From the Iron to the Lady: the "kathoey" phenomenon in thai cinema

ISSN 2173-5123 Sesión no nume ada: Re is a de le as y icción audio isual Núm. 2 (2012): 190-202 190 F om he I on o he Lady: The Ka hoey Phenomenon in Thai Cinema The I on Ladies: El enómeno ka hoey en el cine ailandés Recibido: 26 de oc ub e de 2011 Acep ado: 25 de no iemb e de 2011 Milag os Expósi o Ba ea Uni e sidad de Se illa mexposi [email p o ec ed] Abs ac E en hough hey lack any legal igh s, he ka hoey, also known as ladyboys, ha e g ea social ele ance in Thailand. We ace a di e en way o looking a homosexuali y, s a ing wi h a mo e ole an conside a ion om he eligious poin o iew hanks o he way i is concei ed h ough ka ma. The success ul elease o The I on Ladies (Thongkon hun, di ., 2000) ini ia ed he p oduc ion o an inc easing numbe o gay ilms in Thailand. Choosing he s andpoin o quee heo y, his pape a emp s o pu ac oss he easons behind he success hese ilms ha e ound, s udying he way Thai cul u e, pa icula ly i s cinema, depic s he a ious homosexual ac ions: he po ayal o he ka hoey as a ole model; an app oach o he boom o male homosexuali y in ilms; an in es iga ion o he use o s e eo ypes; he e olu ion o he comme cial gay comedy o he upsu ge o d amas aimed a homosexual audiences. Keywo ds Thai cinema, gay cinema, ka hoey, ladyboys. Resumen A pesa de que ca ecen de de echos legales, los ka hoey, ambién conocidos como ladyboys, ienen una g an ele ancia social en Tailandia. Nos encon amos an e una o ma di e en e de e la homosexualidad, más ole an e en de e minadas cues iones, g acias a la isión que o ece el budismo pa iendo de una se ie de p ecep os undamen ados en el ka ma. El éxi o alcanzado po la película The I on Ladies (Thongkon hun, di . 2000) dio paso a un c ecien e núme o de p oducciones cinema og á icas de emá ica homosexual en Tailandia. Pa iendo de la eo ía quee , es e abajo in en a explica las azones que exis en en el inc emen o alcanzado po es e ipo de películas, pa a ello es necesa io hace un es udio de la cul u a ailandesa, en pa icula su cinema og a ía, y cómo se ep esen an las di e en es o mas de en ende la homosexualidad: la imagen de los ka hoey como un modelo a segui , el auge de la homosexualidad masculina en las películas, el uso de es e eo ipos, la e olución de la comedia come cial homosexual o el aumen o de d amas cinema og á icos di igidos a un público p edominan emen e homosexual. Palab as cla e Cine ailandés, cine gay, ka hoey, ladyboys. ζ F om he I on o he Lady: The Ka hoey Phenomenon in Thai Cinema Sesión no nume ada: Re is a de le as y icción audio isual Núm. 2 (2012): 190-202 191 1. In oduc ion: The Ka hoey Anyone who wan s o s udy he subjec o homosexuali y in Thailand should i s lea n a leas a ew hings abou he language o he coun y. The main p oblem we ound was ha in Thailand he sepa a ion be ween gende and sex is almos nonexis en . His o ically, he ca ego ies o sex and gende would be included in he e m phe . These ca ego ies a e h ee: phu-chai o e e o male/man; phu-ying o emale/woman; and an in e media e ca ego y ha is known as ka hoey. The wo d ka hoey deno es a pe son (man o woman) ha exp esses he maph odi ism o exhibi s beha iou s ha a e no conside ed app op ia e o hei sex. The ka hoeys a e called he hi d sex bo h in he academic speech and in a mo e popula con ex . This wo d is no only used o e e o biological males bu also includes male women ( omboys) and hei emale pa ne s (dee, om lady), bisexuals, queens, kings, ladyboys and any o he wo ds ha e e o homosexuali y (Jackson & Sulli an, 1999: 4). The idea ha he e m ka hoey means a speci ic ype o homosexual is w ong, possibly in luenced by he Wes e n dicho omy be ween he wo gende s (B ummelhuis, 1999: 122-123). The wo ds quee and ka