Male Homosexuality in 21st-Century Thailand: A Longitudinal Study of Young, Rural, Same-Sex-Attracted Men Coming of Age

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This book presents the very first analysis of male homosexuality in modern rural Thailand that is based on sociological/anthropological research directly with 25 young same-sex attracted men. It explores changes in the way men view and describe their sexuality over time by interviewing them three times over a period of around 18 months. The men are followed during an important transition in their lives: the end of their high school years and the end (in most cases) of their life as a child with parents or extended family at a rural home. Nearly all decided to move to a city to continue their education or to find work. Some also had stints with sex work in one of Thailands well-known centers for prostitution. For nearly all men, this transition brought them into contact with new ideas about gender and sexuality, and many experienced an abrupt increase in their opportunities to have sex, leading to a readjustment of their moral universes. The book presents significant new insights about the Thai sex/gender system, particularly on how it is affected by processes of globalization and the ascent of the Internet and mobile phones as tools for dating and romance.

Reviews

Research and scholarship on human sexuality have increased dramatically in the last 50 years in an era of rapid globalisation and changed with the development of critical sexuality studies as a field. Jan W. de Lind van Wijngaardens pathbreaking, in-depth study of male homosexuality among young men in modern Thailand as they move into young adulthood is a significant new contribution to our understanding of human sexuality. A must read. Gary W. Dowsett, PhD, FASSA, Emeritus Professor, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

These fascinating stories of personhood, self-presentation, and transformation among Thai youth truly challenge us to reexamine the boundaries of concepts like homosexuality, transgenderism, identity, and love in the context of Thailand. Timo Ojanen, Foreign Expert, Faculty of Learning Sciences and Education, Thammasat University, Thailand

Although foreign gender scholars and sex tourists appreciate Thailands trinary gender system of male, female, and kathoey (feminized men), some locals do squeeze the latter into the masculine/feminine binary construct. Customarily, though, sexual relationships should still be hetero-gendereda Thai same-sex couple usually comprises a masculine and feminine partner. Wijngaarden (independent public health scholar) finds, however, that thanks to the proliferation of internet dating and available pornography, Western understandings of homosexual identity and practice now overlay the traditional system: young feminine men who first identified as kathoey have come to embrace more prestigious masculine identities, i.e., "both" (sexually versatile). The author interviewed 25 rural 18- to 20-year-olds (most had already left home) over a two-year period to track changes in their self-understandings and practices. His findings include that personhood remains embedded within a context of family, Buddhist belief, relational etiquette, harmonious hierarchy, and preservation of honor, continuing to shape young men's behavior. Less insistence on a "true" internal self and acceptance that one's public and private personae may diverge and shift according to context distinguish Thai homosexuality from current Western understandings. Wijngaarden describes Thai gay communities as "flimsy," with implications for HIV awareness campaigns, which he suggests should concentrate their efforts in rural secondary schools and on the internet. L. Lindstrom, University of Tulsa

Author Bio

Dr. Jan W. de Lind van Wijngaarden has spent his professional life exploring, studying and advising on sexuality, gender and HIV vulnerability in Asia. He is academically trained in both public health (PhD, MPH) and social science (MA) and has several peer-reviewed publications in both fields. He has lived in Thailand for over 25 years.