Is Thailand Really a Haven for Transgender People

[Music]

[Applause]

what defines you

as a woman is it because you have

feminine traits

such as sensitive sweet and caring

or is it because you play with barbie

dolls when you were little

instead of robot figures and toy cars

defining a woman from their outside

beauty and personality is one thing

but now what about those of us who do

not have those traits or

love the color blue instead of pink what

about those of us

who look more masculine than feminine or

have deeper voices and short hair

if we do not conform to the traditional

expectations of gender norms then

are we still a woman

most dictionaries define woman as an

adult female human being

they go on to define that a female is a

sex that produces ova and bears

offsprings

so by these definitions if a woman

cannot bear offspring then

does that mean she is not a female if so

then would that automatically make her a

man

of course not with people’s gender

expressions we tend to instinctively

identify them in our minds

as male or female by what are their body

parts look like or

what they dress how they act but that is

not fair

because many of us do not look

correspondingly

to our gender norms traits and

representations

it’s 20 20 and we cannot just assume

someone’s gender by only their physical

appearances anymore

we need to step past these stereotypes

and boundaries that we are accustomed to

being a woman is so much more than just

having

feminine fiscal characteristics same

goes for gender binary

nowadays there is so much more than just

being

a male and a female dominant societal

gender norms are oppressive to

anyone who does not conform to the

gender binary

now this is a limiting and falicious way

to build gender representations

among all people because gender

expressions and diversity of gender are

not taking into the account

in most cases we are labeled to be male

or female

based on what our body parts look like

the moment we open our eyes into this

world

or maybe when the doctor shows our

parents the candid pictures from the

ultrasound

but for some people their gender

identity is different

from the one they were assigned to be

when they were born and that is

perfectly fine

people whose gender identity differ from

the defined gender at birth

are transgender people and with that

being said

if it is not easy to define a woman then

why is it easy for us to define who is

not a woman

and if it is truly accepted that our

gender is identified from a reproductive

organs

then a man who transitioned with female

genitals

should likewise be identified as a woman

not a transgender woman by all means

i myself who is not a transgender

have no right to say that all

transgender women

are and should be a woman because i do

not want to erase or magenalize trans

woman’s identity

by forcing this tag on them it is up to

them

if they want to identify themselves as a

woman

or a transgender woman and the public

should endorse their gender change as

such either way

i am okay with that because today i just

want trans women to be treated

and accepted in society the same way as

women without

any discrimination and prejudice

many men will not dare to make this

decision

because of the fact that being a woman

they would not have had the same success

in life in terms of

pay level wage growth and job

advancement

let alone transgender women

at least men have that choice

transgender women do not have that

luxury

trans women are everywhere especially

here in thailand

while we are heaven for transgender

people

we still turn blind eyes to their issues

and their struggles

they face many harsh restrictions and

they suffer enough from a sense of

anxiety

because doing these things different

from their gender norms will turn them

into

outcasts aliens or sometimes

some kind of horrendous disease

strangers and friends will make fun of

them

we’ll bully them and as far as wishing

them harm

now you can see that trans women

are very very oppressed but according to

a national survey by tolerance but not

inclusion

on experiences with discrimination and

social attitudes

towards trans women and lgbt people in

thailand

nearly half of lgbt people

have contemplated suicide and nearly 1 6

have actually attempted it

because the stressors they face are

unique their suicide death risk is

higher than the general population and

occurs during

every single stage of transitioning

trans women contemplated suicide rate is

at an alarming rate of 49.3 percent

being a cis woman i did not have to go

through that

although i never had first-hand

experience with that type of

discrimination

i do have many friends who are abused

and stressed to the point of being

suicidal

most of us highs are tolerant and

open-minded

with acceptance and pleasant attitudes

towards trans women and also support

equal rights along with equal access to

services for the transgender community

because the issue is distant to us until

it is not

when it comes to accepting thai trans

women as

family members friends co-workers

and even just social acquaintances then

these

positive support drop because it hits

closer to home