hoey a e e y simila : bo h e ms we e used pejo a i ely owa ds people who we e he maph odi es o whose sexual o ien a ions we e o he han hose es ablished by he e ono ma i e socie y. The e m quee has adi ionally mean s ange o unusual and is associa ed wi h he gay communi y: lesbian, gay, bisexual and ansgende people. O e ime, he wo wo ds, quee and ka hoey, ha e unde wen a se ies o seman ic ans o ma ions ha ha e made hem mo e away om hei o iginally nega i e conno a ions. The en y o he wes e n wo d gay in Thai socie y is ai ly ecen , bu i s use in Thailand has elega ed he wo d ka hoey o wha we unde s and as ansgende , ans es i es and ansgende , and speci ically ocused on men. Ka hoey would become wha we know as Ladyboy. Also, he wo d lesbian has ailed o be accep ed by Thai socie y because i is e y di icul o ansla e in o he Thai language (Jackson, 2001: 16-17). In s udies on sexuali y in Thailand he e is no di e ence be ween ansgende and homoe o icism o be ween homosexual beha iou and iden i y acco ding o he esea ch conduc ed by Pe e Jackson, a gay ac i is and a Thai his o y esea che om he Aus alian Na ional Uni e si y (Jackson & Sulli an 1999: 5-6). Milag os Expósi o Ba ea Sesión no nume ada: Re is a de le as y icción audio isual Núm. 2 (2012): 190-202 192 Howe e , in wes e n esea ch abou Quee Theo y he e is a sepa a ion be ween gende and sexuali y which is one o he highligh s o hese s udies. As men ioned by Donald Mo on, “ he sepa a ion o sexuali y om gende … ma k he bi h o quee heo y” (1997: 14); and E e Sedgwick a gues ha “ he ques ion o gende and he ques ion o sexuali y a e no he same ques ion” (1991: 30). Bu in he Thai case hese dis inc ions a e no iable, so we should do a e iew o wes e n Quee Theo y. Dennis Al man (1996) o example, p esen s he idea o «global quee ing» as he e is a homogeniza ion o homosexuali y om he pe spec i e o wes e n a che ypes. Models c ea ed in he Wes a e la e used o ind simila i ies wi h he es o he wo ld in a way ha gene alizes he subjec o a s udy p o ing o be an inapp op ia e me hod, as Al man said. 2. Religion Ano he impo an aspec o Thailand is ha i is a na ion hea ily in luenced by Buddhism. Wi hin he Buddhis sc ip u es in he T ipi aka, we ind he Vinaya o monas ic disciplina y code o The a ada Buddhism, he b anch o Buddhism ollowed in his coun y. The Vinaya is unde s ood as he ules go e ning he o de and mus be p ac iced by Buddhis monks who o m he sangha, o communi y. Fou ypes o sex/gende a e desc ibed wi hin hese ex s. Fi s , he e is he ca ego y o men and women; plus wo addi ional ca ego ies called ubha obyanjanaka and pandaka, which e e o he maph odi ism and homosexuali y, espec i ely. Acco ding o Bunmi Me hangkun (1986) bo h concep s ha e been ansla ed in o Thai as ka hoeys. Buddhism has a g ea powe wi hin his coun y whe e he h ee pilla s o Thai iden i y a e: he ideas o na ion, eligion and mona chy. Buddhism began as an o de o celiba e men who li ed in a communi y, o sangha. Wi hin he ex s o The a ada Buddhism he e a e a numbe o e e ences o homoe o ic beha iou . The p oblem is ha hese ex s a e se in a pe iod o e wo housand yea s ago, so i is e y di icul o con ex ualize hem in he p esen ime. To Buddhis monks con ol o e hei desi e, whe he sexual o o he wise, is e y impo an . Hence, ha any monk who has sex is de ea ed on his oad o Ni ana. The con ol and he ex inc ion o desi e is he basis o ending he su e ing and a aining sal a ion, so gay men a e seen as he an i hesis o he spi i ual p ocess. F om he I on o he Lady: The Ka hoey Phenomenon in Thai Cinema Sesión no nume ada: Re is a de le as y icción audio isual Núm. 2 (2012): 190-202 193 Buddhism explains ha being a ka hoey is akin o some kind o punishmen , a ka mic consequence o ha ing done e il deeds in