The Kathoey: Thailand’s Third Gender

 

Kathoey pageant participants (Source: The TransAlly Blog)

Sex is defined as the biological aspects of an individual, whereas gender is the sociocultural expectations, values, beliefs, etc. associated with an individual.  There are many who believe there is a strict and narrow connection between sex and gender, limited both concepts to only existing in two types.  There has, however, been cultural groups over the millennia who not only recognize but believe in multiple types of gender identities, which are typically classified under the umbrella term of “third gender”.  Today’s blog post will address the third gender category that continues to exist in Thailand: the Kathoey.

 

The term Kathoey traditionally references individuals who do not fit into the traditional gender categories of man or woman within Thai contexts.  Typically, Kathoey classifies men who identify as women, or what Westerners conceive as transgendered or trans-women.  There is some debate among scholars regarding the idea that the Kathoey also did represent trans-men (women who identify as men), but this seems to be unlikely due to Thai taboos against such notions.  The term Kathoey was also used to reference intersexed individuals in the past, although this is less common today. 

 

The term Kathoey is often used interchangeably as a slur in popular cultural contexts within Thai culture.  Individuals who identify as Kathoey do not associate their gender identity with their sexuality, and Thai homosexuals feel it is derogatory to be called Kathoey.  This is in part because of the long history of respect and tolerance of the Kathoey as a third gender category.  The term Kathoey is often incorrectly translated into the English phrase, “Ladyboy” or “Lady Boy”.  Contemporary Kathoey hold a distinct disdain for this English translation since it conjures up ideas of deviance and illegal activities.  Again, Thai culture does not view the Kathoey gender as taboo or wrong.

 

The reason that the Kathoey are accepted within Thai culture is because of the strong influence of Buddhism among the Thai.  Buddhist principles claim that there are four sexes/genders (note, traditionally the Thai did not differentiate between sex and gender, hence the wording): male/men, female/woman, intersexed, and homosexual.  Because Buddhists believe that anyone can be kathoey in this, a past life, or a future life the Kathoey are not seen as wrong or immoral.  They are just a part of the natural order.

 

Today, the Kathoey are most often recognized as transwomen (men who identify as women).  They take on female appearance and are often indistinguishable from cis-women.  They are identified by a variety of traits, including appearance (e.g., dressing as women and wearing makeup), occupation (e.g., performing in cabarets or beauty pageants), and language.  Today, the Thai government sponsors are variety of Kathoey cabarets/performances as a means of showcasing the foreign tourists traditional Thai culture, but not all Kathoey participate in this occupation.  They can and do find employment in various areas throughout Thailand.

 

Works Cited

Expósito Barea, Milagros. "From the Iron to the Lady: The Kathoey Phenomenon in Thai Cinema." Sesión no numerada: Revista de letras y ficción audiovisual (2012): 190-202. Print.

Käng, Dredge Byung'chu. "Kathoey “In Trend”: Emergent Genderscapes, National Anxieties and the Re-Signification of Male-Bodied Effeminacy in Thailand." Asian Studies Review (2012): 475–494. Print.

Totman, Richard. The Third Sex: Kathoey: Thailand's Ladyboys. United Kingdom: Souvenir Press, 2011. Print.