Transgender student provocateur unhappy with media's use of 'Mr'
By Coconuts Bangkok



BANGKOK: -- Thammasat University's student activist, Sarun “Aum Neko” Chuichai, who earned attention in both Thai and international media by replacing the Thai national flag with a black flag at the university’s Rangsit campus, expressed her unhappiness on Facebook for the Bangkok Post’s decision to refer to her as "Mr. Saran.”

As an English-language publication, we might say this is a tricky subject since the English pronouns are lavishly used. Beside, we don't want our readers to get any ideas from the sexy photos of Saran that we run.



"I strongly condemn the action of Bangkok Post publication department, which intends to discriminate me as a transgender,” she wrote. “They always know and write down that Saran is the transgender. However, they try to emphasize my title name as Mr. every time they cite my name (Sarun).

I've read many articles in other publications both in English and German. They never do like this before. As much as possible, they do cite the title name just in the first time not every time or the next time they would use the personal pronoun as usual. How about Bangkok Post?"

As for names and genders, Coconuts Bangkok follows the international standards set forth by the Associated Press, which states: “Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex or present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth. If that preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the way the individuals live publicly.”

Saran supporters who joined the conversation seem to agree the subject is controversial as one commenter suggested each transgendered person has a different view about how they would want to present themselves as a woman or a proud transgender.[read more...]

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2013/12/16/transgender-student-provocateur-unhappy-medias-use-mr


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2013-12-16

Well what is written in his national thai ID? Is it Mr or Miss?

Sent from my GT-I9200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Born with a penis then your a Mr .

Never mind the protest, let's focus on a narcissistic teenager with an gender/identity crisis.

And <deleted>, pull your tongue back in, you look ridiculous.

Well I must say this stupid ass is getting irritating. I supported her poster campaign initially but after her flag incident and this me me me me rant, she should just bugger off. She wants to be an 'activist' but her pictures make her more of a slut or a prostitute. F off, your fifteen minutes is over!

oh yeah, studied in Thammasat and didn't learn anything except "discriminate". If you have a penis you are Mr, nevertheless you like it or not. And even if you cut your penis and make a fake vagina - you are still Mr, not Mrs, and eunuch.

typical story - katoey, angered to the whole world blaming everybody but not himself.

Never mind the protest, let's focus on a narcissistic teenager with an gender/identity crisis.

And <deleted>, pull your tongue back in, you look ridiculous.

In the end, she's probably more worthwhile than the likes of Suthep and Thaksin. Sure, she's provocative, and quite possibly narcissistic, but she's also 19. I can see why she'd annoy some people, but you can't really challenge the consensus without upsetting people.

And why do you think she has a 'gender/identity crisis'? She hasn't indicated that she's unhappy being transgender. She just wants to be addressed with the female pronoun rather than the male. Is that too much to ask?

Well what is written in his national thai ID? Is it Mr or Miss?

Sent from my GT-I9200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Unlike many nationalities, as far as I know, transgender Thais aren't able to change the gender on their ID.

Male = XY on 23rd chromosome pair

Female = XX on 23rd chromosome pair

Inside every cell of your body - Male or Female is not a choice - It's genetics

If she wants to be called ms, so what? Let her be whoever she wants to be, it's her life.

She's right, Bangkok Post dicriminate her as Transgender. And I wonder about some respectless posts here, Thailand have a lot Transgenders, make it more colorful...

Never mind the protest, let's focus on a narcissistic teenager with an gender/identity crisis.

And <deleted>, pull your tongue back in, you look ridiculous.

In the end, she's probably more worthwhile than the likes of Suthep and Thaksin. Sure, she's provocative, and quite possibly narcissistic, but she's also 19. I can see why she'd annoy some people, but you can't really challenge the consensus without upsetting people.

And why do you think she has a 'gender/identity crisis'? She hasn't indicated that she's unhappy being transgender. She just wants to be addressed with the female pronoun rather than the male. Is that too much to ask?

That would be like me, pretending to be a policeman - and insisting that everyone address me as "officer." Yeah, it's too much to ask...

Why not call himer a mrsiss or even a misstrysiss. That covers the bases

She just wants to be addressed with the female pronoun rather than the male. Is that too much to ask?

yes this is too much to ask, because it's simply not true. People will address him with what THEY think best matches reality, and if he want's to be somebody else - this is his private affair.

I will call an elephant as an elephant, even if it wants to be a butterfly.

Born with a penis then your a Mr .

and is that the opinion of a dick?

Why not call himer a mrsiss or even a misstrysiss. That covers the bases

or Shim

Sent from my GT-I9200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Simple good manners demand that you address someone as they ask you to.

Well, MISTER Saran,

You sure look like a BOY to me. I think any Thai Girl would feel terribly insulted, if someone who looks like you, were to be called a GIRL.

Sorry young MAN, but even if you go get it chopped off, and the other bits with it, your Fake Boobs do not make you a Girl and by the way, are you getting your "Adam's Apple" cut out as well as the other things?

oh yeah, studied in Thammasat and didn't learn anything except "discriminate". If you have a penis you are Mr, nevertheless you like it or not. And even if you cut your penis and make a fake vagina - you are still Mr, not Mrs, and eunuch.

typical story - katoey, angered to the whole world blaming everybody but not himself.

And what about those who are born "intersex," with both a vagina and a penis? What are they?

And what about those who have a female phenotype (body) but a male genotype (genetics)?

And what about those with a penis whose brains were bathed in female hormones whilst in their mother's womb who then, unsurprisingly, develop a female brain (and yes, there is a body of evidence to show that male and female brains are very different).

As the history of "sex testing" by the Olympic committee and other sports bodies made clear, the subject is not as black and white as you make it out to be.

replacing the Thai national flag with a black flag

That takes some balls in this nationalistic atmosphere.

Seriously ?? Is this. News ?

Don't want to be crude, but if you have the tackle, you're a chap.

She's right, Bangkok Post dicriminate her as Transgender. And I wonder about some respectless posts here, Thailand have a lot Transgenders, make it more colorful...

This boy is not transgender. Transgender requires 'the operation', which presumably, as a 'ladyboy' he has not had. QED

Oh my! Thai Visa Geneticists.....on a Monday morning too...

I don't see the fuss. If she has an issue with her gender identity then why not?

Any of you being familiar with Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta?

Robert Zimmerman?

Eugene Klein?

John Lydon?

Michael Lee Aday?

Vincent Damon Furnier?

Why do none of you have a problem calling them Lady Gaga, Bob Dylan, Gene Simmons, Johny Rotten. Meatloaf or Alice Cooper, but are so railed up, when a person wants to be adressed as Ms. instead of Mr?

Bigotry much?!

abhaya, on 16 Dec 2013 - 16:14, said:

Simple good manners demand that you address someone as they ask you to.

From now on, I would like to be addressed as Prime Minister.

Please make sure my request is observed.

Born with a penis then your a Mr .

And that's about the size of it

abhaya, on 16 Dec 2013 - 16:14, said:

Simple good manners demand that you address someone as they ask you to.

From now on, I would like to be addressed as Prime Minister.

Please make sure my request is observed.

Would that be Mr. or Ms. in your case?

That ladyboy is giving me funny feelings and urges.

Neither Mr. nor Miss is correct, as using Miss degrades women, so 'it' seams suitable to me.