NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN

Bangkok Post

 

"The documentation of homosexuality in Thailand is not a recent development. Apart from being mentioned in the Tipitaka, it also appears in Lanna religious texts and in the ancient Tra Sam Duang legal code. According to Prempreeda Pramoj na Ayutthaya, a transgendered researcher, the ancient Lanna texts mention the creation of the Earth and three genders _ puri, itthee, and nuppoongsaka, believed to be men, women and homosexuals, respectively.

 

This corresponds with the Tipitaka, which categorises people who didn't readily fall into traditional male or female stereotypes (bandoh) into five sub-divisions, in accordance with their sexual orientation, one of these being nuppoongsaka.

 

''This means the Tipitaka recognises sexual diversity,'' Prempreeda noted.

 

There is also historical evidence of lesbians and gays. In the old palace, for example, only women were allowed to perform in dance troupes called lakhon nai, with some playing male characters both in plays and in their private lives, leading to lesbian sex being called len peuan (playing with friends). Dance troupes outside the palace, or lakhon nok, only allowed male performers, and some married princes were rumoured to sleep with feminine actors, said Prempreeda. Such sex among men was called len sawaat (playing with lovers).

 

And while homosexuality is nothing new in Thai history, nor is discrimination

 

While the mention of homosexuality in the Tipitaka was aimed at warning monks what not to do, the ancient Kod Montien Barn legal code of the Ayutthaya period targeted homosexual members of the court. It imposed such penalties as being hit on the fingernails and neck tattooing for those engaging in homosexual sex, both len peuan and len sawaat.

 

Despite such discrimination, Assoc Prof Peter A. Jackson, senior fellow in Thai history of the Australian National University, argued that the situation is gradually improving.

 

According to him, the broader Thai community admires beautiful katoey, and people who are successful in their careers, and there is an increasing number of successful katoey performers and business people.

 

However, there is still a lot misunderstanding about different sexual orientations, he noted. "

 

http://www.bangkokpost.net/News/05Nov2007_news45.php

NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN

Bangkok Post

It imposed such penalties as being hit on the fingernails and neck tattooing for those engaging in homosexual sex, both len peuan and len sawaat.

However, there is still a lot misunderstanding about different sexual orientations, he noted. "

 

 

 

All of this intellectual probing into the nature of homosexuality and they still don't seem to recognise that it makes your eyes water.