Deep discrimination, scorn and aggression: the reality of being transgender in ‘liberal Thailand’
Transgender people appear to be able to live openly in the Thai capital, attracting little attention on the streets and in restaurants and shopping malls. But the country does not legally recognise gender changes, same-sex marriages, adoptions by same-sex parents or commercial surrogacy
The most dangerous place in high school for Jetsada Taesombat was the boys’ bathroom. Her make-up, her lipstick, her accessories became signals to fellow students who targeted her with cruel jokes, insults and physical abuse. But Jetsada refused to hide her transgender identity.
The visibility of transgender people, especially in Bangkok, might make Thailand appear more liberal than other countries regarding their identity. But the reality, they say, is that transgender Thais face deep discrimination, scorn and aggression. Often, it happens in bathrooms, where closed doors and expectations of privacy ensure secrecy for the perpetrators.
When Jetsada complained to her teacher that she had been sexually harassed in the bathroom, the teacher blamed it on her make-up. When she appealed for the teacher to act, the teacher said the harassment was a consequence of being a sexual deviant.
“Growing up in an all-boys school, I didn’t feel comfortable going into the boys’ toilet,” said Jetsada, now 32. “I was afraid for my life. I was afraid of getting bullied or sexually harassed.”
Jetsada always chose to use the girls’ bathroom, despite the risk of being scolded or reprimanded. Facing a teacher’s wrath was the better option. If she couldn’t get access to the girls’ toilet, Jetsada would wait until school ended or she brought a transgender friend to stand guard in the boys’ bathroom.
Even though many foreigners think we’re LGBT-friendly in Thailand, there’s still so much violence and hatred toward us
Transgender Thais say the situation here is similar to the United States, where conflicting state laws and federal policy on the matter are being hotly debated. Lawsuits have been filed to challenge the Obama administration’s directive allowing transgender people to use bathrooms matching their gender identity, as well as a North Carolina law requiring people to use bathrooms of their birth gender.