It takes Siraphob Attohi three hours to transform from a harried student into his drag queen persona Masala Bold — a wisecracking MC, who raises calls for gender equality during Thailand’s protests for democratic reforms.
A regular at student-led rallies in Bangkok, Masala Bold’s glamorous presence and ribald jokes provide a teasing interlude between speeches from protest leaders demanding the resignation of Thailand’s prime minister and reforms to the monarchy.
However, far from being simply an entertainer, theatre student Siraphob — who goes by the nickname Raptor and identifies as male offstage — says the movement’s goals align with the LGBTQ community’s desire for gender equality.
Photo: AFP
“If we can’t get real democracy in Thailand, then the rights for the LGBTQ community wouldn’t exist either,” he said. “So it’s my pleasure and my honor to use my theater skills to be an activist and to help people, but actually it’s all about my future too.”
The 21-year-old and other prominent LGBTQ personalities have played a visible role in the youth-led movement since it began in July.
In demonstrations where the vibe can turn from festive to tense in just a matter of minutes, they have stood alongside black-clad protesters, dressed in eye-catching outfits and unfurling massive rainbow flags.
Photo: AFP
The protesters’ key demands are for royal reforms, a rewrite of a military-scripted constitution and for the resignation of army chief-turned-Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha.
However, embedded in these core goals lies a clear path to marriage and gender equality in Thailand, said Angele Anang, a prominent transgender drag queen and the winner of popular reality show Drag Race Thailand.
“We don’t have the same rights,” she said, adding that the community’s greatest goal is for same-sex marriage to be legalized in Thailand. “It is the key to unlocking inequality.”
Thailand’s vibrant and diverse LGBTQ community has helped the kingdom foster a reputation of tolerance, but the reality is far less rosy.
Discrimination is rife for transgender people, who often find themselves missing out on job opportunities, and gay and lesbian stereotypes proliferate on television variety shows and films.
“We’re branded and stereotyped — it is not true acceptance,” said Raptor, as he gets ready for a protest doubling as a gay pride parade. “It’s just acknowledging that we exist and categorizing us how they see fit.”
As Raptor paints his skin green, he said that this time Masala Bold will dress as Elphaba from Wicked — the hit Broadway musical retelling of the Wizard of Oz from the witch’s perspective.
The choice is pointedly political — Raptor explains that green-skinned Elphaba is ostracized growing up, and later exiled from Oz when she goes up against the powerful wizard.
“It’s the same situation as Thailand,” he said, referring to how pro-democracy activists have in the past fled to Europe to seek asylum for criticizing the powerful monarchy.
Reforming the monarchy is the most ambitious and shocking demand from the pro-democracy movement.
A taboo subject in Thailand, the king is traditionally regarded as a demi-god and his influence permeates every aspect of society.
The students’ calls for change include the abolition of a draconian royal defamation law — which shields him from criticism — and for King Maha Vajiralongkorn to “stay out” of politics.
“Reforming the monarchy means we get rid of the different classes and aristocratic hierarchy, so everybody — including the LGBTQ community — will be equal,” transgender activist Sitthinon “Faison” Songsiri said.
A graduate of Thammasat University — one of Thailand’s most liberal schools and a bastion of activism — the 25-year-old said her role as an emcee in demonstrations has empowered her.
“We are the new taste of Thai politics,” she said.
The kingdom’s protest-filled history is replete with rally leaders delivering “uncompromising” speeches, which leads to opposition groups blaming them for instigating violence, she said.
However, “we make the rallies lighter, funnier and less stressful,” Faison said. “At the same time, we make society more accepting towards our community.”
While Faison faces a raft of charges — including sedition — for participating in the protests, she is determined to continue to be a visible face.
“We need the people to look beyond our make-up, wigs and dresses, and listen to what we want to say regarding the same-sex marriage and gender equality,” she said. “If we fight together, the chances of succeeding in our cause is faster and better.”
By 2027, Denmark would relocate its foreign convicts to a prison in Kosovo under a 200-million-euro (US$228.6 million) agreement that has raised concerns among non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and residents, but which could serve as a model for the rest of the EU. The agreement, reached in 2022 and ratified by Kosovar lawmakers last year, provides for the reception of up to 300 foreign prisoners sentenced in Denmark. They must not have been convicted of terrorism or war crimes, or have a mental condition or terminal disease. Once their sentence is completed in Kosovan, they would be deported to their home country. In
Brazil, the world’s largest Roman Catholic country, saw its Catholic population decline further in 2022, while evangelical Christians and those with no religion continued to rise, census data released on Friday by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) showed. The census indicated that Brazil had 100.2 million Roman Catholics in 2022, accounting for 56.7 percent of the population, down from 65.1 percent or 105.4 million recorded in the 2010 census. Meanwhile, the share of evangelical Christians rose to 26.9 percent last year, up from 21.6 percent in 2010, adding 12 million followers to reach 47.4 million — the highest figure
LOST CONTACT: The mission carried payloads from Japan, the US and Taiwan’s National Central University, including a deep space radiation probe, ispace said Japanese company ispace said its uncrewed moon lander likely crashed onto the moon’s surface during its lunar touchdown attempt yesterday, marking another failure two years after its unsuccessful inaugural mission. Tokyo-based ispace had hoped to join US firms Intuitive Machines and Firefly Aerospace as companies that have accomplished commercial landings amid a global race for the moon, which includes state-run missions from China and India. A successful mission would have made ispace the first company outside the US to achieve a moon landing. Resilience, ispace’s second lunar lander, could not decelerate fast enough as it approached the moon, and the company has
‘THE RED LINE’: Colombian President Gustavo Petro promised a thorough probe into the attack on the senator, who had announced his presidential bid in March Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay, a possible candidate in the country’s presidential election next year, was shot and wounded at a campaign rally in Bogota on Saturday, authorities said. His conservative Democratic Center party released a statement calling it “an unacceptable act of violence.” The attack took place in a park in the Fontibon neighborhood when armed assailants shot him from behind, said the right-wing Democratic Center, which was the party of former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe. The men are not related. Images circulating on social media showed Uribe Turbay, 39, covered in blood being held by several people. The Santa Fe Foundation
RSS