Kathoey – The Third Gender
Kathoey in Thailand 0810 by Roberto Trm
Publisher’s Note: I received this article from Walton Cawein and thought it would be of interest to my readers…
Many people from the western world have ask me this question, what is a kathoey? Well a kathoey is an eastern word for the western word ladyboy. In Thailand a kathoey or a katoey is considered a person who is of the so called “third sex”. I believe this is much much more accurate then what the western world considers what they call a “transgender” person.
In the west many people consider a kathoey *transgender” to posess some kind of a birth defect. This is of course not true at all. This kind of false information comes from many psychologists and psychiatrists who have been taught a completely wrong false paradigm in there so called “education”. Which was no education at all but actually was a false ideology. Here is a definition of “third gender” taken from Wikipedia that I believe is much more accurate then what is being falsely taught in the western world:
More Tidbits about Katoeys in Thailand
Thais use the word katoey with a very broad definition. They use the term for any man who acts like a woman. The closest English term is probably transgender male. So men who have gender altering surgery are katoeys. But so also are those who take hormones to create female attributes such as breasts. Or crossdressesr who dress up like a woman. In fact, even gay men who put on a bit of make up and flounce around are maybe referred to as katoeys.
In Thailand, there are many katoey TV stars, singers and models. Often you will find katoeys participating in beauty contests. There is great tolerance for the many different genders in this country, perhaps because of the national attitude that life should be fun.
Certainly, the Kathoey is a strong force in the national culture. In 2002, for example a moving called, “Saving Private Tootsie” was released about a group of Kathoey stranded Ina war torn jungle who must be rescued by their more macho Thai male soldiers.
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The terms third gender and third sex describe individuals who are categorized (by their will or by social consensus) as neither man nor woman, as well as the social category present in those societies who recognize three or more genders. The term “third” is usually understood to mean “other”; some anthropologists and sociologists have described fourth, fifth, and even some genders. The concepts of “third”, “fourth” and “some” genders can be somewhat difficult to understand within Western conceptual categories.
Although biology usually determines genetically whether a human’s biological sex is male or female (though intersex people are also born), the state of personally identifying as, or being identified by society as, belonging to neither the male or female genders is considered relative to the individual’s gender role in society, gender identity, and sexual orientation. While some western scholars have sought to understand the term ‘third gender’ in terms of ‘sexual orientation,’ several other scholars, especially the native non-western scholars, consider this as a misrepresentation of ‘third genders.’
To different cultures or individuals, a third gender may represent an intermediate state between man and woman, a state of being both (such as “the spirit of a man in the body of a woman”), the state of being neither (neuter), the ability to cross or swap genders, another category altogether independent of men and women. This last definition is favored by those who argue for a strict interpretation of the “third gender” concept. In any case, all of these characterizations are defining gender and not the sex that biology gives to living beings.
The term has been used to describe hijras of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan who have gained legal identity, Fa’afafine of Polynesia, and Sworn virgins of the Balkans, among others, and is also used by many of such groups and individuals to describe themselves. Like the hijra, the third gender is in many cultures made up of individuals considered male at the time of birth who take on a feminine gender role or sexual role. In cultures that have not taken on Western heteronormativity, they are usually seen as acceptable sexual partners for male-identifying individuals as long as the latter always maintain the “active” role.
Walton Cawein
Kathoey – The Third Gender related articles…
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The recognition of a third gender seems to be spreading from Thailand. Here is another post on a website you might find interesting:
Queer History #6: Looking into Kathoey; Origin of Gender Culture in …
https://rainbowartsproject.wordpress.com3/6/13
Kathoey of Ladyboys are a common sight in Thailand, especially in big city like Bangkok. International tourists flock in to see them, consume sex from them, document them but many seem to humiliate. Ironically, Kathoey …
Much like seeing a show in Las Vegas, it seems you must see a Katoey show while visiting Thailand, read about one visit to such a show at this site:
icu: eva in thailand: A Kateoy Show
https://evainthailand.blogspot.com3/8/09
Because ladyboys, or kateoys, are an aspect of Thai society that does not seem to appear the same way in our culture back home, most of the Thai Studies students have been asking to see a kateoy show pretty much since …
One wonders if any other country will become so enamored wih those of the third sex as Thailand has become. Here is another article on the subject more from the tourist guide point of view, check it out here:
Thailand Ladyboys | Lady Boys in Thailand | Katoey | Thailand …
https://holidayguidethailand.com7/21/11
Ladyboys are everywhere in Thailand and they have infected all the tourist hot spots throughout the country. Like them or not, they are there to stay.
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Wacoal Mood Boost-up bra: Kathoey
Wacoal Mood Boost-up bra: Kathoey Creative News & Cannes Lions 2013. Subscribe for more videos! https://ministrypro.blogspot.com/ https://www.facebook.com/Mini…
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Kathoey
