Letters to the Editor	Letters Archive

In Thailand, 'Everyone will admire your beauty'

Are you proud to be gay? I'm sorry, if you are not. (I mean: gay! Not proud.)

Do you show your feelings with pride or hide it in the closet?

Did you ever ask yourself, why gay pride events all over the world are growing and growing, drawing hundreds of thousand or even million visitors every year and in Thailand the gay pride movement is not really picking up. Some local events, a little bit party, but very few political demonstrations, statements, gay publicity: nothing really growing by the thousands.

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No, the reason is not that Thai people are rather apolitical. The reason is not that Thai boys are to shy to express their feelings in public. The reason is not that gay campaigners don't try hard enough. They do.

There is only one reason: Be gay or not doesn't matter in Thailand. It's normal. Thai people are great. They accept you as you are. They don't have drawers where you have to fit in. They don't despise you because you are different. They are different too, every one of them. And they know, maybe not know, but feel it. They only ask you to accept them as they are and they will accept you. That's not so hard. Isn't it? But if you try to change their way of life, they will smile at you, and certainly not change.

Feel the difference! Other countries know only "straight" and "gay", some up-to-date countries also "bi." But how many places outside Thailand accept a third gender? Yes, the ones in between, soon even in the Thai constitution.

There is more than black and white, straight or gay, man or woman. Thais have their own names for the "phet thee sam" (third sex), "ladyboy" in English, "sao praphet song" (second kind of woman), or the more popular Khmer word "kathoey." Words like transwoman, intersexual, cross-dresser, transgender, transvestite, androgyn, bigender, drag king, drag queen, genderqueer are normally not used in Thailand. Thais don't need so many special words for something so normal.

Dress up in your country in blouse and skirt and cut-and-dried opinions will hit you hard. Prejudices will make your life miserable. (Sorry, I am not talking about Scotland or our neighbors in Myanmar, where skirts are men's wear).

Dress up in women's clothing or drag in Thailand and everybody will admire your beauty. Not only on the stage: in everyday life!

Be proud to be gay. If you are straight, be proud to be straight. If you are bi, ladyboy, Kathoey, be proud to be bi, ladyboy, Kathoey.

Pan
Bangkok, Thailand

Eager for stripper info

Hey, I'm eager for an new version of your Stripper Bars 101 article. Just thought I'd let you know.

G.M.
via email

I was hoping you could update readers on stripper clubs in the United States. I believe, sadly, that all the ones in the D.C. area have closed.

Mack
via email

Hey, we hear you guys. Look for an article about clubs and venues that showcase male strippers in an up-coming issue.

Nipplemaniac!

I enjoyed your feature "Nipplemania" (September 2001; available at Guidemag.com). Most worked out gym dudes are more aware of their bodies and are better tuned to the sensitivity of their nipples. And there's something about a pumped muscular chest that is really hot when sensitive nipples are in play.

If you want to see muscle dudes getting into their nipples big time check out Pexual.com (devoted to "manly chests and pectoral pleasures"). Join these hot studs in endless sessions of nipple ecstasy.

"Pexual"
via email

Nothing up his... sleeve

Your June 2008 feature "Gay and Naked" (available at Guidemag.com) was an excellent set of articles!

Could have used some more links to websites about naked Pride, however. For a lot of information about naked marchers in Toronto Pride and other cities: NakedPride.com.

There's also a site about this guy Tom, who likes driving all over North America to be naked in public: OutdoorNudity.org There's even a site by a guy who likes to be a nude magician at GNI's gatherings: NakedMagician.com

PhDTop
San Diego, California