2. Try to answer the question:
“ Why does Thailand has lesbians in a
form of ‘Tom-Dy’ instead of ‘Woman-
Woman’ --- and vice versa for the Western
”
countries?
Analysis:
1.Cultural Differences
2.Influence of Media
3. 1.Cultural Differences
Western countries
•western countries have lesbians since 600 B.C.
•had „tom-dy‟ (dress like men) during the 19th century due
to the masculinization of lesbians
•Then, the period of „lesbian feminism‟ (women do not dress
like men anymore) due to more acceptance and lesbian
feminist movements
4. the word „lesbian‟ comes from the Greek Island of Lesbos
Lesbos island was where poet Sappho lived in 600 B.C.
Sappho was an intellectual and poet wrote many love
poems to other women
5. late 19th century observations on same-sex desire and
behavior, and designated lesbians in Western culture as a distinct
entity
women formed underground subcultures in Europe and North
America
"mannish" woman (short copped hair, tailored suits) began in
the 1920s influenced by women's experiences participating in
World War I (donned pants for the first time)
6. •western culture has strong feminist movements---women
are as equal as men
•lesbian feminism is a cultural movement and critical
perspective, most popular in the 1970s and early 1980s
(primarily in North America and Western Europe), that
questions the position of lesbians and women in society
•lesbian feminism has 7 key themes:
•An emphasis on women's love for one another
•Separatist organizations
•Community and ideas
•Idea that lesbianism is about choice and resistance
•Idea that the personal is the political
•A rejection of hierarchy
•A critique of male-supremacy (which eroticises
inequality)
7. during WWII, women were accepted into the military in
the U.S. Women's Army Corps (WACs) and U.S, and Navy's
Women Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES)
women worked in the industrial jobs left by men in order
to continue national productivity = mobility, sophistication,
and independence of many women during and after the war
made it an option for women to live without husbands
8. • in 1952 homosexuality was listed as a pathological
emotional disturbance in the American Psychiatric
Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
• with the advent of second wave feminism in the 1970s,
lesbian as a political identity grew to describe a social
philosophy among women
9. •„Womyn, Wimin‟ produced by lesbian feminist
movement to distinguish from men and masculine language
•Radical feminism is a "current" within feminism that
focuses on the theory of patriarchy as a system of power
that organizes society into a complex of relationships
producing what radical feminists claim is a "male
supremacy” that oppresses women
•Radical feminism aims to challenge and to overthrow
patriarchy by opposing standard gender roles and what they
see as male oppression of women, and calls for a radical
reordering of society
10. 1.Cultural Differences
Thailand
•history of lesbian and Tom dy: lesbians happened before a
long time ago (at least since Ratanakosin)
"ภาพฝาผนังผู้หญิงเชยนมกันที่วดคงคาราม จ.ราชบุรี"
ั
12. •for contemporary culture, the increase of lesbians is
mostly due to the existence and popularity of all-girls
schools.
•all-girls schools don‟t have men, so lesbians exercise
role-development as Tom=masculine, Dy=feminine
•Ajarn Kim, Ae, Fin all said the same thing about all-girl
school. They all came from all-girl schools
THE DEFENITIONS OF TOM/DY/LESBIAN
•Dy likes Tom because of ?????? do they like the feminine
part or what?
•AE&FIN: Lesbians like only girls. They are attracted to
the beauty and femininity (personality as well). They
prefer to be with a lesbian who dress like woman. If that
woman dresses up like a man, they wouldn‟t like it.
13. •Thai culture gives high importance to men and
masculinity---the culture of “Chang Tao Nah” (men are the
leaders)
•other Asian countries also hold the similar principal
(China, Japan, Korea)
p‟ Bird said that even there will be an increase in social
acceptance for lesbians, she will not dress up like woman.
It just doesn‟t feel right, and she doesn‟t like it.
ในหนังสือ โฉมหน้ าศักดินาไทย หน้ า จิตร ภูมศักดิ์ กล่ าวว่ า
ิ
"สตรีและเด็ก ในสังคมศักดินาถูกเหยียดหยามลงเป็ นมนุษย์ ที่ตากว่ าเพศชายผ้ านุ่งผ้ าถุงของสตรีก็
่
เป็ นของที่สกปกตาช้ าผู้ชายแตะต้ องไม่ ได้ นอกจากนั้นพวกเจ้ าของที่ดนทั้งปวงยังบาเรอความสุ ข
่ ิ
ของตนโดยการใช้ สตรีเป็ นเสมือนวัตถุบาเรอความใคร่ "
14. WESTERN
Ajarn kim: Western people are individualists---women
can depend on themselves
No need to develop the masculine role to take care of
another, they can take care of themselves.
THAILAND
Ajarn kim: Asian people are collectivists---women
need to be taken care of; therefore, one female
develops the masculine role in order to take care of
another.
Eg. P‟ Bird
15. 2.Influence of Media
Western countries
U.S., North America, Western Europe
have gay and lesbian film festivals for more than 20 years
around1960, gays and lesbians first-time show in media
Lesbian feminism popular in 70s, 80s
Lesbian film festival: London Lesbian and
Gay Film Festival, Seattle Lesbian and Gay
Film Festival, Miami Lesbian and Gay Film
Festival, Chicago Lesbian and Gay Film
Festival, Portland Lesbian and Gay Film
Festival,Philadelphia International Lesbian
and Gay Film Festival etc.
Celebrities: Ellen DeGenres, Lindsay Lohan,
Samantha Ronson, even Madonna kissing
with Britney
16. Series: The L Word, The OC, Grey‟s Anatomy etc.
Movies: D.E.B.S., Monster, Bobbies girl
17. THAILAND
Successful Lesbian/Tom/Dy celebrities appear
in Media create the perception of social
acceptance
*celebrities: Jib, Juk-jun, Tob,Cheer ….
"จั๊กจั่น" เบื่อผู้ชาย หันคั่วทอม!?!
www.bkkonline.com
18. Tom Dy in the media:
*internet: เด็กได post รูปตัวเอง (Storythai), dek dee, web board ,
web sites, hi5
*MV Tom/Dy: พาส คนข้ ามคืน
*Magazine: @Tom act Magazine
19. • *MV Tom/Dy: พาส คนข้ ามคืน
• *Magazine: @Tom act Magazine
• *Movie: คริตกับจ๋ า- lead actress play as „Tomboy‟
• *Song: ผู้หญิงด้วยกัน: เคท เจศรินทร์ แจ่ มนุช bad to have boyfriend, nothing
better than girlfriend
20. • In addition to Tom and Dy no there is an increasing
number of “lesbians” in the media:
• MV lesbian: ตู่ ที่เดิมในหัวใจ
• Movie: VDO Clip, Roommate, แต๋ วเตะตีนระเบิด
• Novel: รักฉบับสี ดาเปรี้ยว, ใต้เงารัก, สายลมกับดวงดาว
21. OTHER INTERSTING FINDINGS ABOUT
GENDER
•lesbians in the U.S. are estimated to be about 2.6% of the
population, according to a National Opinion Research Centers
survey of sexually active adults who had had same-sex
experiences within the past year, completed in 2000.
•survey of same-sex couples in the United States showed that
between 2000 and 2005, the number of people claiming to
be in same sex relationships increased by 30%—five times the
rate of population growth in the U.S.
•the study attributed the jump to people being more
comfortable self-identifying as homosexual to the federal
government
