Our monthly round-up of LGBTI news from Thailand and around the world.
REDEFINING FAMILY
Amornrat Ruamsin, 26, always knew she was a transgender woman ever since she was young. She would put on dresses and gowns, and has dated both men and toms (the Thai word for butch lesbians).
Amornrat Ruamsin and Phitchaya Jachenram. Photo: Melalin Mahavongtrakul
Then she met Phitchaya Jachenram, a 16-year-old tom who has been with girls and katoeys, on Facebook. The two hit it off instantly. And not before long, they moved in together. A classic love story.
The relationship took a serious turn when they began discussing having a family together. The two are now expecting a baby with Phitchaya carrying the child.
Earlier this month, the couple were at a public talk on "Rainbow Family" at ChangChui, where they shared their love story. They spoke of how they broke gender boundaries -- even within the LGBTI community -- by being together, let alone conceiving a child. A katoey being with a tom is unusual in Thailand where gender roles are strictly adhered to.
At the talk, Amornrat revealed she has a lesbian sister, while Phitchaya has a katoey brother. The open and accepting nature of both their families made it easy for the couple to embark on a relationship. And with a child on its way, they are ready to face the world with their little rainbow family.
The couple also said the child will address Amornrat as "dad" and Phitchaya as "mum", and said they were not big on gender roles within the family.
Amornrat admitted that while she is not too concerned what people say -- there have been both words of disapproval and congratulations after their story went public -- it can be a challenge dealing with criticism. Still, she doesn't view it as a problem and the family already has plans to educate the child about gender diversity early on.
"We have to be strong and show our child that we all have a place in society," said Amornrat.
STAY ALIVE
While we may have come across the phrase "this song saved my life", the words have never been as applicable or true as with the recently-released track by American rapper Logic.
Logic's latest tune, featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid, is titled 1-800-273-8255 -- which is US suicide prevention lifeline phone number. One part of the song is told from a perspective of a person in distress on the verge of taking his own life, while the other is the voice of hope trying to pull the person away from the edge.
While the song is already quite powerful on its own, the aspect that adds up to its message is the music video that tells of a young black man and his budding romance with his male friend. Through 6:59 minutes of the video, we see the man struggling with his sexuality, his family's acceptance, being ostracised at school and him contemplating suicide.
Then we see him making a call and the scene flashes forward to the future, with him marrying his true love -- the boy from his childhood -- in front of family and friends. The couple is shown with a child as the video rolls to a close.
The message is quite clear. There's light at the end of the tunnel. The video did a splendid job in promoting suicide prevention, while also playing out the subject of homosexual and interracial relationships in a relatable story that should be easy to grasp and sympathised by all.
ONSCREEN REPRESENTATION
Earlier this month, Disney Junior raised a few eyebrows when it decided to feature an LGBTI family in a show that targets preschoolers.
On an episode of the animated series Doc McStuffins, which aired on Aug 5, a family headed by two mothers appeared on the show. The interracial animated couple is voiced by lesbian comedian Wanda Sykes and lesbian actress Portia de Rossi. The show is created by Chris Nee, who is also a lesbian.
OneMillionMoms.com, a conservative Christian site that is part of the American Family Association, had been vocal against the "controversial" episode and boycotted Disney for straying from "family-friendly entertainment".
A statement on the website reads: "Controversial topics and lifestyle choices should be left up to the parents to discuss and Disney Junior should not introduce this to young children. Just because an issue may be legal or because some are choosing a lifestyle doesn't make it morally correct."
Members of the LGBTI community and its allies, on the other hand, rejoiced at this rare treat of screen representation. On Twitter, many people expressed joy at seeing a family like their own being acknowledged and that their children would also get to see a reflection of their own family -- one that they could relate to -- in the heterosexual-centric media.
Email melalinm@bangkokpost.co.th for news and views of LGBTI.
