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## Mid

*Young monks struggle with gender issues*
26 May 2013

*Though the faith's teachings transcend issues of sexual  identity, the monkhood in Thailand is struggling to accept or even come  to terms with the truth about the gay and transgender men within its  ranks* 

Despite being born a boy, 28-year-old Deer has never accepted her masculinity. She is, she said, and has always been, female.



 Growing up with six sisters in a small community in Si Sa Ket  province, northeastern Thailand, it's perhaps not surprising that Deer  adopted some feminine ways. As a youngster, she said she acted and spoke  much like a girl.

 It wasn't until she reached adolescence that Deer began to realise  that it was not her surroundings that were shaping her behaviour, but  rather her soul. It was nature over nurture.

 "I've felt trapped inside a male body ever since I can remember. When  I was young, I acted, talked and dressed like my sisters, and didn't  feel there was anything wrong with that."

 The problem for Deer was that her father didn't agree. As his only  son and heir, Deer was destined to carry on the family name. Being gay,  or transgender, simply wasn't an option.

 "When I turned 12, my father spoke to me really seriously about the  way I was acting. He said he was disappointed, and had decided that the  only way I would be able to change my ways [and stop acting like a girl]  was to join the monkhood."

 Deer said the experience was "terrifying".

 "My parents took me to the local temple and forced me to join the  monastery against my will. The minute my head was shaved I started to  cry. I felt naked without my hair, as it was the only escape I had from  being a boy."

 Deer was forced to spend six years as a monk, before leaving at age  18. Soon after, she moved to Bangkok where she has lived, as a woman,  for the past 10 years.

 "Leaving the monastery marked the end of my old life," she said. "But I still have the scars."

*NO PLACE FOR KATOEY*

 Deer's story is not unique in Thailand. The relationship between _katoey_  (a word used by some of the interviewees here to encompass both gay and  transgender people) and religion is complicated, to say the least.

 Venerable Shine Waradhammo, a monk who defines himself as a  Neo-Buddhist, said that under the basic tenets of Theravada Buddhism,  which is practised in Thailand, katoey are simply not recognised.

 "Buddhism [in Thailand] was created only for heterosexual people.  Male and female are the only genders that are recognised by the  religion," he said.

 As a result, people who fall outside those two groups "have no place to be", he said.

 "It's already difficult for katoey to integrate into society, but  religion makes it worse."It's not impossible, however, for a katoey, or  at least a former katoey, to take holy orders.

 Take the case of Sorrawee "Jazz" Nattee, aka Miss Tiffany Universe  2009, who earlier this month turned his back on the bright lights of the  entertainment world in favour of the saffron robes and serenity of a  Buddhist monk.

 "I want to be a monk for the rest of my life and I'm ready to leave  my worldly possessions behind," Ms Sorrawee, who's now known as Phra  Maha Viriyo Bhikku, said after being ordained at Wat Liab in his home  province of Songkhla.

 After four years in the spotlight as a glamorous "ladyboy", Ms  Sorrawee had her breast implants removed to meet the criteria for life  as a monk. The abbot of Wat Liab was happy to confirm the former cabaret  star's return to the masculine fold.

 "Jazz is 100% man, emotionally and physically," he said.

 The situation is not so straightforward for everyone. Many katoey in the monkhood are forced to live dual lives.

 In an article published on his "Neo Buddhism" blog, Ven Shine says  many katoey escape the demands and requirements of their "real" lives as  monks by posting images of their alter egos, or true selves, on social  media websites.

 "Social media platforms provide a means of communication for young  monks. Like all young people they want to express themselves, and  sometimes that means wearing makeup or dressing in women's clothes."

 Whether or not these young men are merely "experimenting" by posting  pictures of themselves in "boob-tubes" [fashioned from rolled up robes]  or uploading videos to YouTube of themselves lip-syncing to girl-band  pop tunes is a moot point. Less frivolous is the belief held by some  quarters of society that a life in the monkhood is the only way for  katoey to rid themselves of the sins committed in a former life.

 Not uncommon in Thailand is the opinion that "gayness" and  transsexuality are retribution for the bad deeds, or karma, of an  earlier existence.

