I was surrounded by LGBTQ people throughout Songkran, which felt like Pride, New Year’s Eve, and Thanksgiving all thrown together.
Songkran Festival Part 1: Water Fights and Queer Dance Parties
I’d never seen so many straight/cisgender people partying alongside LGBTQ people other than at Pride. In that moment, Thailand really did feel like a place where transgender people could be their full selves.
Interviewing a Thai Transgender Restaurant Owner
You won’t find this restaurant on Google, but if you’re looking for authentic Thai food and transgender community amidst the tourists on Koh Panghan, then Thai E-San is the place to be. Plamy, who co-owns the restaurant with her family, let me interview and observe her at work for a day.
Ladyboy: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Term
By simply dismissing “ladyboy” as a pejorative term, it takes away the agency of thousands of Thai transgender people who use it to explain their identity and market transgender beauty. I used to completely avoid the term “ladyboy,” but now in a way, I love it, because to me it speaks to the idea that there is something inherently attractive about transgender femininity.