The semiotics of transgendered sexual identity in the Thai print media: Imagery and discourse of the sexual other

Abstract

This paper offers a review of the ways in which the Thai print media presents images of transgendered and/or homosexual identities or what may be termed ‘gendered/transgendered sexualities’. The author argues that the varied, and at times contradictory, images of gendered sexualities used by the print media can be understood as discursive devices in broader social debates within Thai society. The paper reviews three cases recently covered by the Thai print media: The emergence of lesbian/gay youth cultures (tom-dee, gay); the Rajaphat College ban on transgendered/gay students; and sex crime cases in which the defendant is labelled as ‘Tuy’ or a type of homosexual male. These three cases offered particular representations of gendered sexualities that can only properly be understood within the social-political context of modern day Thailand. In particular, they operate as a kind of Thai ‘Orientalism’, or cultural critique, which contrasts sharply with the ironic silence of the media towards high profile individuals who are well known to be transgender/homosexual. © 2000 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.