady in the family ?

My guess is the vested one, don't you think?

[TAWP]

So all this chattering and no-one has mentioned the sister in the picture. Is she single?

[cloghead]

She was what caught my eye 1st. What a babe!

[Nisa]

Gay men most certainly CAN serve in the military of Thailand!

I guess (according to http://en.wikipedia....ervice#Thailand) they changed this in 2005.

That is a VERY misleading assumption because the people excluded and labeled as mentally ill were generally what we would popularly call ladyboys, not homosexuals per se. Of course socially stigmatizing labeling is always messy and that labeling surely included some effeminate gay men and effeminate straight men as well.

So the issue was appearance (such as sporting women's breasts) and overt feminine behavior, NOT sexual orientation! So yes of course many Thai gays served openly with no problem before 2005.

http://www.utopia-as...8_18_223432.htm

Previously, young men who were overtly feminine or living as women have been officially labeled as having a "severe psychological disorder," even though modern Thai psychiatrists do not consider homosexuality to be a mental illness.

Thanks for that clarification as it was very misleading and I actually read more about this that clearly confirms what you are saying.

My question is if the policy was sort of like the US "don't tell / don't ask" policy. In other words, if somebody said they were gay, would that be considered being overtly feminine or gay? I asked my wife (as if she would know) but she did say nobody would lie about being gay not to serve because "make problem later" ... I'm assuming that she is under the impression they would be categorized as being mentally ill.