Few countries on Earth knows LGBT quite like Thailand
To many, Thailand appears to be an LGBT haven
Sadly, reality is even disappointing.
Perception of LGBT in Thailand is comparable to sex workers
They are paradoxically accepted and despised at the same time
To help you put things in perspective
As of the writing of this episode
Same-sex marriage has yet to be legalized in Thailand
It is changing, but not as fast as you'd think
And at the beginning of this change
When society was at its most conflicted
A little film came out
That not only challenges Thailand's attitude
But many other places in Asia as well.
Today, let's talk about the Thai comedy
"The Iron Ladies"
A film based on a true story
In which a group of LGBT folks come together as a volleyball team
And show the world their worth in a national championship
Let's take a look at the lives of LGBT in Thailand.
The film begins with our protagonist, Mon
Being rejected from entering a volleyball team
He very bluntly asks:
"I wasn't chosen coz I'm gay, right?"
Right away, the film reflects the state of workplace discrimination
A very common problem in Thailand at the time
How common is it?
According to a study
"37.4% percent of non-LGBT survey respondents
find it ACCEPTABLE for employers to discriminate against LGBT individuals"
Let that sink in for a moment
With this frustration
Mon and his fabulous friend, Jung
Decided to give it one last try at another team
"They are looking for people to try out for"
"The Lampang Men's Volleyball team"
Luckily, that team is lead by a lesbian coach
"Hey! She's a dyke!"
But the bad news is...
"Coach Bee, Coach Bee, Coach Bee..."
"Stupid Bitch
the existing team members are hypermasculine
Homophobic sexist douchebags.
Mon and Jung pass the entrance test with flying colors
But that only enrages the existing team members
Who all resign in protest
All but one.
Chai, the bully victim of the team, stayed
We'll come back to Chai later.
Instead of giving in
The team doubles down
They recruit their LGBT friends, Avengers style
There is Nong, an effeminate gay soldier
A transgender stage performer, Pia
And a straight passing gay man, Wit
Watching all of them interact reminds me of the after party scene from Age of Ultron
It's rare to see LGBT identity being so overtly embraced in media
It's so infectious, it started a trend
After this film, LGBT characters in Thai media
Became much more common
Most importantly, the team is damn good at volleyball
They defeat 3 teams in a row
Winning their position in the national championship
"But the fact they beat all three teams of real men..."
"Surely that says something about their talent?"
With the team is assembled
It's time for training
But problems arise
Let's start with Wit, the straight-passing gay man
He's still in the closet, hiding from his strict family
And his fiancee
A woman fiancee
Coming from a wealthy business family
Wit is subject to an arranged marriage
A practice that is still sadly more common than most people think
In many ways, Asian family value are stacked against LGBT folks
The expectation of marriage and children
Coupled with the emphasis on filial piety and patriarchy
Social expectations of conformity
All make coming out of the closet a very big deal
Later in the film, Wit and his team play a game on live TV
Upon seeing Wit putting on make-ups
This is their reactions
"No... This can't be..."
The same problems also apply from the other side
Pia, the transgender girl, gets dumped by her cheating boyfriend
The reason?
According to the boyfriend, his family forces him to have a quote-unquote, normal girlfriend
In Thailand, being in a relationship with a transgender person is still looked down upon
As "not normal"
All the social expectations effectively render Pia as an outcast
A sentiment shared by others
"We're just the leftovers of society"
Which in turn, manifests as self-doubt
"But he's better off choosing his fiancee..."
"Than falling for something fake like me"
Here, the word "fake" has major significant
As legally, Pia would be legally recognized as man
It is why Pia can get into a man's volleyball team
Legal recognition of a third gender won't come some 15 years after this film
Later in the film, Pia's ex-boyfriend keeps coming back to flirt with her
And there are even moments where he seems to genuinely love her
But the film never tells us if he's real or just being a playboy
And that's how Pia is feeling
Insecure, unsure
In a world where she is constantly the subject of sexual harassment and assault
Love is a luxury for her.
Finally, let's look at Chai, the only straight member of the team
Chai's view on his LGBT teammates mirrors that of the public in Thailand
"I've had enough with your lack of discipline"
"And all the crap that goes with it"
"Enough is enough"
He thinks he's being fair by judging them by their qualities
And fails to see his own prejudice
"But your drag queens are too much for me"
To chai, their effeminate identity IS their quality
"They do nothing but pu on make-up and preen themselves all day"
They don't act like "normal" sportsmans
So they must lack sportsmanship
Throughout the teams journey, however
Chai's bias against the team is repeatedly called into question
By his girlfriend
"Be Honest. Why is it that you dislike them..."
"Because they're not men, or because they're not women?"
By his teammate
"And how many gays have you known?"
"If that's the case, you've got no right to look down on us."
And by himself
"Can I ask you a question? What makes you the way you are?"
Effectively, the questions are posted for audience
Making us think
"Were we really being fair..."
These questions get through to Chai
And he realize, he is not the standard for what a sportsman should be
His teammates put on make-ups and act flamboyantly
Because that is who they are
Why can't that be normal, too?
As they are about to lose their game
Chai tells the team to put on makeup
Realizing that being themselves should help them play
Look at how happy they are
When given the chance to be themselves
When they don't have to deal with all the extra baggage society throws at them
They can be excellent
They can prove themselves
Did they win?
I'll let you find out yourself
When this film first came out
It stirred up quite a fanfare in Hong Kong
Even till this day, most LGBT films focuses solely on gay men
In and outside of Asia
A film featuring trans?
It's very risque to say the least
Yet, I don't remember any controversy you'd expect coming from this film
And I think I know why...
In this scene, the 5 LGBT team members put on a drag queen show for their lesbian coach
To celebrate her birthday
Instead of the obnoxiously hyperactive personality
They are just being people, having fun
"We haven't known you for long, but you're like a mother to us"
Regardless of their exterior appearance
And the way they express themselves
Underneath, there is the same humanity
So, why the judgement?
I'll leave you with their song.
"Open your heart and take a good look at me"
"We were born like this, we had no choice"
"Accept me for what I am"
"All ask for is acceptance"
"Open your heart and take a good look at me"
"We were born like this, we had no choice"
"Accept me for what I am"