[GentlieGant]

To stop discrimination among students, male cross-dressing students at universities will have dorms and lavatories built for them.


UNIVERSITIES: All to be catered for

Institutions to provide seperate dorms, toilets for male cross-dressers, transgender students

Universities will provide separate dorms and bathrooms for cross-dressing and transgender students. They're assessing the number they will have to cater for.

The schools will change rules, allowing these students to attend classes in women's clothing, too, Deputy Education Minister Boonlue Prasertsopha says.

Male cross-dressers have long had problems using lavatories: fellow students do not welcome them in either men's or women's facilities.
Higher Education Commission secretary-general Sumet Yaemnun says it's important to determine if male cross-dressers intend to remain that way.
If not, there will be difficulties in allowing them to stay in women's dorms.

Equal conditions
He expects conditions to be set for lavatory use later. Until then, transgender students will be allowed to use women's facilities and pre-op students the men's.
A ministry study says more cross-dressing and transgender students are attending universities.
The largest enrolments are at Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen and Prince of Songkhla Universities.
Daily Xpress

[Aswdwdfg]

This is great to hear! We are going through the same process here in the States. It warms my heart.

[NutChusty]

Yes if your a woman or a minority, you can't be disriminated agains, but what about the majority males, who are discriminated against by government policy the most, Military conscription of men is a form of slavery, and can result in death, the worst form of discrimination there is, death.

[Aswdwdfg]

Read the article again, paul.

[DexOnenlyCymn]

Yes Paul, please do read it again.
It seems that the rights they are talking about now pertain to male homosexuals and the advantages that they are given to have special privileges on campus and it would seem to be exempt from conscription for military service.
I think that such changes in standing and advantages given to the homosexuals should only be given if they do in fact intend to remain in the trans gender role they are now playing and do go in for gender reassignment surgery before they even apply for the advantages spoken of herein.

If you are going to play a queer , then you shall stay a queer.

[Aswdwdfg]

Gay and Transgendered are two different identities. This article is referring to Transgendered. It mentioned nothing of anyone's intent or progress or anything... it simply referred to those who identify as Transgendered. As we have accomodated men at universities and we have accomodated women at universities we have been very binary to gender. Most universities are now waking up to this and realizing that we need to be just as accomodating to a broader gender spectrum.

[LesLattis]

dorms I might understand (separate rooms I guess), but toilets of the kind where you walk in, shut the door behind you and do your thing.... why exactly the need for ladyboy toilets? most (smaller) places don't have separate ladies' and gents' anyway, just one toilet. I think there are enough problems in education in Thailand without generating further problems artificially. or maybe this is a great chance to divert attention from the real issues? like kids and young people losing a chance for education because of the skyrocketing prices and being forced to go home and work?

[Aswdwdfg]

Oh, I definitely think that there are many issues to worry about. However, I do feel this is a real one to start re-thinking. Any segregation by room, by hallway, by bathroom, in terms of gender means that person needs to make decisions on what will feel comfortable to them and how others will feel comfortable. It can be a very difficult process. I have two students that I work very closely here at my university and while they identify as one gender, others would perceive them as another. At 18 it's hard to have those conversations. At 18 you just want to fit in.

[themsrsdude]

dorms I might understand (separate rooms I guess), but toilets of the kind where you walk in, shut the door behind you and do your thing.... why exactly the need for ladyboy toilets? most (smaller) places don't have separate ladies' and gents' anyway, just one toilet. I think there are enough problems in education in Thailand without generating further problems artificially. or maybe this is a great chance to divert attention from the real issues? like kids and young people losing a chance for education because of the skyrocketing prices and being forced to go home and work?

From what I understand its the kind of toilets with a room where u check the mirror and gossip and the actual toilets behind u in separate stalls.

Anyway I agree more effort should be made in fighting the poverty

[Aswdwdfg]

To clarify... I don't think it's an either or. I don't think we have to choose between poverty and helping transgendered individuals. pencils for students and bathrooms for students. I think we can strive to have the best education for all students and work/fight for resources that everyone needs.

When we made sweeping changes to support our transgendered students on campus the financial impact was little to zero. It was just taking a look at space allocation and figureing out how we can do it better. ...and because we've made those changes, more Transgendered students may choose our university in the future. $$$

[LesLattis]

yes I'm sure it's more than just toilets. I would have thought they have other priorities and worries. but maybe it's my perception of the toilet problem that is very wrong.

[themsrsdude]

To clarify... I don't think it's an either or. I don't think we have to choose between poverty and helping transgendered individuals. pencils for students and bathrooms for students. I think we can strive to have the best education for all students and work/fight for resources that everyone needs.

Well in theory we are able to do alot better then we are.

Altho I agree I merley find the lack of focus a bit odd.

[gennnniiikk]

From the BBC, fully story here with video clip


Thai school offers transsexual toilet




With its spacious, tree-lined grounds and slightly threadbare classrooms, there is nothing obviously unusual about the Kampang Secondary School.

It is situated in Thailand's impoverished north-east, and most of the pupils are the children of farmers.

Every morning at 0800 they all gather outside to sing the national anthem and watch the flag being raised.

Then they have a chance to use the toilets, before heading off the first classes of the day.

Kampang is proud of its toilets. Spotless, and surrounded by flowering tropical plants, they have won national awards for cleanliness.

But there is something else about them too. Between the girls' toilet and the boys', there is one signposted with a half-man, half-woman figure in blue and red.

This is the transsexual toilet, and outside, in front of the mirrors, some decidedly girly-looking teenage boys preen their hair and apply face cream.

[DexOnenlyCymn]

Well they do have a system of Coup s here and they have changed the name in the near past from Siam to Thailand, now I guess they can change again, but what will it be this time??
Q land?? or perhaps Fantasy Island ?? and a new motto L O L [Land Of Ladyboys]

[Aswdwdfg]

I don't think they need to change the name at all: Land of Smiles...where people are nice and considerate and accepting of others. (imagine that, nice!)

[Les Allen]

I think if someone is benefited...and one can help... why delay. Its a good decision.

[LesLattis]

today we went to a teacher training to another school. as we passed by the men's toilet on the way to the women's, the door was wide open and there were about 5 male colleagues lined up there in front of the urinals, with their things clearly visible.
I will never understand why people put up with that, why not go into a stall, lock a door behind you, get out whatever you have, do your thing in privacy, and then leave, not giving a thought to who is doing their thing in the next cubicle, a guy, a girl, or someone who cannot make up their minds.

[Aswdwdfg]

someone who cannot make up their minds. In fairness, minds of transgendered individuals are made up. It is often the rest of society that doesn't know what to do with that informatin. It doesn't seem to fit categories that we have existing. I think it is the rest of society that has to get their minds made up to this.

[HexcewlyRette]

I will never understand why people put up with that, why not go into a stall, lock a door behind you, get out whatever you have, do your thing in privacy, and then leave, not giving a thought to who is doing their thing in the next cubicle, a guy, a girl, or someone who cannot make up their minds.

No Betti - now that would be discrimination against all the voyeurs and exhibitionists - can't do that

[Les Allen]

LOL... there is something about the p-call. When in a group of people one says I want to, normally the rest want to too. This was even more the norm in school time, I recall.