thai trans women face many many harsh

restrictions

from families friends school

work community and media context

ranging from the family saving phase to

protecting family reputation

by reminding them to watch the way they

dress

act and speak some may even be forced to

enter

heterosexual relationships by marrying a

woman

because of an obligation to please the

family

sexually harassed and verbally attacked

are common in school and workplace

common discriminations are unequal wages

biased performance assessment

and also promotion denial

employment opportunity discrimination

and inequity

can occur as early as the hiring process

and worsen after they are higher

we have to talk about their struggles

with discrimination and inequality

we have to stop sweeping these things

under the rug

because acceptance will not exist if it

is never talked about

we need to stop thinking that cyst

normativity

is the only correct way of life because

it is not

once the public accepts them fully

then they can discover and adjust to

their true identity of life

and finally live the lives that they

have longed for

although thailand has a history and a

worldwide

reputation for tolerance in reality

the lives of transgender women are

bounded by stigma

bias and inequity most of all

negative assumptions and attitudes

towards trans women

prevent them from reaching their true

potential in life as students

workers and members of society

people need to be aware that trans women

are women and that they deserve equal

rights as the rest of us

but they also need to acknowledge that

trans women are validated

they have a place in society and they

can be influential models

no different than any other woman too

trans women are capable and productive

as any woman

they can become change makers of the

world given the opportunities

in my point of view i believe that the

public and community

accept and free successful trans women

only when they are famous

highly acclaimed highly regarded or

successful in their lives

that should not be the case society

should not accept trans women

only when they help benefit the

community one way or another

what about those who are trans women

that are law-abiding citizens

who may not be as successful but are

productive

in their workforce it is important for

trans women

to be able to live dress and have their

gender respected at work

at school regardless of their social

status

it is not just allowing trans women to

exist

it’s an important start but we can do

more

we need to become allies with the trans

women community

in my point of view i believe that

becoming an ally

with the trans community is a very easy

start

with our power of reasoning and

comprehension

we can use this power to create an

inclusive and accepting society

for trans women thailand and its society

have been struggling

with discrimination issues against trans

women for a long period of time

and while we are paradise for

transgender people

we still have a long way to go

this is very important because thailand

is at one of the top countries

with the most transgender woman but

discrimination prejudice and inequality

are still largely present

in my point of view this is just an

ongoing process

but i believe that by educating the

public’s mindset

and help lessen the ignorant gap about

this issue

then we will one day be allies with the

trans women community

the first step to becoming an ally with

trans women is to listen and learn more

don’t tolerate disrespect if it’s

inappropriate whether it’s

remarks jokes or abusive language

then call it out by understanding

and protecting their rights treating

them the same as women without

any prejudice then they will associate

that the public

is not against them but instead on their

side

and by helping and making their voices

heard we can make more people understand

more

about their issues and the struggles

that they face which will in turn result

in

less discrimination towards trans women

to sum it up there is a common

perception

that thailand is an open and accepting

society for trans women

but with a widespread of persistence and

discrimination

misconception and lack of understanding

about different sexual orientations and

gender identities

thai trans women are not fully accepted

in our society

they still receive an intensive

discrimination

in virtually all aspects of their lives

thai trans women face many many

harsh restrictions and they deserve

equal rights

along with equal access and also job

opportunities the same as

any people in this society

any cis woman who sees otherwise should

be reminded that

as a woman we know the feeling of being

oppressed

because we have been and still are

oppressed by men so

why are we doing the same things to

trans women

and with that in mind how can we demand

equal treatment

as men when we don’t offer the same

thing as us

to trans women i believe that with the

power of sisterhood combined

will without question accelerate the

goal of gender equality

with that being said after today i hope

that there will be less discrimination

and more equality which will ultimately

lead to full acceptance

for trans women thank you

[Music]

you