Trans News/ Issues

[Jess]

Originally Posted by EnderD_503

I think it's very important to look at the transphobia related to hiring only katoeys, in particular. I say transphobia especially, because I firmly believe that it's important for trans rights to recognise the differences/uniqueness between transphobia vs. misogyny or homophobia. It's important for trans visibility to recognise transphobia as distinct and within its own right. I think it's important to discuss that when it comes to an article or topic relating to trans issues.

I do think the airline in question is being extremely transphobic as it is intent on using katoeys as commodities. Katoeys may have achieved a higher level of visibility within Thai culture, but they have not necessarily reached a higher level of respect, given that most katoeys are employed in sex work, the beauty industry or other similar industries. They have a difficult time finding work outside those industries in Thailand, and so I think it's rather telling that this airline is intent on hiring katoeys and using them for publicity.

It's also interesting to note that transmen are pretty much entirely invisible in Thai culture, so when you say (or the article says) that the airline is now hiring transfolks, they are actually only hiring katoeys who are distinct from a number of others along the trans spectrum. Why? Because of the "notoriety" and "image" of katoeys specifically.

Just like the thread I started a while back about Pakistani transwomen in particular being targeted by the government to be hired as tax collectors, it's obvious trans people are once more being used by people who really couldn't care less about them, and non-trans society's curiosities and fears regarding trans people being played up in order for the role/publicity to be successful.

Edit: Also about your comments about not hiring effeminate men (who can also be considered katoey) or butch women. I'm not sure how correct you are there, unless you've read something I've not. Thai society interacts with these identities differently than Western society.

I get your point in wanting to separate the trans issues from the other obvious issues of sexism. Point taken. I do get the "sideshow/freakshow" attention the airline seems intent on profiting from.

Regarding your "edit", I am quite sure I said it was my own take on what the article read to "me". I gathered my guess on the statements of how long they spent with the transwomen to "make sure they were feminine enough", which at least in my 48 years I have rarely found many butch women who would pass that test, mostly because we wouldn't have the patience to tolerate the bullshit of it.

Not being familiar with the specific ways in which the population of Thailand interacts with these identities, you may be correct in that I may be wrong. I am reading this article strictly from my limited knowledge base and to me, it seems quite clear the airline exercises several forms of gender based discrimination. I placed it in the trans issues thread, as the title of the articles were geared toward how "trans-friendly" they "appear" to be.