Kathoey (Bless you!)

Kathoey, or Ladyboys, are an eastern phenomenon that I was introduced to during a summer trip to Thailand. These Kathoey are men who dress, act and look exactly like women. Most common in urban areas, Kathoey act as stage performers in Cabarets or as prostitutes on the streets and in brothels. They solicit both males and females for business, but are usually "employed" by drunken tourists who don't know at first glance the difference.

Recently, Ladyboys have been protesting for transgender bathrooms and transgender notation on the "gender" portion of their passports. Whereas Ladyboys may seem like a taboo subject in Western cultures, Buddhism discourages judgement and teaches that the feminine characteristics of a Ladyboy are remnants of a previous life.

If you find the desire to do further research, I would be careful about what you're typing into the search box. The term "ladyboy" guarantees some pornographic hits (learned this one the hard way.)

-Ali Blum