 "Many parents with gay sons, especially those in upcountry  communities, believe that the monkhood will resolve their children's  gender identity crises," said Jetsada "Note" Taesombat, coordinator of  the Thai Transgender Alliance, which among other things provides a  telephone and web-based support service for people with gender issues.

 "It might sound strange, but they truly believe that becoming a monk will turn their gay sons straight," she said.

 The reason why so many gay monks post "inappropriate" pictures of  themselves online is because they are reacting to life in a monastery,  she said.

 ''They don't want to be monks. They are forced to do it by their  parents who think that a few years inside a monastery will 'cure' their  gayness.''

 Nopparat Benjawatananun, director-general of the National Office of Buddhism, agreed.

 ''Many families believe that the monkhood can change the behaviour of  their gay children. They think that being a monk will lessen their  sons' sexual impulses and make it easier to control themselves,'' he  said.

 Despite the strength of feeling, it's clear from the evidence of the  Facebook images and YouTube clips, that the regimen does not always  produce the desired results. But that's not Mr Nopparat's concern.

 ''The National Office of Buddhism has no authority to rule on monks'  behaviour. If someone is accused of doing something wrong, that's for  the abbots and other senior figures within the temple to sort out,'' he  said.

 He certainly has no problem with ''feminine'' monks.

 ''That's never a concern. I've met many monks that act and speak in a  feminine manner, but they are smart, don't break the rules and are  well-liked by the local community. For me, they are fully qualified to  serve as venerable monks,'' he said.

*FIGHTING HOMOPHOBIA*

 Pongsathon Janleuan, director of the M Plus project in Chiang Mai,  said when looking at the issue of gay monks it is important to treat  each case individually.

 M Plus is a non-profit organisation that works with the LGBT  (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community, but it is primarily  concerned with promoting sexual health among men who have sex with other  men.

 ''Just because some gay monks put on makeup and dress like women,  doesn't mean all gay monks do. It's a personal issue and we should  consider each situation as it comes,'' he said.

 Like in school, monasteries should provide clear rules on what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour, he said.

 ''Then, regardless of sexuality, if someone misbehaves, they can expect to be reprimanded.''

 The problem, as Mr Pongsathon sees it, is that people are heavily  biased against the LGBT community. ''Society doesn't have enough  intellect to analyse the core issues,'' he said. ''The public is quick  to criticise gay monks for trivial things like putting on makeup and  wearing dresses, but if a 'straight' monk behaves badly, people look the  other way.''

 According to Ven Shine, geography is another factor worth considering.

 ''Thailand is home to a great deal of sexual diversity, and that is  reflected in religious communities,'' he said. ''It's not unusual to see  a gay monk, and in northern and northeastern parts of the country,  there is a very high concentration of them.''

 Much of Thai culture, ''from the performing arts to poetry has a  feminine flavour, and this is particularly evident among communities in  the north of the country'', he said.

 Mr Pongsathon of M Plus agreed.

 ''The reason why there are so many gay monks in the north of Thailand  is because society there is much more laid back. Northern people care  less about a person's sexuality than they do about what that person  contributes to society,'' he said.

 The problem is that not everyone in Thailand is as open minded as people living in the North, he said.

 ''Northern people know that gay monks are central to their  communities, but other Thais don't see it that way. They are too quick  to judge them for acting in ways they consider inappropriate. It's a  very narrow-minded way of thinking,'' he said.

 For Ven Shine, it's not just society that needs to be more open minded. Religious organisations do too.

 ''Theravada Buddhism is based on a very patriarchal system, and that contributes to the institutional homophobia,'' he said.

 When a young man first enters the monkhood, he is asked several  questions, in Pali, by a senior monk. One of them is ''Puri sosi'',  which translates as ''Are you a man?''

 ''This is clear evidence of at least some degree of sexual discrimination,'' Ven Shine said.

 ''There are more katoey living in Thailand than anywhere else in the world, yet we've learned so little from them,'' he said.

 ''Even though we stage transgender beauty contests across the country, we don't really accept them as part of society.''

 Despite Sorrawee Nattee's successful renaissance as Phra Maha Viriyo  Bhikku, Ven Shine said he is upset by the disrespect shown to the former  showbiz star by the media.

