The people of the "third sex", which is designated in Thailand under the English term for "ladyboys" (women boys), just won a victory in their battle for greater social recognition: in April, the world's largest airline to hire crews in particular compounds of transsexuals should take off from Bangkok to Seoul.
The initiative came from Peter Chan, a former steward of the national carrier Thai Airways, who made his fortune in real estate and decided to create his own company. Stamped with his initials "CP Air", the charter airline for the South Korean market, Japanese and Chinese chose a motto that embodies the values it intends to convey bold aboard its two Airbus A 310: "It's my way.
" A slogan that evokes both the air path as how the new-born Thai commercial aviation will promote its identity ... A morning of February there was a crowd of PCs in offices in Bangkok Air. That day, the aircrews were gathered for a first workout. The stewards were installed in a room and in another, a barber taught up to twenty hosts, including four ladyboys.
In his office, Peter Chan praised the reasons for his initiative. This 47 year old man, dressed with research, feels a mission: "It is incredible not to accept transsexuals among the crews of airplanes," he explains. We are all human beings, c ' is a question of human rights! " The idea came to him one day, after meeting one of the most famous Thai representatives of the third sex, lovely Thanyarat Jiraphatpakorn, 24, crowned in 2007 "Miss Tiffany," a competition that awards each year in Thailand most beautiful ladyboy.
"For us, the job of air hostess is one of the most popular with young Thai women," says Chan. When I saw Miss Tiffany, I have not even noticed it was a ladyboy! As soon as I understood, I decided it was his dream to become a stewardess. " Thanyarat Jiraphatpakorn had already applied in other companies, but had been dismissed because of his sexual identity.
"Even today, says Chan, all born male transsexuals must hold a passport of a man, despite their feminine appearance." The former Miss Tiffany is a tall young woman smile, the light expanded by contact lenses that give the appearance of a manga character. "Today, Thai society, which remains very conservative, more accepting of transsexuals.
We suffer less discrimination than in the past," she says. The popularity of the Miss Tiffany is perhaps an example: each year it is watched by millions of people over a string of national television. Besides Thanyarat Jiraphatpakorn in the local PC Air, another air hostess of the third sex.
Phuntakorn Sringen, 24, insists on a reality that masks the bad reputation of Bangkok: all ladyboys are not dancers, hostesses or prostitutes who haunt the bars of transvestites hot districts of Patpong and Sukhumvit. "We have always reserved this kind of professions," said the young transsexual, whose previous occupation was a guidance counselor.
"Becoming an air hostess was my dream, and the fact that we are working in many an airline will undoubtedly improve our status," she hopes. Thai society, despite its apparent conservatism, tolerates the third sex, even though that is often tinged with some contempt. The Kathoey - pejorative term to describe ladyboys - are visible, although mainly confined to the arts: they are present in soap operas, magazines popular cabaret.
Yet they are present in other sectors. In 1996, Iron Ladies, a team composed of volleyball transsexuals and homosexuals, have won the national championship. A very experienced boxer, Nong Tum has remained popular even after taking hormones and gradually feminized appearance. He entered the ring makeup, long hair, up to full mouth kiss his opponent ...
He retired after deciding to proceed with surgery that would make him a woman. All ladyboys does not however define the same way, which adds complexity to their relationship to the question of gender: according to researcher Winter Sat, polls show that over 190 transsexuals surveyed, 11% see themselves as "not -male ", 45% and 36% as women as belonging to the category of" another kind of women.
" Other more recent studies indicate, however, that 35% of transgender respondents perceive themselves as embodying a third sex and not only as women born by mistake in a man's body. As to meet these changing perceptions, the University of Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, the toilets provided since 2003 for students "not women, not men" on the door, a double sign intertwined male and female signals the The identity of these sinks a third type.
philipbruno @ gmail. Philip com Bruno Article published in the edition of 19.02.11 
The initiative came from Peter Chan, a former steward of the national carrier Thai Airways, who made his fortune in real estate and decided to create his own company. Stamped with his initials "CP Air", the charter airline for the South Korean market, Japanese and Chinese chose a motto that embodies the values it intends to convey bold aboard its two Airbus A 310: "It's my way.
" A slogan that evokes both the air path as how the new-born Thai commercial aviation will promote its identity ... A morning of February there was a crowd of PCs in offices in Bangkok Air. That day, the aircrews were gathered for a first workout. The stewards were installed in a room and in another, a barber taught up to twenty hosts, including four ladyboys.
In his office, Peter Chan praised the reasons for his initiative. This 47 year old man, dressed with research, feels a mission: "It is incredible not to accept transsexuals among the crews of airplanes," he explains. We are all human beings, c ' is a question of human rights! " The idea came to him one day, after meeting one of the most famous Thai representatives of the third sex, lovely Thanyarat Jiraphatpakorn, 24, crowned in 2007 "Miss Tiffany," a competition that awards each year in Thailand most beautiful ladyboy.
"For us, the job of air hostess is one of the most popular with young Thai women," says Chan. When I saw Miss Tiffany, I have not even noticed it was a ladyboy! As soon as I understood, I decided it was his dream to become a stewardess. " Thanyarat Jiraphatpakorn had already applied in other companies, but had been dismissed because of his sexual identity.
"Even today, says Chan, all born male transsexuals must hold a passport of a man, despite their feminine appearance." The former Miss Tiffany is a tall young woman smile, the light expanded by contact lenses that give the appearance of a manga character. "Today, Thai society, which remains very conservative, more accepting of transsexuals.
We suffer less discrimination than in the past," she says. The popularity of the Miss Tiffany is perhaps an example: each year it is watched by millions of people over a string of national television. Besides Thanyarat Jiraphatpakorn in the local PC Air, another air hostess of the third sex.
Phuntakorn Sringen, 24, insists on a reality that masks the bad reputation of Bangkok: all ladyboys are not dancers, hostesses or prostitutes who haunt the bars of transvestites hot districts of Patpong and Sukhumvit. "We have always reserved this kind of professions," said the young transsexual, whose previous occupation was a guidance counselor.
"Becoming an air hostess was my dream, and the fact that we are working in many an airline will undoubtedly improve our status," she hopes. Thai society, despite its apparent conservatism, tolerates the third sex, even though that is often tinged with some contempt. The Kathoey - pejorative term to describe ladyboys - are visible, although mainly confined to the arts: they are present in soap operas, magazines popular cabaret.
Yet they are present in other sectors. In 1996, Iron Ladies, a team composed of volleyball transsexuals and homosexuals, have won the national championship. A very experienced boxer, Nong Tum has remained popular even after taking hormones and gradually feminized appearance. He entered the ring makeup, long hair, up to full mouth kiss his opponent ...
He retired after deciding to proceed with surgery that would make him a woman. All ladyboys does not however define the same way, which adds complexity to their relationship to the question of gender: according to researcher Winter Sat, polls show that over 190 transsexuals surveyed, 11% see themselves as "not -male ", 45% and 36% as women as belonging to the category of" another kind of women.
" Other more recent studies indicate, however, that 35% of transgender respondents perceive themselves as embodying a third sex and not only as women born by mistake in a man's body. As to meet these changing perceptions, the University of Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, the toilets provided since 2003 for students "not women, not men" on the door, a double sign intertwined male and female signals the The identity of these sinks a third type.
philipbruno @ gmail. Philip com Bruno Article published in the edition of 19.02.11
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