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