 ''Even though he met all the criteria set by the Buddhist authorities  and was eligible to be a monk [as he had retained his male genitalia],  he was still attacked by the media. It was wrong to criticise him like  that.''

 Mr Pongsathon agrees that gender should be of no issue if a person is truly committed to a life in the monkhood.

 ''Gay people have just as much right as anyone else to get ordained.  Sexual orientation shouldn't have anything to do with it,'' he said.

 ''The gay and straight monks I know in Chiang Mai and other northern  regions all joined the monkhood because they wanted to study the dhamma.  But people judge the gay ones differently, often disrespectfully.''

 What people forget is that in becoming a monk, a person transcends sexuality, he said.

 ''In their world. there is no male or female.''

 Phra Payom Kalayano, the abbot of Wat Suankaew, said that despite the  obvious difficulties, things are getting better for gay people who want  to follow a religious path.

 ''In the past, katoey had no hope of being ordained because the rules  were stricter and society was less open minded. But they have just as  much right as anyone else to join the monkhood,'' he said.

 ''The best thing about katoey is that they are intelligent and well  loved by local people, and they are really good at handicrafts.  Masculine monks like me can't do that stuff.''

*FROM MONK TO NUN*

 But these utopian ideals are not how Mimi, a katoey in her late 20s, sees it.

 As a boy she spent six years as a monk in a temple in northeast  Thailand, before moving to Bangkok as an adult, she told Spectrum.

 It was in the capital she realised she was a katoey and began living  as a woman. Despite the gender change, she remained committed to her  religious beliefs and developed a good understanding of the dhamma.

 Recently she visited her local temple, which she had been supporting  financially for some time, and asked to be ordained for a week as a nun.  ''I asked the head nun to ordain me so I could continue to practise the  religious ceremonies. But when she looked at my ID card, she said she  couldn't accept someone like me in the temple,'' she said. ''I didn't  know what to say. It was like I'd been slapped in the face.

 ''I was annoyed, so I asked her how she could take money from a  katoey but not allow one to be part of the temple. I asked her, 'What's  wrong with you?'.

 ''She didn't answer. She just walked away,'' Mimi said.

 According to Ven Shine, the only way to rid Buddhism in Thailand of  such deep-rooted prejudice is to changes the way people are educated.

 ''We have to stop telling people that being gay is a sin. By saying  that someone's sexuality is down to karma is very disrespectful. We have  no right to brand anyone a sinner,'' he said.

 ''We should also accept people into the monkhood regardless of their  gender. And that includes katoey, whether or not they have the genitals  they were born with.''

 Ven Shine said that the concept of men acting like women is explained  in Buddhist scriptures as Vatsana, which means destiny or fate. ''It is  something they are born with. It can't be changed,'' he said.









bangkokpost.com

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## aging one

I hope that this has not been posted here. But here is a great example.

The winner of the Miss Tiffany Universe 2009  contest, Sorrawee "Jazz" Nattee, entered the monkhood on Sunday at a  temple in the southern province of Songkhla, it was reported on Monday.
     According to the family of the transsexual beauty pageant winner,  Jazz, 24, had breast implants but never had transgender surgery. The  silicon implants had since been removed.
 "I want to be a monk for the rest of my life and I'm ready to leave  my worldly possessions behind," Jazz said after becoming a monk at Wat  Liab in his home province.
 "It's not that I've become a monk to run away from problems, but I've  studied dharma for two years and now know what it truly is."
 The monk, whose ordination name is Phra Maha Viriyo Bhikku, which  means one who is diligent, said he took part in the transsexual beauty  contest four years ago because his parents urged him to.
 He added that he also wanted to enter the monkhood to repay his parents.
 The former Miss Tiffany went through the ordination _phra phut_ ceremony last month, the report said.
 The abbot of Wat Liab said Jazz did not conceal the fact that he participated in the Miss Tiffany beauty contest.
 "Jazz is 100% man, emotionally and physically," the abbot said.
  In Thailand, only males can become Buddhist monks.

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## BobR

Strange culture, even a substantial percentage of supposedly heterosexual Thai males are highly effeminate.

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