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The term kathoey or katoey (, IPA:*) generally refers to a male-to-female transgender person or an effeminate gay male in Thailand. They are sometimes referred to as ladyboys, or as sao (or phuying) praphet song ("a second kind of woman"), or phet thee sam (third sex). The word kathoey is thought to be of Khmer origin.
General description
The term "kathoey" is not an exact equivalent of the modern western transwoman — it is sometimes considered pejorative, and also suggests that the person is a type of male (unlike the term sao praphet song, which suggests a female sex identity, or phet thee sam, which suggets a third gender). Peter Jackson claims that the term "kathoey" was used in premodern times to refer to intersexuals, and that the usage changed in the middle of the 20th century to cover cross-dressing males. The term can also refer to effeminate gay men who don't cross-dress; "kathoey-saloey" is a pejorative slang term for these people, roughly equivalent to the US English "faggot". *
Typically, however, kathoeys dress as women and undergo hormone replacement therapy; most have breast implants; some also undergo genital reassignment surgery to transform their genitals, surgery to reduce the size of the Adam's apple, and other medical procedures. They are often identified as kathoey at a very young age, and may have access to hormones (available without prescription) and medical procedures during their teenage years. Their makeup, dress and figure is usually very feminine.
Social context
Many kathoey work in entertainment and tourist centers, as dancers, in cabaret shows (Alcazar and Tiffanys in Pattaya being among the best known ones) or as prostitutes. There are also persistent reports of groups of kathoey working as pickpockets in tourist areas, though these might be exaggerated stereotypes. Kathoey working in regular occupations are not uncommon. Unlike in most countries, transgended people can be seen in everyday day jobs in shops, salons, coffee bars, and restaurants. Some kathoey are valued beauticians and hair stylists.
Compared to Western countries, where transgender and transsexuals are just beginning to become visible (and demand their rights), kathoey are much more visible and more widely accepted in Thai culture: several popular Thai models, singers and movie stars are kathoey, and Thai newspapers often print photos of the winners of female and kathoey beauty contests side by side. The phenomenon is not restricted to urban areas; there are kathoey in most villages, and kathoey beauty contests are commonly held as part of local fairs.
Some believe that this higher acceptance is due to the nature of the surrounding Buddhist culture, which places a high value on tolerance. Using the notion of Karma, some Thai believe that being a kathoey is the result of transgressions in past lives, concluding that kathoey deserve pity rather than blame. A possible explanation for the high number of kathoey is the fact that open male homosexuality is a much more recent and less visible phenomenon in Thailand; becoming a kathoey might thus be a solution for a number of male homosexuals. However, kathoey generally seek male sexual partners who identify themselves as heterosexual and not as gay.
The lives of kathoey are not as easy as many Westerners might believe. Families (and especially fathers) are typically disappointed if a son becomes a kathoey. Legal recognition of kathoey is non-existent in Thailand: even after genital reassignment surgery, they are not allowed to change their legal sex. (Compare Legal aspects of transsexualism). Kathoeys are also estimated to have been one of the groups that suffered most from the Indian Ocean earthquake, having far less familial support and recourse to government help than most other groups in society . Further, kathoey often belong to lower social classes, and their suicide rate is significantly higher than that of the general population.
Recent developments
In 1996, a kathoey education student murdered a young woman. This was followed by negative coverage of kathoey in the Thai press; the Rajabhat Institutes (teacher training colleges) then closed their doors to all kathoey. The decision was reversed after protests by gay, lesbian and feminist groups.
A technology school now has a special restroom for kathoeys.
In 1996, a volleyball team composed mostly of gays and kathoey, known as the "Iron Ladies", won the Thai national championship. The Thai government, concerned with the country's image, then barred two of the kathoey from joining the national team and competing internationally.
Among the most famous kathoey in Thailand is Nong Tum, a former champion thai boxer. She was already cross-dressing and taking hormones while still a popular boxer; she would enter the ring with long hair and makeup, occasionally kissing a defeated opponent. Her career ended in 1999 when she had genital reassignment surgery.
Films
Ladyboys is a 1992 documentary film made for Channel 4 TV and directed by Jeremy Marre. It relates the story of two teenage kathoey who prepare for and enter a rural beauty contest and then leave for Pattaya to find work in a cabaret revue.
The story of the 1996 Iron Ladies volleyball team underlies the humorous and successful 2000 movie The Iron Ladies and the 2003 sequel The Iron Ladies 2. The 1996 team and the movie inspired other kathoey in the nation to step up for themselves.
The 2002 Thai film Saving Private Tootsie tells the story of a group of gays and kathoey who need to be rescued after a plane crash in rebel-held jungle territory. The film explores anti-gay attitudes in various ways. It is loosely based on an incident in December 1998 when a group including a popular singer and his kathoey makeup artist survived a plane crash.
The life of the kathoey kick boxer Nong Tum is related in the 2003 movie Beautiful Boxer. Unlike "The Iron Ladies 1 & 2", "Beautiful Boxer" used a serious tone.
External links
- Andrew Matzner: In Legal Limbo: Thailand, Transgendered Men, and the Law, 1999. Criticizes the common view that kathoey are fully accepted by Thai society.
- Andrew Matzner: Roses of the North: The Katoey of Chiang Mai University, 1999. Reports on a kathoey "sorority" at Chiang Mai University.
- Transgender Asia including several articles on kathoey
- Nun Udomsak case study of kathoey in Bangkok
- Natta Klomklao case study of kathoey in Pattaya
- Thailand's "Women of the Second Kind"
- E.G. Allyn: Trees in the Same Forest, 2002. Description of the gay and kathoey scene of Thailand.
- Chanon Intramart and Eric Allyn: Beautiful Boxer, 2003. Describes the story of Nong Tum.
- More than Meets the Eye: lady boys in Thailand, Citylife Chiang Mai, May 2006
- Peter Jackson, Performative Genders, Perverse Desires: A Bio-History of Thailand's Same-Sex and Transgender Cultures. (on paragraph "The Homosexualisation of Cross-Dressing")
- 貝月清, 泰國人妖探秘／變男變女變變變！ 人妖處處在身邊, ETtoday, 2004 June and July. Describes improved situation of kathoey.
See also
- Hijra, a quite different culture of male-to-female transgender people in the Indian subcontinent
- List of transgender-related topics
"Kathoey"