That’s a Foreign Ladyboy?!
Christine Burr is proud to have been called a ladyboy when she was checking in to a hotel in Thailand. She explains why and gives some backstory about Thailand’s ladyboys in this latest Dispatch from Thailand.
Author Archive: Christine B
Christine has written numerous (at least 150) articles, columns, op-eds, features & stories for well known T magazines, websites & e-zines; she also works as a part time fiction editor for Club Lighthouse Publishing, and is a co-editor of an award winning T-girl Magazine. In addition, she has written 8 adult books mainly in the T sub-genre which have been published by Club Lighthouse Publishing, for whom she has been the best selling author for the last 5 years.
Thinking about Ladyboys? Enjoy some of these links!
Ladyboys, those exotic, beautiful women from Southeast Asia, are often objects of fascination for many. From men who are aroused by their unique gender status to wide eyed tourists who are in awe of their femininity, the ladyboy evokes wonder. Christine Burr has assembled a number of links to ladyboy videos performing in cabaret shows and pageants. The pandemic has brought many of those events to a halt but past performances are available.
Times Get Tougher for Ladyboys in Thailand
Our Correspondent in Thailand, Christine Burr, files a report on how the coronavirus pandemic has affected the the transgender women known there as ladyboys. Since much of their employment is found in entertaining tourists, working in hair salons and doing makeovers you can imagine that things are not bright for them. Christine tells you more in today’s dispatch.
When I am SHE I am not HE
Christine Burr has been living her life in two genders. Doing her job as a male, a successful male, and enjoying her a social life based on expressing her femininity. She has been able to transform from male to female presentation and finds that when she is being “her” all traces of “him” seem to evaporate. Everything male is gone. In today’s blog she wonders just where it is “he” goes while she is being herself.
Am I Trans Enough?
Christine Burr is with us this week with a new post. She has been pondering questions about the nature of her transgender identity. Why write a book about the questions she is grappling with? For one thing getting it all down on paper helped her get some clarity. She defines what she sees as the three different varieties of male bodied people who crossdress. There’s the part time crossdresser who is content to wear some lingerie, or other femme attire, the ones who dress fully and form social relationships, spending more time every month as their femme self, and those who go full time. Christine wonders where she fits and, as the title of her book reads, “Am I Trans Enough?”
One Constant in My Life
Our correspondent from Thailand has been out of that country and doing some traveling. She has filed a blog with us about what she, and a longtime friend talked about when they got together recently after not seeing one another for a long while. Both of them crossdress when they are able and both find it easy to present as male when needed and as female when they want to. After their conservation about their life’s journey Christine came to a conclusion about one thing she has found to have always been part of her life.
CD Squared or (Crossdressing)2
Bone up on your math skills. Get your calculator and slide rule. Christine Burr has come out — as a math teacher. This week after class she had some free time before going home to get ready for a night out with the girls so she decided to apply her math skills to crossdressing. If charts and graphs are your thing prepare for an, admittedly tongue in cheek, look at the the lives of crossdressers through bar charts.
Back to Ladyboys
Some call Thailand the Land of Smiles and say that in general, except for sudden changes of leadership orchestrated by the military, citizens and visitors can have an easy time living there. Our correspondent in Thailand has written in the past about the transgender women there, known as ladyboys, or the more derogatory name katoi, and how they are treated by the general public. Despite advances made in the area of civil rights for transgender Thais Christine Burr today reports that they are still second class citizens.
Who Really Has a Mental Disorder?
Christine B. asks why is it that people who are uniformed about transgender people often assume that transgender people have mental health issues and that’s why they want to change their gender. The evidence that gender is not set in stone at birth is there for anyone to see throughout history, and in all cultures. Why do people say transgender identities are not real when there are other things that they accept completely on faith with no physical proof?
Axis of Evil for Transgender People
At the outset, let me say that I am not a U.S. citizen, don’t live in the U.S. and my observations below are from afar — and maybe I don’t know enough about the real mood on the ground, nor the intricacies of U.S. politics and the power games in play. I am, however, a […]
Precious Time
Today our Correspondent in Thailand presents a piece of fiction that discusses the nature of time. Isn’t it funny how when you are anticipating something time seems to move so slowly. Then when that thing you have been waiting for arrives suddenly there just isn’t enough time to enjoy it as much as you’d like. While Precious Time is a work of fiction you may well see yourself in the main role.
Dispatch From Thailand — Linguistic Challenges
It can be hard for a trans woman, whether living en femme full time or just part time, to maintain a feminine voice. No imagine that you are an English speaking trans person who is living in a foreign country. You not only need to pay attention to the pitch of your speaking voice and the way you begin and end sentences. You need to be able to maintain your femme voice while speaking to the local residents in their language. Other languages often have different words or word endings that denote gender. Is it possible to keep your pitch under control while you search your memory for the proper words to convey your gender? Find out how our Correspondent from Thailand, Christine Burr does it.
Am I Acting?
If you weren’t socialized from an early age as a female you may have to work at presenting yourself to others as a woman. Women are raised soaking in culturally imposed gender related behaviors that trans women don’t get exposed to. Trans women often spend too many years learning to hide their femininity so as to fit in with societal expectations of how they should behave as men. Christine Burr came to understand that she was female after she reached middle age. She had to work to acquire the traits of a mature woman and new when she is expressing her true gender she is left wondering if she is acting.
