Online clips released in Thailand this month are clear examples of how people with gender diversity can still be misinterpreted
I'LL MAKE A (WO)MAN OUT OF YOU
A two-part short film called Change A Tomboy Into Her was released online by Thepphakan Duangrungnapa, a student at Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna, on her Facebook page earlier this month. The clips have been shared over 5,000 times on Facebook alone. They tell a connecting story of two tomboys -- positioned on the gender spectrum somewhere close to butch lesbian -- who fall pregnant after a night gone wrong.
"A pregnant tomboy is caused by her own trust and recklessness," wrote Thepphakan, also a tomboy, on her Facebook account as an accompaniment to the video. She later made another posting, saying she aimed for the video to create a better understanding towards tomboys, and that she wants to raise awareness of the violence being committed against LGBT persons.
The film's first part shows a tomboy -- referred to as a lesbian in the subtitle -- being raped after getting caught having a fling with a man's girlfriend, later flashing a middle finger to his group of friends.
"So you think you're all tough? I'll turn you back into a woman," says one of the guy's friends after he stalks and attacks the tomboy in a car park. She is raped in her own car, and the perpetrator walks free.
Later, after finding out about the pregnancy, the tomboy is seen researching how to go about obtaining an abortion. But shame, guilt and fear finally drive her to commit suicide by jumping off a building.
In this part alone, we see rape as a form of punishment for bad actions. Sexual violence here is used to correct misbehaviour among females. And the blame is not the attacker's to take. Everything falls on the victims who instigate and provoke their attackers. Also on display is the ancient, decrepit belief that homosexuality can and should be cured, like a disease.
The film's latter half shows another tomboy getting comfortable at a house party. She sits with her friends, wearing only a chest binder and shorts. All this while a male friend ogles her. She's later violated in her drunken sleep by this very friend. Before committing his dirty act, the man similarly talks of changing the tomboy into a woman.
"We are only a man in our mind. Our body is still a woman," reads a quote on the video clip. This second tomboy later reads a headline about the first dead tomboy in a newspaper. By then, she has already tested positive with a pregnancy kit.
Not only does the film reduce tomboys to a level inferior to men; it also reduces the value of men to that of sexual predators. It's very unfortunate that many people, even tomboys themselves, do agree with the logic portrayed in the film -- that tomboys deserve the things done to them for acting all macho.
Many users tagged their tomboy friends in comments saying: "Be careful." Others warned that females have to always be on guard, and that they shouldn't trust or be alone with men -- not even their friends or family members.
While the filmmaker's intention was good, it's unclear what kind of message her work ended up sending to the community. One thing for sure, audiences like us learn how deep misunderstanding and prejudice still run, especially in the affected population. When people of sexual diversity are told to live in fear, they form a cage around themselves and remain a prisoner of society. How can they ever be free?
Take Guy Out Thailand.
GOING BANANAS
Does the sight of two gay men sucking on a banana make great entertainment on TV? The producers of Take Guy Out Thailand seem to believe so.
This gay version of Take Me Out Thailand -- a show where participants select a date from 30 eligible choices -- has been airing on the Line TV app since the beginning of this month. In its third episode, airing May 21, the infamous banana scene plays out.
After selecting his date, Todd -- the eligible bachelor of the week -- takes his new partner Bond into the Dating Room, where they supposedly "date" -- as in playing a game together. It should be noted that, in the show's straight counterpart, the new couple would go on a normal date like hanging out and having a meal.
In the game, Todd and Bond had to hug one another, put a small balloon between themselves and try to crush that balloon with their torso. Of course, the two failed at their task and were punished. They had to feed each other a banana.
Cue the Minions' favourite yellow fruit, all peeled and in both men's mouths. While some viewers may find it funny, others think it's just downright offensive.
"This show is an insult to gay men. We -- the tootsies and gay men -- are once again a joke for straight men. And every word in every episode is laced with sexual innuendo. But perhaps that's their selling point," wrote an online comment.
Another comment asks everyone to imagine this same situation, but with a man and a woman engaging in the act instead. If that's really the case, would this scene still seem OK to the show producers and also to our society?
Dear Friend by The Parkinson.
JUST FRIENDs?
The silver lining of the month -- which just went online last week -- comes in a music video by The Parkinson. Their latest single, Puen Ruk (Dear Friend), is about falling secretly in love with one's best friend.
At first, the video had us believe it's portraying a story between two women -- which, for all intents and purposes, it is. The fact that one of them -- the one with the secret crush -- is a transgender woman isn't readily clear from the start.
She puts up seeing her friend in a fling with other men, while having to act cool about it all.
The video ends with the transwoman kissing her obviously shocked friend, thus revealing her feelings. Her friend's reaction to the kiss is not revealed.
Love has no gender, and neither does music. The song is applicable to anyone -- straight or LGBT. And the video obviously breaks a lot of traditions. While many still believe that only a man and a woman can (and should) be romantically in love, even more people think a transwoman can only fall in love with a man.
We will keep on saying this, time and time again, but gender identity doesn't conform with sexual orientation, and vice versa. A woman doesn't have to love a man, and a transwoman doesn't have to either.
It's very commendable how the filmmakers choose to portray a story with an LGBT character in a non-judgemental way, never mind their opting to include an LGBT character at all. They breathe life into this transgender character, making it clear that she's also a human with feelings -- not just the clown we often see on TV. And we feel the endless possibilities that come with this open ending. The conclusion is ours to make, and we like the fact that we -- as an audience -- can make our own choices in this matter.
Contact melalinm@bangkokpost.co.th for news and views about LGBT.
