BANGKOK — “Boys who look like angels.” “Men excited over two beautiful ladyboys on draft day.” “Even prettier than ‘real women.’”
Those were some of the headlines one year ago from 72 stories in Thai-language media during the annual military conscription, 69 of which reflected the obsession with young trans women who, advocates say, are experiencing a stressful and potentially degrading experience.
With the annual conscription lottery soon to begin, members of the media, government and LGBT community gathered Wednesday in Bangkok to discuss new guidelines for better treatment of transgender recruits.
Thailand may be known for its open sexual diversity, yet the widespread inequality and discrimination toward its LGBT population were largely ignored until recent years
In past years, the draft has seen painful episodes with kathoeys verbally and sometimes physically abused by officers and other men. Some have been sexually propositioned or asked to bare their breasts publicly, while others were asked to give massages to or serve male officers.
Col. Somphol said guidelines went out in recent weeks on proper treatment of transgender recruits, including the need to provide closed, private spaces for examination, not calling them out as “Mr.” or asking inappropriate – or irrelevant – questions about their gender identity.
http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/ ... ans-women/