Just what do I call you? Or you call me?
Does the plethora of gender identities sometimes seem overwhelming? If it is for trans people then just imagine what the vanilla gendered population makes of it all. There’s gender non-conforming; non-binary; gender fluid’ gender queer, and that’s not to mention the load of new pronouns that have been created to use when talking about the differently gendered. “I’ll have to ask per and see what zee thinks.” Our Correspondent in Thailand, Christine Burr, would like to return sanity to the gender labelling process. Read on to get her view on the subject.
Pushing the Boundaries
Once a year Christine Burr takes a totally femme vacation. In years past she has used hotels and rental apartments for short stays. This year she felt like pushing her boundaries and spent almost two months traveling and living en femme. In order to shave expenses she decided to stay in people’s homes, booking accommodations through AirBnB. The company has a no-discrimination policy but how did it all work out? What did people think when Christine knocked on their door?
Part 4: It had to happen. . . .
A group of crossdressing “girls” have banded together to rent an apartment where they can store their femme attire and accessories, keeping their “secret lives” hidden from their spouses. With their “sacred sanctuary” as a place to gather and dress en femme the group has established a regular “girl’s night out” on Fridays. One Friday night the worst thing possible happens: one of the ladies is suddenly stricken with debilitating pain. The only thing for the crossdressed crew to do it take her to the hospital. Where there will be questions to answer.
Part 3: It had to happen. . . .
A group of crossdressing “girls” have banded together to rent an apartment where they can store their femme attire and accessories, keeping their “secret lives” hidden from their spouses. With their “sacred sanctuary” as a place to gather and dress en femme the group has established a regular “girl’s night out” on Fridays. One Friday night one of the girls didn’t seem to be her usual self. After dinner she collapsed in pain. The only thing to do was take her to the hospital. But how will that go when everyone is dressed as a woman?
Part 2: It had to happen. . . .
A group of crossdressing “girls” have banded together to rent an apartment where they can store their femme attire and accessories, keeping their “secret lives” hidden from their spouses. With their “sacred sanctuary” as a place to gather and dress en femme the group has established a regular “girl’s night out” on Fridays. One Friday night one of the girls didn’t seem to be her usual self while everyone was getting ready to go out. Then after dinner . . . We’ll let Christine tell you what happened in Part 2 of It had to happen. . . .
It had to happen. . . .
A group of crossdressing “girls” have banded together to rent an apartment where they can store their femme attire and accessories, keeping their “secret lives” hidden from their spouses. With their “sacred sanctuary” as a place to gather and dress en femme the group has established a regular “girl’s night out” on Fridays. One Friday night everyone was getting made up and dressed but when they were almost ready to go out — one girl noticed someone was missing. How would that affect their evening plans? Find out over the next four Mondays as we present “It had to happen. . . .”
Unity is Elusive
Last week The Artist D talked about words that are used to hurt us and how those same words can be empowering when we stake a claim to them. Today Christine Burr takes a close look at the various terms that are used, within the trans community and by outsiders, to describe the many components that make up the trans world. She feels that because of all the words unity will be elusive. Give her post a read and see what you think.
Peak Time
Our Correspondent from Thailand, Chriatine Burr, files an article with her feelings about why we are seeing more and more older trans people. We have seen a rise in the number of children who identify as trans but there are many older folks who are coming out. Christine puts it all together and offers some reasons why we are seeing this increase in elder trans people.
Diversity
If you look at the trans community as an outsider you see a vast range of gender identities. There are people who claim no gender and their are people who are gender-fluid, going back and forth between binary poles. Feminine one day and later that day butch as a pro wrestler. It can be confusing and Christine Burr thinks is contributes a bit to the negative reactions conservative, judgemental people have when they read about or meet people from across the gender spectrum. Will the conservative mind ever be able to appreciate the beauty of the trans spectrum?
Ladyboys in Jail
Thailand is perceived to be a trans paradise where beautiful ladyboys live lives of glamor and total feminine expression. As with all perceptions from afar this one is not completely accurate. While the ladyboys do draw tourists who come to see their elaborate shows the lives of those not fortunate enough to be in show business are often second rate. Thailand does not protect its LGBT citizens from discrimination and life for ladyboys can be hard. No wonder some turn to crime to survive. Fortunately for those who are sent to prison the agency that runs the prisons is becoming enlightened and is going to have a separate place for LGBT prisoners. Christine Burr has more information.
Wired That Way?
Is it nature or nurture? That’s the question many in the trans community ask themselves at one point or another. Our Correspondent from Thailand has a theory about it and today she eschews a report on the transgender scene in that country to present her take on why we do what we do. Is it possible that we’re Wired That Way?
Shades of Ladyboys
Our Correspondent from Thailand joins us with a blog about ladyboys and the meaning of transgender. Is all the media attention transgender issues have been getting helping people to understand what being trans is all about? Or, is it simply giving people labels they can apply to people and not give them any clue about those people’s lives, needs and desires? Labels can be handy but Christine Burr thinks that it’s the contents that really matter.
Let’s Look Ahead: 5 Top Wishes for Next Year
The new year is a time most people make resolutions. They plan on eating better, taking care of things that they’ve let slide for too long, and all in all becoming a better person. As we reach the end of 2015 our correspondent in Thailand doesn’t have resolutions. Instead she has five wishes for the trans community around the globe in 2016.
