By Shazana

The first International Conference of Asian Queer Studies that we attended at Ambassador Hotel not only hosted a series of talks, but also a plenary session which featured a panel of Asian Queer Film Makers.

Of the most fascinating was film-maker Michael Shaowanasai with his film, The Adventure of Iron Pussy.

Screening clips of the film, audiences caught a glimpse of the male protagonist, who works as a regular 7-eleven convenience-store worker by day and a trans-gendered secret agent by night called Iron Pussy. What was hilarious - at least what could be captured in the few clips screened - was the character’s flashy sense of dressing and melodramatic mannerisms.

What was very striking about Michael Shaowanasai, as a personality, was his spontaneity and almost natural ability to entertain and capture audience attention.

After five minutes of boring mumbo-jumbo about the background of Asian queer cinema by the MC, when it came to Michael’s turn, he turned around to the MC and said: “What is the question again?”

I thought this was hilarious – it was the most natural aspect of the entire conference.

And talking about the difficulties in making the film, he said that the most difficult thing was getting nice shoes that fitted him. “You can’t get size 44 in Asia”, he said. Not exactly typical conference lingo, but yet everyone listened.

If you get a chance, do not miss out on watching this film. For those in Monash University Malaysia, Dr Yeoh will be screening it on campus after Bangkok. Be sure to take notice of signs across hallways.

Picture taken from: Film Festival Rotterdam.com

By Juliha b Mohd Noor

There is speculation that the recent move by the Thai government to legalize prostitution would be to reap the economic profits that the flesh trade brings about annually. About 4.3 billion dollars or 3 percent of the Thai economy is fueled by the flesh business of 100,000 to 200,000 Thai women. However the unofficial figures seem to suggest that almost 2 million Thai women are in the sex industry.

“The issue of prostitution has been reduced to an issue of taxation for state income generation,” says Virada Somswasdi, an academic who studied the issue of legalization of prostitution in Thailand.

The human circus in Bangkok, particularly in Patpong is one area that exemplifies the issues that Somswasdi speaks of. The average tourist who walks down the aisles under the neon lights, elbowing their way from one strip joint to another will not fail to notice that 90 percent of the labour force in the red light district of Patpong are women. Barely dressed, clad in what could be minimal clothing - these women call out to all. Men and women alike - alluring them with their flirting and flesh, into the bars where the real acts begin.

For as little as 200 baht, one could comfortably sit oneself in a strip joint with a complimentary drink in hand watching women in their more flexible positions with a pole as their best friend for the entire night. Gyrating to music, these expressionless bodies slide and shake, exposing their breasts and genitals for the viewing pleasure of the majority male crowd. These women not only strip and do lap dances but have certainly included premium services in the bag to stay ahead of the competition. Some of the acts that greet patrons to such establishments are akin to a scene from ‘Ripley’s believe it or not’. The writer bore witness to such acts that evidently showed how the vagina is not only a reproductive organ but a receptacle to inanimate objects like strings, pins and needles. The vagina also transformed itself into a horn blowing and bullet shooting mechanism.

Academics like Somswasdi is of the view that the Thai society fails to understand that prostitution is about the flesh trade and involves a high risk of exposure to violence characterized by bodily harm health hazards and mental trauma. It is about the violation of human rights. This is visibly apparent in the red light districts of Bangkok where the voracity for cash overrides the violation of human rights. For the writer, walking down the streets of the flesh trade here shows how the lure of the dollar is clearly redefining the biological functions of the human anatomy.

By Kerry-Ann

I have read mostly about women in prostitution and their plight. We all have. But how many of us question the validity of the same predicament when it comes to men ?

If you think I am talking about gigolos, think again. Gigolos are defined as “professional lovers” who are “educated, know about the world, are independent, sexually experienced and understands what a woman needs”. So it suffices to say, a gigolo is a heterosexual male who not only acts as a prostitute but also as a companion. Male prostitutes in Bangkok on the other hand, are more commonly known as sex workers.

As the whole group of us ventured into the streets of Patpong, we were approached by men and women alike with visuals and signs, all to entice the needy, or in our case, the curious. Rather blatantly, a Thai woman came up to us, ” You want to see? Men and men? 200 Baht only.” It was a little intimidating walking into the club; there were no women around and only a couple of middle-aged men blending into the background.