a p e ious li e. These w ong deeds o en a e iola ions o a sexual na u e, such as he lack o sexual con ol. Fo me monk Isa amuni (1989: 3-4) and Ph a Ra chawo amuni belie e ha homosexuali y comes om his lack o con ol which is beyond no mali y. Acco ding o Bunmi anyone can become a ka hoey o has been one in some p e ious li e, so e e yone should be ole an o hem. Bunmi aises he ques ion: How many imes may we be ka hoeys in he u u e? (Bunmi Me hangkun epo ed in Jackson, 1998). Thus, Buddhism ends o be ole an o people who a e a ac ed o o he s o he same sex, bu also exe s a s ong an i gay in luence. When AIDS was expanding all o e he wo ld some Buddhis w i e s pa icipa ed in he s igma iza ion o homosexuals. Thei ex s we e based on ce ain Buddhis eachings ha con ibu ed o sp ead o ea and epudia ion o homosexuals and ha became he i s cause o he p opaga ion o his disease. A p esen ime, some abbo s allow ans es i es o ka hoeys o be o dained as monks because hey belie e ha we should judge people on hei men al s a e and no on hei ex e io appea ance. 3. Thai Socie y F om he ou side Thailand seems o be ee o p ejudices abou homosexuali y, o some ex en because o hei g ea sex ou ism ma ke in his coun y. Bu in eali y his ision is pa ially inco ec . Usually i is qui e di icul o Thai people o openly decla e hemsel es homosexual because homosexuali y s ill has a nega i e conno a ion. Maybe he e a e no di ec sanc ions agains homosexuals, bu in hei social en i onmen hey can expe ience emo ional damages as esul s o insul s and gossips. This is one o he easons why homosexuals a e os acized and hey only ac openly wi hin a ci cle o ex emely close people (Sinno , 1999: 102). Pa adoxically, in Thai socie y some sec o s o homosexuals a e no hidden, bu , qui e he opposi e, hey a e ai ly isible, as in he case o ans es i es, who ha e become he ins i u ional images o ka hoey. On he o he hand, he case o he Tom o Lesbians is mo e p oblema ical because hey a e s ill conside ed aboo and Thai socie y emains eluc an o accep emale homosexuali y (Sinno , 1999: 102). I is also wo hy o ema k he pe pe ua ion o nega i e s e eo ypes, by bo h he e osexuals and homosexuals, as e lec ed in Thai mass media such as ele ision and Milag os Expósi o Ba ea Sesión no nume ada: Re is a de le as y icción audio isual Núm. 2 (2012): 190-202 194 he p ess, as well as cinema. In some cases homosexuals play as suppo ing cha ac e s o he he oes and he oines as assis an s and also as comic elie . Thai cinema no only p omo e he s o ies i gay in his socie y as he main cha ac e s bu also communica e he need o ecognise he digni y o gay people as human being e en when wo king wi h s e eo ypes (Sungs i, 2008: 233). S e eo ypes a e cons an ly mo ing in all cul u es. Fo example, in Wes e n socie ies since he la e nine een h cen u y and he ea ly wen ie h cen u y, homosexuali y and he homosexual condi ion ha e been –bo h academically and popula ly– linked o some kind o illness o labelled as immo al o pe e se beha iou . The p oblem is he my h ha homosexuals a e sick o e il people who a e by na u e insa iable sex p eda o s s ill su i es in some socie ies and keeps on leading o punishmen and ep ession nowadays. In his book His o y o Sexuali y Foucaul decla es ha possibly he e ha e always been homosexuals bu he «cha ac e » has been c ea ed by ecen medical –mo e speci ically, psychia ic– discou se since he second hal o he nine een h cen u y (Foucaul , 1976). In Thailand he a i ude o he middle class plays a e y in luen ial ole in he public opinion abou ka hoey. Amongs he ep esen a i es o ha p o essional middle class a e psychologis s o psychia is s whose ideologies end o be an i-gay o an i-homosexual. Thus, i is qui e di icul o a ka hoey o en e he p o essional middle