AUTHOR PROFILE
Richard Totman is a social scientist who is also the author of
Social causes of Illness
and Mind, Stress and Health
BOOK CONTENTS
Richard, fascinated by a 1999 feature in The 'Bangkok Post' a daily broadsheet entitled "The Kathoey of Chiang Mai University" which described the accepting attitudes of the Thai university and the students to the sorority of Kathoey (Lady Boys) in their mist.
Two years later Richard interviewed Kathoey in many parts of Thailand. Then after studying the Thai language he returned and took up the opportunity to live and share, every day, life with three individuals who started life as boys but embraced the life of "Kathoey" while still at school.
Akorn, Manut and Lek and also shared with Richard life with their family and friends. In this book he writes a well researched story that helps to enlighten the reader. He explores and brings to the fore, the many factors that create the circumstances where an above average number of boys choose to except their feminine side and live as Kathoey (Lady Boys). Richard follows their rites-of-passage in becoming fully-fledged Kathoey and writes of the traditions, historical, religious,biological and psychological aspects of Thailand that encourage the transgendered to flourish.
Many communities, ancient and modern, including Native American and Samoan accept to be a natural fact, that there exists a "third sex", and embrace these people as a benefit to the community. However in modern times it has only been the few Far Eastern communities like Thailand, The Philippines, Indonesia, who have not savagely repressed those of the 'third sex'. It is not surprising then that more recently, as more people from the rest of the world discover, through travel and the internet, the disproportional number of people of the 'third sex' in these countries, that they question their own repressive western culture and ask "what is more natural"? "what is more beautiful"? Richard goes a long way to answer these questions in this book.
 "After many trips to the Far East during my years in the electronics manufacturing industry, followed by many years meeting people with Far Eastern origins while hosting The WayOut Club - I have fallen in love with the cultures, the politeness, the energy, the work ethic but most of all the fun that I have found in everyone that I have met from the Far East. On the weekend I discovered the trans scene in London I was welcomed by Madam Jo Jo. Ok it was her job, she was a club host, but to this day long since she has retired, I regularly see Jo and she is the still the wonderful Momasan who gently guides us. For many years the 'lady boys' from the Far East including: The Philippines, Thailand, Japan, Mongolia, Malaysia have been regulars at The WayOut Club. They often suffer the misguided stereotype of being prostitutes but I know from personal involvement that the majority work in our care system and in our hospitals.
These girls have regularly entered The WayOut Clubs Alternative Miss London contest and have gone on in recent years to run their own extremely well run beauty  pageants in London. I have been very pleased to be invited to these events and I can report that not only are these events more glamorous and professional than you can possibly imagine - but they are also very well attended by accepting, happy, proud, family and friends that these 'girls'. This is far from the case within the non asian trans and gay scene and prove to me once again that these proud Lady Boys deserve every right to be proud. They also deserve to be better respected and understood by more people. This book goes a long way to taking you inside the everyday life of Lady Boys and their family and friends and I highly recommend it to you".
SUMMARY
180 pages plus a 4 page black and white picture insert. In modern times it has only been the few Far Eastern communities like Thailand who have not savagely repressed those of the 'third sex'. It is not surprising then that more recently, as more people, through travel and the internet, discover the disproportional number of people of the 'third sex' in these countries, that they question their own repressive western culture and ask "what is more natural"? "what is more beautiful"? Richard goes a long way to answer these questions in this book. |
