Ladyboys: Tell it like it is!

Fresh from my Hong Kong trip, I spent a few days in Bangkok, where I tracked down a contact I’d been given by a friend living in Hong Kong — the Bangkok based person being someone who works for a quasi government body, and is working to help minorities and other disadvantaged people.

The reason? Well, my Hong Kong based friend had informed me that, apparently, the US Government has recently provided funding for research and study into LGBT matters in the region, under the auspices of a programme affiliated to the UN.

At last, some seemingly positive news. Someone, somehow, somewhere was going to look at the issues facing gender challenged minorities in general society in Asia

So, curious to see what, if any, benefits this might bring to T people in the region, I eagerly looked forward to meeting the person responsible for this research and study (I prefer not to name them for reasons of confidentiality).

The meeting ran to over an hour and was fine, quite an enjoyable chat. The person I met was very affable and forthcoming; seemingly being well aware of most of the key issues minorities face in most all of the main Asian countries; seemingly well capable of explaining in ‘’government (or should that be UN?) speak” all of the issues which need addressing; well capable of pulling together a long, well presented report; yet well aware that the results of the study will simply present the status and not the solutions.

Oh. And the other thing I took away from the meeting? Seemingly this report on LGBT issues in Asia will end up focusing (as usual!) on the LGB sectors, with T’s left somewhere on the starting block; also-rans, as other sectors race away and get more coverage, more empathy, more support, more funding and so on.

Why? And why again — when this report and study will be undertaken from UN’s regional HQ in Bangkok, Thailand — Thailand the clichéd ‘’home of the third sex, the Ladyboy”? Why indeed?

Of course, there’s no definitive answer and far be it from me to question the motivations (or the wisdom) of governmental type organisation when they have money to spend and reports to write….

But, just in case — just on the off chance anyone influential enough reading TGF who is in a position to help change matters for T people in Asia, wishes to know why some (not all) Ladyboys in Thailand (in fact, this applies across the region to all major countries) turn to crime or feel disadvantaged or continually face problems throughout their life, let me be completely open and summarise some of the key issues T people face and let’s tick them off together and see how we can usefully help address them.

But, just one more thing before I go on, and at the risk of being labelled boring: please kindly note (dear influential reader) being T is not a lifestyle choice, does not involve a life built around sexual preference (I cringe every time I hear being T is confused with being gay).

So, here’s my brief list:

• Lack of education and lack of education: both for T people to improve themselves, their career, but also for the “masses” who don’t understand (or wish to understand) what it means to be T
• Transphobia: fear of T people — let’s try education again
• Discrimination in day to day life, in careers: overt and covert — oh, another one for education
• Lack of healthcare and access to good counselling: better access to better services to help T people on their journey (I’m an educated (well … some might debate this 🙂 ), professional person and the general lack of help and information about transitioning or about health is a worry for even me — never mind the struggling T person with below average means; the ‘’fear factor’’ of beginning or undertaking the journey to transition is immense; the knowledge of what transition really entails (not only the physical changes, but the mental adjustment both to the person in question and to close friends, family etc) is enormous.

Well, I think you get the general picture and am sure this list can easily be extended to embrace many more points which need attention.

Is anybody out there listening to us?

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Tags: featured, Ladyboy, Thailand, Transgender

Category: Transgender Opinion