class, and hey may e en mee some ouble in ce ain sec o s o educa ion. Fo hose easons hey hide hei sexual condi ion in he public domain. The Thai endency o a oid loss o ace and pain ul communica ions nobody alks abou i . Ten B ummelhuis has called his idea o “e e ybody knows bu nobody alks” and called i he «Conspi acy o Silence» (B ummelhuis & He d , 1995). The sp ead o AIDS in he ea ly 1980s u he s eng hened homosexual ep ession. Thailand op ed o denial and silence. Be o e he boom o he con agion o he i us, Thais belie ed Asian people we e gene ically immune o STDs and only he a ang, a e m used o e e o o eigne s, should wo y abou hem. Bu in he 80s homosexual men, p os i u es and Wes e n ou is s in Thailand we e accused o sp eading AIDS. They became he bigges h ea o public heal h in he eyes o poli icians, physicians, he mass media, and o he public igu es, including Buddhis monks, which caused a big cul u al impac on Thailand. As Jackson says: F om he I on o he Lady: The Ka hoey Phenomenon in Thai Cinema Sesión no nume ada: Re is a de le as y icción audio isual Núm. 2 (2012): 190-202 195 Gay men in con empo a y Thailand a e in he p ocess o nego ia ing his ambiguous psycho-cul u al space and, in gene al, a e a emp ing o o e come he s igma ha a aches o homosexuali y by aligning hemsel es wi h he gende -no ma i e s a us o «men» and dis ancing hemsel es om gende de ian ka hoey. (Jackson, 1995: 186- 187) 4. Thai Cinema: Gay Films Nex , I will explo e he ield o gay ilms: how his ype o cinema has inc eased since 2000; wha i s main hemes a e; i s ypes o cha ac e s and he s e eo ypes associa ed wi h hem. I will begin wi h a sho in oduc ion o Thai cinema. The ilm cul u e in his coun y s a s wi h he beginnings o he cinema in en ion when a g oup o Pa isians a i ed in Thailand o exhibi hei ilms. The in asion o Hollywood blockbus e s du ing he 80’s and he 90’s comp omised he p e iously s ong na ional indus y, which had o eso o c ea ing ilms o a new audience, he eenage s. S uden comedies and d amas, ac ion ilms and ho o ilms o eenage s became so common ha hey ha dly le place o any o he ilm gen e (Sungs i, 2008: 157-158). F om an annual p oduc ion o 200 i les in he 70’s, he numbe o ilms p oduced dec eased o jus a nine i les in he cou se o he 90’s (Sungs i, 2008: 131). Howe e , a new phase in he his o y o he Thai ilm indus y s a ed in 1997 when a g oup o ilmmake s mig a ed om he wo ld o ad e ising and TV o he ilm indus y: he debu o Penek Ra ana uang, Nonzee Nimibu and he a i al o Hong Kongese Oxide Pang (Chaiwo apo n, 2001: 159-160). They we e also joined by ad e ise s Apicha pong Wee ase hakul and Yongyoo Thongkon hun, whose debu was he gay comedy The I on Ladies in 2000. This phenomenon coincided wi h socio-sexual p og essi eness igge ed by he empowe men o ci il socie y ha ound e e mo e spaces in he g owing p i a e sec o o exp ess i sel . In he cou se o hese changes a new gen e was es ablished whose success ew people had an icipa ed: ka hoey- ilms. Also, old di ec o s ha had been se aside by he p edominance o ilms o eenage s e u ned when he indus y was opened o he new Thai p oposals. Unde he label o New Thai Cinema he e was a mix u e o new ilmmake s wi h news ideas, old ilmmake s ha had picked up hei ca ee s and ilmmake s ha had al eady been wo king du ing he 90s and con inued doing comedies, ho o and ac ion o young people. This phenomenon led o an inc ease in he numbe o Thai p oduc ions since 2000. Milag os Expósi o Ba ea Sesión no nume ada: Re is a de le as y icción audio isual Núm. 2 (2012): 190-202 196 I we make an assessmen o he mos popula ilm gen es in Thailand he i s place would be o ho o , ollowed by comedy. In a hi d posi ion would be he ilms ha ea he gay heme, whose popula i y s a ed wi