In chapter 5, the word “identity” play an important role throughout the whole chapter. Before read this chapter, I simply define identity who we are and who others think we are. In fact, there are so many different types of identity that categorized for everyone.
Sexual identity caught my attention when I read this chapter. I remember back in Thailand when I watched a transgender show with my family, I got chance to talk with one of transgender performer, Aom, after the show finished. I asked whether those transgender performers consider themselves as female or male? Aom said “she” thinks herself as a girl, as she really wanted to be a girl since she was in age of 12. Aom mentioned some of her colleagues wanted to be “kathoey” (transgender in Thai language) as they are poor people from country, and being as Kathoey performers is one of the way that they can earn a lot of money from this job. For people who like Aom, unfortunately as Thailand is a Buddhist country, the law do not let them to be third gender in their identification card. But Aom does not feel anything that bothers her, she said as long as she have a good life, she wouldn’t bother to be identify as “male” on her identification card.
Aom is being proud to tell other people her sexual identity in Thailand, and this is a great example to share with people like her that identification card is not a matter, but to know what is your identity is the most important thing.
Questions 1: Do you prefer to raise in interdependent or independent culture? Why?
Questions 2:Why do you think it is wrong to have stereotypes, and prejudice on certain identity?
Nice example of sexual identity from Thailand! I like your questions a lot.
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