About transgender

If guys can wear skirts then gals can wear pants, ok. But is that person in pants in the women's restroom really a woman?

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About transgender

Tomboy students seek equality

5 Feb 2013
Online Reporters

Tomboy students at Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University (SSRU) are demanding equality after their professors banned them from wearing pants to class but allowed male gay students to attend class wearing skirts, an SSRU report said on Tuesday.

The women complained that being forced by teachers to wear female attire to classrooms, instead of male clothing, distressed them. It also ... breached the constitution and the principle of gender equality, the report said.

Jinda Pigulgaew, a third year student, said she did not like wearing a skirt because she did not feel like herself. She always changed into a skirt only immediately before entering class and switched back to pants right after.

"When I see that [homosexual] men come to class wearing skirts I just feel that's unfair. However, I do understand that in our current society men have more advantages,” said Ms Jinda.

Another tomboy student Kanokwan Wongsaroj said that she had been asked to leave a classroom just because she was wearing trousers. She said even though she wore slacks she always followed the dress code.

Thakul Srisohpol, a gay student who attends university as a female, said he sometimes ran into problems with teachers on this issue as well. As for the tomboys' protest, he supports the girls because they have the right to dress that way if they wish...

A reporter said SSRU professor Nantida Ohtagam told them that the reason she does not allow tomboy students to come to her class wearing pants is because they still look like women, unlike gay students who change their hair and looks as well.

If these students don't feel happy wearing a female uniform then they need to talk with the teachers first," Ms Nantida said...

...Some homosexual students, male and female, were afraid to voice their discontent because the professors can deduct behaviour marks, leading to variety of punishments, reports said...  

Internet users on Facebook and popular Thai web boards Pantip.com and Sanook.com have mixed opinions on university students cross-dressing.

A Pantip commenter said tomboy students already look like men so they should be allowed to wear pants nonetheless, and university students were mature enough to make their own decisions.

"This is about equality. If men can wear skirts then women can wear pants too," another Pantip user said

Female students wearing pants would not cause society to degenerate, a poster said.

However, some netizens expressed concern about tomboy students using women's restrooms.

This also concerns our (women's) safety. We sometimes can't be sure if the tomboys are really men pretending to be women in our restrooms," a female netizen said...

(Source: Bangkok Post, About transgender, Tomboy students seek equality, 5 Feb 2013, Online Reporters, link) 


Transgender Vocabulary

transgender  - a person who has a gender identity (self-identification as woman, man, neither or both) that does not match the sex they were given at birth (identification by others as male, female or intersex based on physical/genetic sex). Transgender does not imply any specific form of sexual orientation; transgender people may identify as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, polysexual, or asexual; some may consider conventional sexual orientation labels inadequate or inapplicable to them. The precise definition for transgender remains in flux"  (See Wikipedia)

gay - people who are attracted to people of the same sex (men love men, women love women) (See Wikipedia)
homosexual - Same as "gay"
homosexual students

cross-dressing - when boys wear girl's clothes or girls wear boy's clothes (See Wikipedia)
university students cross-dressing

tomboy - 1. (in Thailand) a girl who loves other girls (dresses like a boy and behaves like a boy); 2. (in US) a girl who behaves like a boy, doing things that boys usually do
tomboy students

equality - the state of being equal, especially in having the same rights, status and opportunities ความเสมอภาค
Tomboy students seek equality

banned - officially not allowed to do something ห้ามอย่างเป็นทางการ ถูกตัดสิทธิ ถูกห้าม ห้าม ห้างอย่างเด็ดขาด
tomboy students

equality - being treated in the same way as other people; when all people are treated the same เสมอภาค, ความเสมอภาค
demanding equality

gender - sex, the fact of being either male or female; the differences between men and women (including biological and social) เพศ (See Wikipedia)
gender equality

ban - say someone cannot do something or go somewhere
professors banned them from wearing pants to class

attend class - at school go to class and listen to lecture or study 
allowed male gay students to attend class wearing skirts

female - of a woman สำหรับผู้หญิง
attire - clothes
female attire

distressed - being upset about something, not feeling good about something (angry or sad)
The women complained that being forced by teachers to wear female attire to classrooms, instead of male clothing, distressed them.