h he na ional and in e na ional success o The I on Ladies, which is based on eal e en s: in 1996 he male eam ha won he Thai na ional championship o olleyball was almos comple ely in eg a ed by gays, ans es i es and anssexuals. The ilm ells he s o y o wo young male olleyball playe s, Mon and Jung, who a e con inually ejec ed by di e en coaches because hey a e homosexual. Finally, a new coach (in his case, a lesbian) who is o c ea e a eam ha ep esen s he p o ince in he na ional championships decides o gi e hem an oppo uni y, which causes he depa u e o he es o he eam (he e osexual), excep one. Mon and Jung a e o ced o b ing in o he eam se e al iends o hei s, including a gay se gean , a anssexual caba e pe o me and a gay Chinese, along wi h o he playe s he coach has ound and who also happen o be gay. In eal li e his eam o wel e playe s became a ocus o a en ion because o he appea ance o he six homosexual ones, wi h hei pony- ail hai dos, hea y make-up and e emina e sc eams and ges u es. Bo h he ilm and he eal ac s show he di e si y o opinions abou homosexuali y ha exis in his coun y. On one side he e is a sec o o socie y ha belie es his eam is a disg ace o he na ion and should be disquali ied; hen, an appa en ly mo e ole an second sec o sees hem jus as a simple en e ainmen , ha ing un wi h he way hey play; and inally, he e a e hose who iden i y hemsel es wi h he playe s and see his eam as a way o b eak in o socie y, a model o ollow. The Thai go e nmen decided o expel wo o he homosexual playe s om he na ional eam o p e en hem om compe ing on an in e na ional le el o ea o he pe cep ion o Thailand hey could gene a e ab oad. The e was a sequel o his ilm, The I on Ladies 2 (Thongkon hun, di ., 2003), bu i was no as success ul as he i s one. This second ilm ells o how he wo main cha ac e s i s me and wha hey did a e compe ing in he na ional league in 1996. In bo h ilms we ind a lo o s e eo ypes which eso o humou . I we analyze he cha ac e s, we ind a anssexual, a ious c ossd essing homosexuals and wo gays. The i s s e eo ype is ha , as expec ed o a anssexual, his cha ac e wo ks as a ka hoey in a ka hoey caba e , and hen also, h oughou he s o y, he cha ac e p e e s o be e e ed as a Second Type o Woman o T ans o med F om he I on o he Lady: The Ka hoey Phenomenon in Thai Cinema Sesión no nume ada: Re is a de le as y icción audio isual Núm. 2 (2012): 190-202 197 Goddess. Despi e a ac ing men, ka hoeys belie e ha hey a e no en i ely emale and will ne e be able o conside hemsel es ue women. The ilm also e lec s ano he p oblem acing anssexuals: Thai legisla ion o icially bans he sex change, in he bi h ce i ica e and in he passpo , o ha eason a big numbe o ka hoeys go ab oad in o de o acqui e a passpo in which hei sex change is eco ded. The c ossd essing cha ac e s a e he cen e o he mocke y because hei beha iou s and aes he ics a e so s e eo yped ha hey quickly become he subjec o jokes and idicule. Maybe he mos inely elabo a ed cha ac e s a e he men who simply like o he men. A e y common gay p oblem in Thailand is ha homosexual men, o ea o social c i icism and ejec ion o due o amily p essu e, ma y women wi h whom hey main ain a no mal li e while hiding hei homosexuali y. Tha happens o he Chinese membe o he eam in he ilm. I we look a he en i e p oduc ion o ka hoey ilms since he elease o The I on Ladies in 2000 un il 2008, we can ind mo e han wen y di e en i les. In he Thai ilm indus y his gen e ha makes use o ans es i es and anssexuals has become a e y ui ul business in which almos any hing goes. Mos o he mo e comme cially success ul and mains eam ilms a e ligh comedies ha make un o homosexuali y, bu a he same ime a emp o send a message o unde s anding and accep ance o he communi y. We can conside i as