While reading the Newsweek article on transgender issues and how these people are generally frowned upon by the society, a country that popped up in my mind instantly was Thailand. As a Asian country, many may think that the Thai society is conservative in such "unorthodox" aspects, but it is not the case. In fact, it is part of the Thai culture - transsexual shows, transgender beauty pageants are just some examples of how transgenders lead the same life as any other individual. The prevalence of transgenderism in Thailand has always intrigued me, as I wonder what it takes for the society to be able to tolerate these issues.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7529227.stm
This article talks about a local school in Thailand offering transsexual restrooms. As the society is so used to transgenderism (Thailand has about 500,000 transgenders - CNNgo), they are sometimes considered as the "third sex". By having the "pink" restroom, it helps transgender students feel more comfortable as they can feel more at ease. However, what I found interesting in the article is that transsexuals in Thailand cannot change their legal gender status, even though they are generally accepted in the society and are able to hold mainstream jobs.
Just for fun:
http://www.cnngo.com/bangkok/life/miss-tiffany-universe-thailands-newest-transgender-queen-says-i-am-so-beautiful-887766
Pictures of the contestants in the transgender beauty pageants. Can you tell they are transgenders?
Man or Woman? Enjoy :)
No comments:
Post a Comment