breach - break a rule, not follow a rule
constitution  - รัฐธรรมนูญ
breach the constitution - break a rule in the constitution, violate a right given to people in the constitution 

principle - a basic belief, theory, or rule that has a major influence on the way in which something is done หลักการ
the principle of gender equality

breach principle - to break a rule or do something that does not follow a principle 
breach the principle of gender equality
It also ... breached the constitution and the principle of gender equality, the report said.

she did not feel like herself
Jinda Pigulgaew, a third year student, said she did not like wearing a skirt because she did not feel like herself.

immediately - happening right after something else with no delay; right away ทันที
immediately before entering class
changed clothes immediately before entering class

switch back- change to something you had before
switch back to pants  

right after - immediately after (some event happens)
switch back to pants right after

She always changed into a skirt only immediately before entering class and switched back to pants right after.

current - of the present time ปัจจุบัน
our current society
in our current society men have more advantages

"When I see that [homosexual] men come to class wearing skirts I just feel that's unfair. However, I do understand that in our current society men have more advantages,” said Ms Jinda.

trousers - pants
slacks - pants (more formal pants for important events)

code - rules of proper behaviour for a particular job, organisation, etc. มาตรการ, กฎเกณฑ์, ระเบียบ
dress code - rules for dressing at a school, company or other organization
She said even though she wore slacks she always followed the dress code.

issue - a subject that people discuss or argue about ประเด็น
ran into problems - a problem arose, a problem happened
he sometimes ran into problems with teachers on this issue

Thakul Srisohpol, a gay student who attends university as a female, said he sometimes ran into problems with teachers on this issue as well.

protest - a strong complaint or disagreement ประท้วง
supports - helps or agrees with publicly

As for the tomboys' protest, he supports the girls because they have the right to dress that way if they wish...

reason - an explanation of an event, why an event happened เหตุ ; เหตุผล ; สาเหตุ
the reason she does not allow tomboy students to come to her class wearing pants is because they still look like women, unlike gay students who change their hair and looks as well.

school uniform - the special clothes that students wear when they go to school
female uniform
If these students don't feel happy wearing a female uniform then they need to talk with the teachers first.

voice - to express your feelings or opinions ออกความคิด
discontent - the unhappy feeling that you have when you are not satisfied with something ไม่พอใจ

voice their discontent - to tell people you are not happy
afraid to voice their discontent

marks - grades  
behaviour marks - grades given for the way a student behaves in the classroom (being a good student and following the teacher)

deduct - to take away an amount or part from a total หักออก
deduct behaviour marks

variety - many different types of things or people ความหลากหลาย
a variety of punishments

the professors can deduct behaviour marks, leading to a variety of punishments, reports said...  

...Some homosexual students, male and female, were afraid to voice their discontent because the professors can deduct behaviour marks, leading to variety of punishments, reports said...  

mixed opinions - people have different opinions (not one but many different opinions)
Internet users have mixed opinions on the issue

Internet users on Facebook and popular Thai web boards Pantip.com and Sanook.com have mixed opinions on university students cross-dressing.

mature - fully grown เติบโตเต็มที่ behaving in the sensible way that you would expect an adult to behave มีวุฒิภาวะ
university students were mature enough to make their own decisions.

degenerate - someone who behaves in a shocking or immoral way
Female students wearing pants would not cause society to degenerate, a poster said.

netizens - people who spend a lot of their life on the internet

concern - worries ความกังวล
express concern - to say that you are worried about something

However, some netizens expressed concern about tomboy students using women's restrooms.

concern - to be about เกี่ยวกับ
this concerns women's safety

pretend - when you try to look or act like something that you are not แกล้งทำว่าเป็นจริง; แกล้ง, หลอกลวง, หลอก, แสร้ง; เสแสร้ง; แกล้งทำให้เข้าใจเป็นอื่น; จงใจทำให้ผิดจากความจริง
men pretending to be women
men pretending to be women  in our restrooms

can't be sure if the tomboys are really men pretending to be women in our restrooms

This also concerns our (women's) safety. We sometimes can't be sure if the tomboys are really men pretending to be women in our restrooms," a female netizen said...