a s ange mix o mocke y and ole ance. Amongs he mos comme cial comedies he e a e i les such as Spicy Beau y Queen O Bangkok (A non, di ., 2004), he s o y o a anssexual who is denied a bank loan o a sex change ope a ion, so he decides o ob a bank along wi h h ee ladyboys, he ou o hem d essed as gi ls. Things ge complica ed when he plan does no come oge he as expec ed because he e is ano he g oup o young people ying o ob he bank a he same ime. O he ilms wo h men ioning a e The Odd Couple (Pu a a amamane, di ., 2007), Me osexual (Thongkon hun, di ., 2006), Chee leade Queen (A non, di ., 2003) and Kung Fu Too sie (Mokjok, di ., 2007), he s o y o he powe s uggle be ween h ee Can onese ma ias. When one o hem is on he e ge o bea ing he o he s, hei leade is se iously inju ed and he is eplaced by his homosexual win b o he . The la e has li ed wi h his mo he since he was a child and is ond o women’s clo hes and d essing up jus like a gi l; he e en in en s his own igh ing s yle: lady boxing. The wo d « oo sie» in he i le alludes o he ilm Sidney Pollack di ec ed in 1982 abou an unemployed ac o who, in despe a ion, decides o pass as a woman in Milag os Expósi o Ba ea Sesión no nume ada: Re is a de le as y icción audio isual Núm. 2 (2012): 190-202 198 o de o ge a emale ole in a soap ope a. In he ic ion o Pollack’s ilm he p o agonis becomes a huge ele ision celeb i y in his ans es i e pe sona hough, in exchange o success, he has o conceal he ac ha he is ac ually a man om e e yone. We should also men ion ha he e a e also gay ho o comedies like Haun ing Me (A non, di ., 2007) in which ou ka hoeys y o exo cise ghos s because his is he only way o help one o he ghos s o a enge hei dea hs. Besides so many comedies he e a e some comme cial i les which a e close o oman ic d ama, hough hey a e e y unusual in an indus y ha , as men ioned ea lie , concen a es on ho o , comedy and ac ion (he e osexual). One o hose a e ilms is Me... Mysel (Wachi abunjong, di ., 2007) in which a boy su e s om a kind o amnesia a e a gi l knocked him down. Bo h o hem ha e gone h ough emo ional b eak-ups bu o e ime lo e begins o eme ge be ween hem. The p oblem is when he s a s eco e ing his memo y he emembe s he used o be a ka hoey who ac ed in a caba e , bu he canno help lo ing he gi l, who will ha e o decide whe he she wan s o be a ans es i e’s gi l iend. E en ually, he message o he ilm is he s e eo ype ha someone will become homosexual i he is su ounded by homosexuals and he same hing goes o ans es i es. O he impo an d amas we should men ion a e Lo e o Siam (Sak ee akul, di ., 2007) and Bangkok Lo e S o y (A non, di ., 2007). Bo h o hem app oach he eelings ha a ise when wo boys o wo men all in lo e. In he couple he e is always one ha keeps denying his eelings un il he inally accep s wha he uly eels. Also he e is usually a ela i e o a iend wi h an an i-homosexual a i ude who opposes he same-sex ela ionship while he e is also ano he cha ac e in he opposi e ex eme, mo e ole an and pe missi e, ha helps he p o agonis s o make up hei minds. Lo e o Siam p o oked g ea con o e sy because i was p esen ed as a eenage omance wi hou men ioning i s homosexual con en . Some sec o s o socie y a acked i as a me e gay ilm while o he s p aised he openness wi h which people alked abou eenage sexuali y and how lo e is no limi ed o physical a ac ion bu e ol es owa d he emo ional plane. Beside he a o emen ioned comme cial ilms he e ha e also been some independen p oduc ions. Api chapong Wee ase hakul’s T opical Malady (2004) ocuses on he homosexual ela ionship be ween wo boys. Al hough i unde akes he heme o homosexuali y, his ilm is impo an abo e all because i s di ec o belongs in wha we migh be conside ed an a an ga de ilmmake . He also di ec ed The