Ladyboys (Kathoeys)

Kathoey, or "ladyboys," are biological males who openly function in Thai society as transsexuals or transvestites. The ladyboy represents a gender position that is unique in that it has a national identity. Although kathoey (pronounced "kateuyee") may embody gender in ways familiar to cultures outside Thailand (most similar to transsexuals or transvestites), they are different in that their gender operates in society in a sanctioned way. They are part of Thai society and history and apparently have existed openly for hundreds of years. "Northern Thai legend suggests that the pre-modern Thai sex/gender system was based on a model of the three genders: male, female and kathoey" (Totman 2003, p. 82). Thailand is the only nation in its region that resisted colonization by European powers and sometimes is seen as having a set of cultural values less influenced by outside pressures, including normative heterosexuality and binary gender.

The kathoey are analogous to marginalized genders in other cultures but have qualities that make them distinct from those categories. Like drag queens, they often work in cabarets as performers. It is this group of kathoey to which the term ladyboy applies and with which most tourists and non-Thais are familiar. Their performance is seen as a manifestation of a unique talent, however, rather than as a camp identity-based expression. In short, they perform as ladyboys because they are kathoey rather than being people who might be understood as drag queens because they perform. As with other marginalized gender categories, there is a high incidence of sex work among kathoey, and they also function as objects of fetishistic desire.

Kathoey is a more inclusive term than transsexual, transvestite, drag queen, or hermaphrodite, although it can encompass all those categories. Some kathoey undergo sex-reassignment surgery, others take female hormones and have breast implants, and some undergo no physical alterations other than dress and makeup. All are recognized as kathoey. Although individual kathoey may meet resistance from their families and friends, culturally there is a high degree of acceptance. Most kathoey realize and announce their intentions to transform before or during puberty, and many begin hormone treatment at that age with the knowledge of their families. Kathoey take on new feminine names and live as kathoey for their entire lives. The transformation is permanent; unlike drag, it is not a part of their life that emerges at specific moments or in specific situations.

A kind of femininity is expected of kathoey, and there is a high incidence of normatively feminine physical traits (particularly hairless faces) among them that has led to biologically based theories of their origin. Femininity is not universal among the kathoey, however. Some are accomplished athletes, including volleyball players and kickboxers. Kathoey are part of national sports teams, for which some choose to deemphasize their femininity but do not abandon it entirely. They are thus a part of mainstream culture outside their perceived sexual roles.

In terms of sexual activity the majority of kathoey are homosexuals, but some are heterosexual or bisexual. Not all homosexuals are kathoey in Thailand. There is a large gay community in Thailand, especially in Bangkok, to which the kathoey do not specifically belong. As in other cultures, homosexuality in Thailand is accepted or rejected to various degrees by individuals but does not enjoy the widespread cultural sanction of the kathoey.

There is widespread cultural acceptance of kathoey, and several have become celebrities as models and singers. Thai universities maintain dormitories specifically for kathoey students and provide them with support. There is discrimination against them as well, however. Their value as performers demonstrates respect for their unique talents, but this is one of the few legitimate occupations open to kathoey. Traditionally feminine employment (as hairdressers, shop sales clerks, and waitresses) is possible in some circumstances, or they may find work as non-skilled laborers or in situations in which they can be kept out of the public eye by their employers. Professional careers are rarely open to kathoey, and they are not employed in large corporations, business, or academia. This often is seen as a function of the growing global role of and the influence of other cultures on Thailand. This explanation is not fully convincing, however, because kathoey had limited occupational options long before Thailand entered the global community.

see also Hijrās; Transsexual M to F.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jackson, Peter. 2003. "Performative Genders, Perverse Desires: A Bio-History of Thailand's Same-Sex and Transgender Cultures." Intersections: Gender, History and Culture in the Asian Context, Issue 9, August. Available from http://wwwsshe.murdoch.edu.au/intersections/issue9_contents.html.

Totman, Richard. 2003. The Third Sex: Kathoey, Thailand's Ladyboys. Chiang Mai, Thailand: Silkworm Books.

                                        Brian D. Holcomb