We were seated, and before our eyes were at least 20 to 30 men clad in only their undergarments, paraded on the stage like handphones ready to be sold on those classy lit shelves. For the first few minutes, it seemed amusing. My friends and I were joking in reference to the female gaze and the objectification of men on women. After a while, the jokes hit me as some sort of distorted reality and it was not so funny anymore. Here we were, gazing at the males, subjecting them to the treatment of objects of desire.

We picked out lads from stage and decided to ask him the questions that were taunting our curiosity. We spoke to two men that night. Wan, a 27-year-old who has been working there for three years and Blue, a 21-year-old undergraduate who had just started work for less than a week. They hate their job. They detest standing up there every night, being treated like mere objects.

After talking to both Wan and Blue, it seemed that gender politics for male prostitutes were obviously different. Wan has been working to pay off a hefty debt, while Blue needed the money for his family in the North and to pay for his education in a nearby university in Bangkok. Unlike the women, male prostitutes were not likely to hook up with farang (foriegn) men or women in order to escape their realities. Male sex workers here are marketed mainly for the gay crowd, and for many of them like Wan and Blue, they consider themselves to be heterosexual still, who service their male clients as “just part of the job”.

I remember hearing the term ‘male prostitute’ for the first time a few years ago. Back then it seemed a joke. Not that no one took it seriously, but for us girls, it just seemed too easy a job for men, if you know what I mean.

By Joanna Lee

Set right in the centre of the cosmopolitan city of Bangkok or also known as the City of Angels, the people of Pommahakan are living a traditional lifestyle that dates back to more then 200 years. Amidst all the modern development surrounding this community, they have been carefully preserving its sacred trees, old houses and traditions.

Stepping into Pommahakan is like stepping into the past, as if time stops. There is a vast difference between the world outside the wall to that which is inside it.

This community is one of Thailand’s most significant cultural heritages. Currently, it is facing the threat of eviction by the local authorities. The government has plans to build a park over the land, similar to Central Park in New York City. This may seem like a good idea, as evicting the community from that area would take away one of the ‘eye sores’ in the city, as well as develop the area into a lucrative tourist attraction.

With them comes income for the government, but often at the expense of cultural heritage. From the local people’s point of view, it is home, and has been for six generations. Living in a place for such a long time, I am sure there would be a sense of belonging which is close to heart. And like any normal human being, they would do anything to defend their home.

Why is there always conflict between the people and their government? It rarely changes. The people of Pommahakan are not opposing the government’s
idea to build the park, but they are asking the government to include them in their plans. The community have built miniature model homes to show to the authorities. They are willing to compromise, asking for only 1/3 of the land for their community. However, their voices are not being heard. The mass media is not strong enough to check and balance for the government, and there is little public space for debate. There is just no place for the community to voice out their opinion.

The question to be asked now is: what is more important? For the government, profiting from the land appears to be their priority. For the people, preserving their home is more important. The only thing for sure is that nothing is for certain.

By Fikri Jermadi

The first International Conference of Asian Queer Studies is taking place in Bangkok between the 7th and 9th of July. Jointly organized by the Office of Human Rights Studies and Social Development at Mahidol University and the AsiaPacificQueer Network, it aims to develop linkages between research about Asian LGBTQ cultures and communities and to promote recognition and respect for sexual and gender diversity in the region.

The conference takes place at the Ambassador Hotel, with the main lobby filled with booths promoting related products, as well as similar organizations and events. The day kicks off with a plenary forum, before a coffee break is quickly followed by panel presentations. The presentations take place simultaneously at different venues throughout the hotel, with two or three presenters on each panel. There are several themes throughout the day, including topics like queer cinemas and issues on queer rights and identities.

