Gender identities in Thailand

Within Thailand one can find several different gender roles, identities and diverse visual markers of masculinity and femininity. The demand for positive self-identity is growing in Thailand and their communities are strengthening.

The Tom-Dee Identity

Tom Identity

The Tom is a homosexual female that dresses, acts, and speaks in a masculine fashion. Tom cut their hair short. A female cutting ones hair short is a massive deviation from traditional Thai cultural norms which prizes long hair as a symbol of feminine beauty. Women typically wear skirts in Thailand; many government jobs (ie teachers) have even made skirts compulsory as a part of female dress code. However, Tom dress in male attire. Usually donning slacks, sandals, and a loose fitting button-down shirt. Thai speech is not sexed but there are various vowel inflections which are associated predominantly with males or females. A Tom will speak with male vowel inflections.

Dee Identity

The Dee is a homosexual (or bisexual) female that follows outward Thai gender norms. A Dee will look, act, and speak in a manner conducive to typical Thai female gender norms. The only differentiation between Dee and “traditional females” is that Dee engage in relationships with Tom.

Tom-Dee Within Society

Heterosexual public displays of affection are frowned upon within Thai culture. However affection between same sex individuals is considered the norm. In this way Tom-Dee partnerships can be invisible to the wider society. 94.6% of Thai citizens are Buddhist. High social acceptance is due to the nature of the surrounding Buddhist culture, which places a high value on tolerance. Using the notion of Karma, a belief that being a Tom/Dee is the result of transgressions in past lives, concluding that Tom/Dee deserve pity rather than blame.

Kathoey/Ladyboys

It is quite common for the subject of Ladyboys to be in direct correlation to Thailand, something that the country is becoming more prominently known for. These days many tourists make note of these beautiful women that have transformed themselves into somewhat of a Thai icon. Thailand is now viewed as an international hub of gender-bending norms, and a center of sexual alterations.

Meaning of Kathoey/Ladyboy

Although the term ladyboy is rather ambiguous, simply put it is a male who dresses and carries out the identity of a woman. Though the term is often translated as transgender, transgender is rarely used in Thailand, instead they use the term Kathoey. This term can now also be used to refer to any male homosexual and was originally used to refer to hermaphrodites. Due to this term becoming so broad many choose to use the English word to explain a homosexual male dressing as a woman as a “ladyboy”, this eliminates much of the confusion. The term can also be meant as an insult, especially to those who are trying to completely alter their identity to that of a woman. Ladyboy suggests that they are still men who are merely dressing as women. The term is used rather loosely at times and can be used to refer to any male who is acting with feminine qualities. Personally most of the women prefer to call themselves “a transformed goddess” or “a second type of woman”.

Acceptance of Kathoey/Ladyboys

Ladyboys really are quite prominent in Thailand and are seemingly accepted by society, not only in the cities but in the countrysides as well. It seems as though it is the relaxed attitude of acceptance and tolerance in Buddhism that keeps people from shunning their lifestyles, although many other Buddhist countries are not as willing to accept a ladyboy living their lives in public. Thai Buddhism specifically does not regard homosexuality as a sin and has no specific prohibitions regarding their lifestyle. Though Kathoey continually face discrimination they are gaining acceptance and have made themselves a very distinct part of the Thai society, they still have not yet attained equal status with those who are not transgender. There are many restrictions that come with the identity, one being the inability to marry someone of the same sex, another not being able to officially change their birth sex on birth certificates or passports.

Kathoey/Ladyboys in Society

Though Kathoey have enjoyed some prestige in the past they still face many struggle's in everyday life. Many have found success in the entertainment business or in fashion. Many dance cabaret or accept lower level work so that they are able to live their lives out in the open. The modern view of Kathoey is really rather recent, it seems as though they, together with other homosexual identities came together in recent decades to start this gender identity revolution. Beginning in the 1950's we are able to see a presence of Kathoey and it can be traced in media. The trend of Kathoey's being a regular part of entertainment such as movies, music entertainment and television shows is a rather recent trend.

References

• Wilson, Ara. The intimate economies of Bangkok: tomboys, tycoons, and Avon ladies in the global city. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press, 2004. Print.
• http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71359.htm
• Totman, Richard (2003). The Third Sex: Kathoey: Thailand's Ladyboys. London: Souvenir Press. p. 57.
• Jackson, Peter A., and Gerard Sullivan. Ladyboys, Tomboys, Rentboys: Male and Female Homosexualities in Contemporary Thailand. Binghampton, NY: The Haworth Press, 1999. xiii-xvi, 121-138. Print.
• Winter S, Udomsak N (2002). Male, Female and Transgender: Stereotypes and Self in Thailand. International Journal of Transgenderism. 6,1
• Jackson, Peter (2003). Performative Genders, Perverse Desires: A Bio-History of Thailand's Same-Sex and Transgender Cultures. in "Intersections: Gender, History and Culture in the Asian Context," Issue 9, August 2003. See paragraph "The Homosexualisation of Cross-Dressing."