[Cerilopasei]

Great topic Trangam; so hard to come by one of these on the forums these days! But when I saw your name as the topic starter, I knew it will be of good quality, and I wasn't disappointed.

From your description, it looks like an interesting program that I wish I could have seen. Especially because it's so rare to come by a fair portrayal of this segment of Thai society, like you said.

The above-mentioned three problems that make life difficult for ladyboys in Thailand are not unique to them, I think. If it's difficult for them to find a job, just think how difficult for Farang to find a job in Thailand! For the former, the discrimination is a result of what gender one happened to be born into; for the latter, it is based on shallow excuses such as the place one happened to be born at. So, I could definitely emphasize with that problem.

Again, the second and third problems you mentioned, that others refuse to accept the new, self-declared identity of the katoeys is very similar to the case of Farang for whom the self-declared Thai identity is denied by many. Luckily for both group, the circle of close friends and relatives readily accept them for what they really are inside, and that's what really counts.

I think that the underlying basis for alienation of katoeys is that most people are uncomfortable with the dynamic nature of the human body and self-perception, including gender identity.

Societies with the fundamental principle that we were created and this creation should not be tampered with, will take much more time to accept that indeed, we can change any aspect of our being even things that are now considered 'taboo'.

As a passionate scientist, I was very comfortable with the idea that there is no 'constant' aspect of life - everything can be changed, manipulated even before birth. I hope that with time, this attitude will gain a wider acceptance, not only for the sake of katoeys, but also for revolutionary ideas such as genetically modified organisms and stem-cell research. The present-day caveman-like attitude for these three notions is alarming.

Trangam, I know all about the Christian attitude towards creation, but I wonder how is it in Hinduism? You mentioned the positive ways in which Hindu teachings influence the notion towards Kothis, but could there be anything there responsible for the discrimination they face? Or is entirely due to a social phenomenon such as the caste system? (Oh, and... what is 'Ardhnareshvara'? )

Incidentally, I just learned from your post that Shiva is depicted both as a man and as a woman. I saw this earlier, but just thought to be a misunderstanding.