Three papers were presented in “Transgenders in Islamic and Hindu cultures.” Sharyn Graham presented “Bisexual and Transgender Intersections in South Sulawesi, Indonesian,” which concerns the cilabai (men attracted to men but behaving more like women). She explained about how they tend to change their sexual orientationism going as far as describing them as AC/DC adapters: “They plug into both men and women.” Next, Fatemeh Javaheri then presented her paper, entitled “Empirical Study on Transexuality in Iran.” She discussed how transgenders are treated in Iran, citing parental pressures, societal discrimination and religious barriers as the main reason as to why people are afraid to come out. Fatemeh then related this to a study she conducted in 2004, saying that 83 percent became transgenders because they “want a better life and to discover their true identity.” Finally, Humaira Jami presented “Condition and Status of Hijra (Transgender, Transvestite, etc.) in Pakistan.” It explores the position of the hijra, who are defined as the third gender, having “elements of both men and women.” She described how they earn an income by performing at birth ceremonies, weddings and even in the theatre, as well as being involved in the sex business. She also talked about their public identities: though they dress like women, given their patriarchal society, they officially identify themselves as men.

After the break for lunch, another three presenters took part in “The Fluidity of Sexuality in SouthEast Asia.” Angela Kuga Thas’ “Silent Runs Around the Sapphic Bush” is a qualitative study she conducted in 2004 to clash myths with realities. One such myth, that homosexuality is a Western import, becomes less of one when she discloses that of those who had their first same sex experience abroad, it is usually with a fellow Malaysian. The second presenter is Dede Oetomo, whose “Indonesia’s Waria, Gay and Gay Dendong: Fluid Constructions of Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation and Their Essentialisations” deals with the waria (male to female transgender), the gay (male homosexuals) and the gay dendong (cross dressing male homosexuals), and how they are treated in mainstream society. He talked about how their linguistics practices, as well as cultural factors, have contributed to the waria’s longetivity. Continuing on the theme of linguistics,
the third paper, “A Semantic Look at Feminine Sex and Gender Terms in Phillipines Gay Lingo” was presented by Cynthia Suguitan. It described how the gay language has acted as a catalyst for empowerment. The proliferation of the gay language, especially within the mass media and the youths in the Philippines, has made it a ‘cool’ language. As an audience member later pointed out, knowing how to speak the gay language will earn that person respect from the gay community.

The second day ends with a plenary discussion on Asian gay films. The filmmakers themselves related their personal experiences in making such films, before clips from their respective films are shown.

By Meng Yoe

Bangkok, in terms of appearance, feels almost the same as Kuala Lumpur, where buildings scrape the sky, trains bullet through the city, and traffic jams spread through every single road. The one aspect of Thailand that makes Bangkok a unique place is its people.

When I say “people”, I do not mean Thai people alone, but rather the complete social make-up of the city. The working class Thais, businessmen, monks, students, tourists, among others, makes Bangkok a city of diverse discourses, each performing their own sets of unique practices that ultimately form Bangkok as a people.

It is in the observation of how these diverse groups of people interact, or not interact, that, in the case of this article, create and solidify certain cultural identities as well as stereotypes.

As a case study, I will take one location, Khao San, and a group of “people”, the tourists, and specifically Caucasian ones since they’re easy to identify, to illustrate my point. Khao San is an extremely popular tourist hotspot, where thousands upon thousands of tourists check-in and out of the little guest houses, or shop along the street with hundreds of different stalls that sells almost everything.

Staying in Khao San myself, I had the opportunity to make observations during my meals and aimless walkabouts. The observation that stands out the most is the tourist make-up in the area. Almost every single tourist look good physically. The term “look good” is based on the standards set in magazines, movies, and other forms of mass media. In other words, the notion of the “perfect” body is very powerfully practiced here.

Foreigners fill the streets of tourist hotspots in Bangkok

I actually did ask myself while I was pondering over a midnight drink with my friends whether I’ve seen an “ugly” tourist so far. I really can’t remember.

This is disturbing for a two reasons. Firstly, what is it about this place that draws only “attractive” tourists to the area? Perhaps there is an unspoken rule that is enforced in the home country of these tourists, where media representations of attractive people in foreign countries drive the “attractive” people to the tourist spots and the “others” away from it. True or not, the fact is there are powers at work outside Thailand that enforces and maintains this phenomenon.

