Showing 1 - 10 of 15
Accepting all forms of family
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 26/06/2023
» Her family is made up of two mothers and a daughter. Matcha Phorn-In believes that homophobia fuelled a villager to set a fire near her home in San Kamphaeng in 2016. It occurred several times and although she reported these incidents to the police, they did not take any action because damage did not result in loss of life or property. Hence, they decided to move out and live downtown for safety.
Tales of queer migration
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 19/06/2023
» There is a border that defines the contour of his identity. Only by crossing it can Jaokhun Promchana be the man he wants to be. After moving to the US, he studied a new language and toiled in the kitchen. Holding a dream close to his heart, he went the extra mile to join the US Navy and police. Currently, he is running a restaurant with his wife. From the outside, he looks no different from other men, but in his expired documents, a name and its title are a reminder of the former self that he already shed.
Pin-up stars
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 18/04/2023
» In the erotic novel Hom Dok Praduan (1968), Rong Wongsawan hints that a teenager fondled his flesh in front of her. “On the door is a cover photo of a socialite in Bangkok. Clad in her swimsuit, she allows waves to break on her thighs. But someone with restless hands drew overgrown grass so that he can rub it gently until it is torn. (In Mathayom 4, he often fantasised about her. The first syllable of her name begins with the mor letter. He feels thankful whenever she comes into his mind [...]).”
Equality still a dream
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 09/01/2023
» In the lead-up to its second reading, the civil partnership draft bill marks a decade since its inception, dating back to a gay couple who were denied legal recognition in 2012 because the law limits marriage to a man and a woman. Given the conservatism of earlier decades, civil partnership was "the first brick" at a time when marriage equality was almost inconceivable. However, history is often ignored. Despite its long journey in conjunction with the new bill, the uphill push for marriage rights will remain an unfinished business under the current government.
Facing uncertainty head on
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 14/11/2022
» What do you feel at 25? Many young adults are struggling to navigate through a muddle of insecurities, whether it be jobs, relationships or something in between. Similarly, so does the 25th edition of the Singapore Writers Festival. After two years of being digital, the annual literary event is back full scale. Despite grappling with a quarter-life crisis, she is laughing out loud, celebrating the time of her life.
Challenging the norm
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 07/11/2022
» Yaoi or Boys' Love (BL) has grown from an underground to mainstream fictional genre. It emerged from women's manga comics in Japan in the 1980s, which portrayed the relationship between young boys based on the seme (active) and uke (receptive) dichotomy. Through an informal fan network, the transnational phenomenon came to Thailand in the early 1990s and a subculture was formed online.
For a better future
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 01/11/2022
» After the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, Hamida and Marsela are happy to be back in school in Thailand. Despite being far from home, they are not only taking interesting lessons but growing up in a safe environment with new friends and teachers.
On the road to equality
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 13/09/2022
» Joyce Teng remembers the day when Taiwan's parliament passed the same-sex marriage bill in 2019, making it the first country in Asia to recognise such a union. Thousands of supporters erupted in joy outside the parliament building in the capital.
When marriage equality is an issue of freedom
Oped, Thana Boonlert, Published on 01/04/2022
» The cabinet early this week finally shot down a draft of the marriage equality bill that was proposed by the Move Forward Party (MFP). The doomed destiny of this progressive pro-gender equality draft bill is not surprising under the current ultra-conservative government.
Gender bias a root cause of recidivist abuse
Oped, Thana Boonlert, Published on 04/03/2022
» 'If I were to come across him, I would ask whether he knows what I'm going through," said a woman in her 30s. How hard is it to carry a sense of helplessness for years? How difficult is it to build a new relationship after your trust has been broken? Can the attacker understand such feelings? I know the victim would rather not ask these questions than let her struggle out.