Male and female are the two gender identities/ideals that we have been living with for as long as we’ve known. Not until recently have people started looking at gender, sexual identity and feminism differently. In the past, anyone who claimed they were neither male nor female was diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder (GID) or more commonly known as Gender Dysphoria. Today, gender can be seen as a spectrum, with more than two opposing ideals to many. Gender roles, feminism are all portrayed differently from cultural perspectives. Feminism is defined as the advocacy of women 's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.
In Thailand, Sikhism is one of the religions that recognized the plight of women in society. …show more content…
There has been a notion that feminism has been defined to mean aggressive, strident, intolerant, and domineering woman who hates men. This harsh definition has made the modern women to stay away from even the use of the word feminism (Moi 1736). As Toril Moi elaborates in an example, majority of women will spread ideas and practices which are considered feminist; but when asked if they are one, the answer is usually no (1737). There is shame that has been associated with the word feminism in the modern societies. Perhaps the shame is fueled by the earlier ideas about feminism. They were considered extremist and innocent who are victims of men. In this notion, the male are hated for being male and the women are weak and victims of male power. The stigma and the extreme view drove some of the earlier feminist to reconsider their position and a new concept of feminism, as Moi called it “equity feminism …show more content…
In Thailand, people are more comfortable with their sexuality. One can find many different gender roles and identities in the country. This includes Tom identity, Dee identity and “Kathoeys” otherwise known as Ladyboys. A Tom would be a female who dresses and acts and speaks in a masculine manner but may be perceived as a lesbian to others in the society. The Dee is a homosexual female who are attracted to Tomboys. The only difference between traditional Thai females and Dee is that the Dee are attracted to Tomboys. Within the Thai society, these relationships or gender/sexual identities are generally not frowned upon. Most Thai people are Buddhists, which explains the social acceptance since Buddhists place a high value on tolerance. Thus it could be said that it is socially acceptable to be a Dee or Tom in within Thailand’s culture and society. Furthermore, the “Kathoey” or Ladyboy represents a male who simply carries out the identity of a woman . Many people interpret this as transgender. The terms Ladyboy and transgender are not used often in Thailand, as they can be considered quite insulting to some due to what they may imply therefore, people tend to use Kathoey. I have discovered over the years of growing up in Thailand that Kathoeys are seemingly accepted into Thai society,
In Thailand, Sikhism is one of the religions that recognized the plight of women in society. …show more content…
There has been a notion that feminism has been defined to mean aggressive, strident, intolerant, and domineering woman who hates men. This harsh definition has made the modern women to stay away from even the use of the word feminism (Moi 1736). As Toril Moi elaborates in an example, majority of women will spread ideas and practices which are considered feminist; but when asked if they are one, the answer is usually no (1737). There is shame that has been associated with the word feminism in the modern societies. Perhaps the shame is fueled by the earlier ideas about feminism. They were considered extremist and innocent who are victims of men. In this notion, the male are hated for being male and the women are weak and victims of male power. The stigma and the extreme view drove some of the earlier feminist to reconsider their position and a new concept of feminism, as Moi called it “equity feminism …show more content…
In Thailand, people are more comfortable with their sexuality. One can find many different gender roles and identities in the country. This includes Tom identity, Dee identity and “Kathoeys” otherwise known as Ladyboys. A Tom would be a female who dresses and acts and speaks in a masculine manner but may be perceived as a lesbian to others in the society. The Dee is a homosexual female who are attracted to Tomboys. The only difference between traditional Thai females and Dee is that the Dee are attracted to Tomboys. Within the Thai society, these relationships or gender/sexual identities are generally not frowned upon. Most Thai people are Buddhists, which explains the social acceptance since Buddhists place a high value on tolerance. Thus it could be said that it is socially acceptable to be a Dee or Tom in within Thailand’s culture and society. Furthermore, the “Kathoey” or Ladyboy represents a male who simply carries out the identity of a woman . Many people interpret this as transgender. The terms Ladyboy and transgender are not used often in Thailand, as they can be considered quite insulting to some due to what they may imply therefore, people tend to use Kathoey. I have discovered over the years of growing up in Thailand that Kathoeys are seemingly accepted into Thai society,