Secondly, what disturbs me is how this issue, can potentially hamper the process of the Asian community trying to bridge the social gap between East and West. There are two obvious discourses at work in Khao San road. The first is the Caucasian tourist, who is the consumer with a lot of money, ready to bargain to their advantage. Second are the Thais, who are sellers at the lower rungs of the economic ladder with little bargaining power.

Throw in a third active discourse, which is the media that causes Thai people to be so used to watching “perfect” white people on TV, then have the exact notions reinforced before their very eyes with each passing Caucasian customer. Then, because these Thais are completely unable to shake off the West superiority mentality, the tourists will continue to view these working class Thais as weak.

This is a scenario of discourse making discourse. Perhaps it is the discourse of Westerners that reinforces the discourse of the working class Thais, or vice versa, or most probably both discourses are working simultaneously to make local-foreign perspectives of each other an almost permanent and unchangeable thing.

By Li Yien

Not many people would have a chance to visit a slum area. Some do not even know that such a place exists in their city, and those who do would not bother. Today, I felt very lucky to be able to journey across Klong Toey Slum in Bangkok, Thailand. This was an eye-opening experience for me.

Klong Toey Slum is one of the oldest and largest slums in Bangkok, having been around for about 50 years. The slum communities are made up of a majority of rural migrants from Northeast Thailand who came to Bangkok for job opportunities. They constantly face threats of eviction from the authorities in Thailand because they have no legal right to the land that they occupy. Thus, they are not able to receive any basic facilities such as water supply, electricity and waste removal from the government. Poverty and health problems are just some of the difficulties faced by the slum community . Today, the Duang Prateep Foundation, established in 1978, helps these urban poor, providing education for the slum children and organising various projects to help the community.

The Klong Toey slum might look like a cluster of old shacks from the outside. However, if you actually take a walk into the slum, you will discover that there is much more to the place. Thirty years ago, it was devoid of basic facilities such as water and electricity. However, the semi-illegal status now attached to it has been accompanied by various improvements in these areas. The wooden shacks are built very close together, with a small lane in between (not more than two meters wide). Basically, the slum feels like a very compact mini town. It has about 100 000 people. It looks like a maze with passages leading to different corners by the small lane. Other than the homes, they have their own small food lots and stalls that sell basic necessities such as canned food, sauce and others.

As I walked deeper into the slum, I was surprised that a few kids in one of the shacks were playing Play Station 2. Besides that, some homes even had their own television, a snooker table and other electric appliances. Of course, these were the oddities. Most other homes fit into your typical expectations of how a slum would look like. There is a damp and fishy smell that permeates the area. Yet, one thing seemed to stand out. I noticed that the Buddha shrines are always kept very clean with fresh flowers such as jasmine, no matter how old or run-down the place was.

As I reached the other end of the slum, we were greeted by a bunch of kids who were behind a grill door. As I peeped inside, it was actually a school for them. They were waving and saying hello to us, their smiles exuding genuine warmth. I believe that the community has improved a lot compared to 50 years ago. However, there is still much help needed to improve the area’s sanitation, poverty and other social problems. All in all, it was an enlightening journey across Klong Toey Slum.

By Sze Ning

Klong Toey is perhaps not the most conventional tourist stop in Bangkok.

As we walked down the narrow streets littered with rubbish, we looked through windows that gave us a glimpse of poverty and passed the occasional ghosts of homes, now just rubble. We were at the largest slum in Bangkok.

Scene from Klong Toey

At the Duang Prateep Foundation, we were informed that 80,000 people reside there. Originally in the early fifties, people settled at Klong Toey to help construct the port nearby. Now, with machines taking over the necessity of manual labour, many Klong Toey dwellers survive by becoming roadside food vendors and engaging in other informal economies.

People at Klong Toey face many problems typical of a slum area. Most of them do not have any legal rights to the land. The vicious cycle of poverty also makes it hard to break from engaging in criminal activity as well as drug and alcohol dependence. With such social and financial problems, the children may be prevented from receiving proper
education.

Children at Kindergarten in Klong Toey

Of late, they have been facing the threat of eviction with the Port Authority wanting to clear the area to make way for a commercial area to improve tourism in the city. With support from the Duang Pratreep Foundation, the slum dwellers are fighting against the eviction as they are unable to afford the monthly rent, in the event that they are relocated to high rise flats, as proposed by the Port Authority.

