Our monthly rundown of LGBTI news, including a highly-anticipated but ultimately disappointing event
A review of the LGBT Expo and the absence of 'L'
At the end of last month, we watched the inaugural Thailand LGBT Expo, and unfortunately it bombed.
I was there on the last day of the event. At 11am on Sunday, the Impact Arena hall was understandably empty. But when I had a chat with a guy handing out flyers at his beauty clinic stall, he told me it had been dead quiet since day one.
"The exception is only when there are contests going on at the main stage, with people coming in to cheer for their friends. Otherwise, the hall is mostly deserted," he said, speculating that Muang Thong Thani may be a location too far out of the city that -- also due to the nature of the event itself -- and can't really draw in the general public, casual passers-by, and even LGBTI people themselves.
But even if the expo was held in the middle of Bangkok, would it succeed in bringing in a crowd? Looking around the hall, there were only a handful of stalls to begin with. Bangkok University's Theatre Company was there promoting their free-for-public musical -- the Thai rendition of the award-winning La Cage Aux Folles (performance now ongoing). Krungthai Axa declared itself a pioneer insurance company in Thailand for allowing policyholders to list their same-sex partners as beneficiaries (this comes with a long list of criteria, however). The rest were stalls selling clothes, lingerie, fetish rubber costumes, resort packages, books and more.
The name LGBT Expo does carry a lot of expectations. Personally, I expected there would've been more booths dedicated to products and services that cater to the needs of LGBTI people. This might include anything from shops selling chest binders for lesbians and transgender men (they're mostly available online otherwise). Dental dams, even. And I anticipated seeing stalls dedicated to LGBTI rights, job opportunities, and healthcare promotions that could offer counselling services on anything from safe sex to the transition process. There was barely anything of the sort.
Another thing the event missed out entirely on was the "L" and half of the "T" of its LGBT acronym. From stalls to stage, it was apparent lesbians and transgender men -- and also bisexual people -- were under-represented.
Are they excluded and forgotten? Or do they choose not to get involved in the first place? Which questions should we try to seek answers for, and what would that reflect about the LGBTI scene in this country?
It was unfortunate that the LGBT Expo ended up being a letdown, with its focus riding mainly on fleeting entertainment and not enough on empowerment. The fun was good, yes. But an inclusion of more useful things won't hurt.
Time, aged six. www.facebook.com/Timeshayven
Time for acceptance
A story of a six-year-old transgender girl called Time was widely shared among Thai netizens this month after her family posted on Facebook that Time, who lives in Germany with her Thai parents, has received a legal document acknowledging that she is a female and henceforth will be treated as one. According to her parents, Time -- born a male -- has expressed herself since the age of two that she is a girl, not a boy. They believe she was born in the wrong body.
"Time may not be able to make all of the decisions at this age. But the happiness and joy that she expressed were obvious for us to make a decision for her to be happy. It won't be Time alone who feels happy with this change. We are also happy to see her happy, even though for her to continue being a boy would be the easiest thing to do in this society. But we believe that, for Time to receive this transition, she will be happy," read a Valentine's Day Facebook post by Time's parents.
Her parents said one of the reasons they will allow their young daughter to change her gender is due to the open and accepting nature of Germany when it comes to gender diversity.
In another post made in October last year, her parents wrote: "No parents may want their kids to be a tood or katoey. But when that already happens, a parent's job is to understand, accept and love their kids wholeheartedly just the same."
The mum and dad are fully supportive of their daughter's wishes and will be with the young girl in every step as she experiences the transition process later in life.
Global setback
While people in some parts of the world are getting married and watching drag queens sashaying on their screens, other areas unfortunately remain deep in chaos when it comes to LGBTI rights.
MALAYSIA: Sinar Harian, a Malaysian daily newspaper, recently published an article on how to spot gay and lesbian people. Apparently, gay men love beards and going to the gym to ogle at other men, while lesbians love hugging one another and sneering at men. Elsewhere, this stereotypical and ridiculous article would be treated as a joke. But in Muslim-majority Malaysia where homosexuality is illegal, local gender activists fear it could bring threats to the lives of local LGBTI people as there have been cases of violence against homosexual and transgender people in the past.
INDONESIA: The Indonesian parliament is moving towards criminalising gay and extramarital sex. In most of Indonesia, the world's most populous Islamic nation, it is not illegal to be LGBTI. However, provincial governments are allowed to establish certain Islamic-based laws, such as in Aceh province where homosexuality is punishable. Furthermore, the city of Depok announced last week that it was launching a task force to monitor LGBTI people within the area to handle what they perceive to be a spread of homosexuality among youths.
BERMUDA: This British overseas territory became the world's first to repeal same-sex marriage. Homosexual couples were allowed to marry one another back in May 2017, but that triumph quickly died this month. LGBTI people can now seek a domestic partnership instead, which many perceive to be second-class status compared to a legal marriage. The reason behind this legal reversal is "restating that marriage must be between a male and a female while at the same time recognising and protecting the rights of same-sex couples", according to Bermuda's minister of home affairs Walton Brown.
Ongoing and upcoming
Now: Looking for something on Netflix? Be sure to catch Queer Eye, the reboot of the hit makeover TV show, at all times online. For something a little nearer to home, tune in to Line TV to witness the Thai adaptation of RuPaul's Drag Race, aka Drag Race Thailand (new episode airs weekly every Thursday at 8pm). For a show that pays no attention to gender segregation, catch the model-themed The Face Thailand 4: All Stars on Channel 3 and Line TV (every Saturday at 6.20pm) to see cis, straight and LGBTI budding stars competing for their second chance at winning the coveted The Face title that also comes with a 1 million baht cash prize.
March 15: Does everyone deserve a great love story? Well, yes, we all do! Head to the cinema for Love, Simon, a teen romcom with some drama about how a closeted gay teen is finding his way around romance, family and friends. The film is honed as being the first gay teen film being released by a major studio.
Contact melalinm@bangkokpost.co.th for news and views of LGBTI.