“Home here”, says Daw, a proud slum-dweller who has lived in Klong Toey for over 50 years. She knows over 1000 of the community’s residents. She explains that they are uniting together to fight against the eviction. Just that morning, she had declined an offer to sell her home to a man planning to renovate it into an office. On the other hand, Nir, a van driver and resident of 30 years, says that “[if] a lot of people go, I [will] go [too]”.

The close-knitted social fabric of the community in Klong Toey may pose an answer to resolving the problem. With the Duang Prateep Foundation on the move, there may be hope for these residents to remain in the humble dwellings of the slum area.

Man and Kid from Klong Toey

Special thanks to Can and Orn, our Thai friends from Chulalongkorn University who acted as the translators for the interviews.

More on the Duang Prateep Foundation HERE.

By Meng Yoe

The Klong Toey slums in the metropolitan area of Bangkok is an example of a community of the urban poor. Slums are communities that build homes on land which does not legally belong to them, and face the constant threat of eviction by the local government.

At first glance, Klong Toey is like most other squatter communities. The houses are built with wood and zinc and are highly flammable. Throughout the complicated network of corridors, there is an accompanying odour of damp and stale air. Most of the drains are clogged with rubbish, and the vast amount of dog droppings certainly does not place Klong Toey at the top of any tourist’s must-see list.

The above description of Klong Toey fits into two of the most common reasons that a government calls for an eviction; that is to remove all eye sores from the city and to further develop the city.

Bangkok’s largest slum

However, before passing judgement on the Klong Toey slum, one must consider the human aspect of the place. There is life in the community. Housewives busily prepare lunch in time for their schooling kids; working men pace in and out of the slum, performing their various trades. The elderly stroll around the corridors, chit chatting with old and friends and neighbours.

Klong Toey

Any conception that slums are home to drug addicts, robbers, and brutal criminals are not true, according to Dr Vithasvas Khongkhakul, a sociologist who works for the Duang Prateep foundation – a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that provides social assistance to the Klong Toey area.

“Klong Toey is the safest place with the friendliest people in Thailand. Poor people are not bad people,” explained Dr.Khongkhakul, and judging from the aura in the slum, one can only agree with him.

However, as much as one would like to romanticise any slum into a community worth keeping, experience will show that, ultimately, the government always wins. Why? Because they are in power, and a majority of the citizens, quite bluntly, have little concern towards the urban poor, due to long-standing misconceptions and a general lack of awareness.

How then can slum rights in Klong Toey be fought for? The answer, truthfully, no longer lies with the current generation, and certainly not in the first generation of residents of the community, but rather, in the young ones.

With the help of the Duang Prateep foundation, Klong Toey has a relatively strong educational program for a slum, with a strong emphasis on the academic development of children. Children are sent to schools and given subsidised meals that are nutritious to ensure good growth. They are also made part of many community projects that constantly remind them of their culture and heritage.

At least there is a recognition that children are the future, and education is the way forward. It is, with much hope, that these children will grow up fully equipped to help their community.

Duang Prateep: Kindergarten and Nursery

However, there are problems, of course, that the Klong Toey children face. Most prominently - finances. Nong, a mother of two primary school kids, explained that education is expensive at the latter stages, and if she cannot make enough money, her children will have to “stop going to school and start working.” Another mother, Thong Pew, mentioned that she wants the best education for all her three children, and although it is expensive, she is glad that her youngest son has earned a partial scholarship to study in college.

Some of these financial woes are addressed by the Duang Prateep Foundation, but the NGO certainly does not have the capability to fund every child.

But, hope is still hope, and in time, the few children today who go the distance will pave the way for a brighter future for even more children in the next generation, and the generations beyond. The fate of Klong Toey, and other slums, lie in today’s children, who hopefully will grow up to recognize that “citizenship” is a right to safety, clothing, food, and shelter, and strive to make government an instrument of good; a place where people can come together, and that no one gets left behind.

Klong Toey’s future - educated children

(Benji, this story is for you, my friend. Wish you were here. See you when I get back.)