University graduation not for lbs!

[rxpharm]

Some of you may know that lbs have not been allowed to wear female outfits for their university graduation ceremonies. A recent request to change the policy was reported in The Nation, Dec. 13.

Educationists oppose change educationists oppose change
By The Nation on Sunday
Published on December 13, 2009

Higher education institutes yesterday objected to a call to let transsexual men wear women's uniform for a graduation ceremony.

Head of the Council of Rajabhat Universities' Presidents, Siroj Pholphanthin, said the council disagreed with the request from transgender persons as students received their degree certificates at the graduation ceremony from a Royal family member. He said it would be inappropriate to notify a graduate as male to the Royal family member and for the graduate to emerge in a female uniform.


He said that this would later lead to women with transgender inclination seeking a similar treatment.
Siroj said many universities have already allowed transgender students to wear girls' uniforms to classes.


University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce President, Jiradech Usawad, said that all universities have allowed students to dress in the uniforms of their transgender inclination because they would not observe the regulations set anyway. However, he said the graduation ceremonies should be appropriate and according to the traditional regulations and urged that the individual rights should be within the limit of appropriateness.


President of Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, Namyut Songthanapitak, said he had not yet tabled the issue before the meeting of the Council of Rajamangala University of Technology Presidents because the graduation ceremonies currently were according to the traditional practice.


While accepting that transgender students had the right to make such a request, he maintained that the current graduation ceremony ritual was already good and hence should not be changed, but preserved.


On Thursday, the Network of Transgender Women of Thailand had urged the Education Ministry and universities to cancel regulations forcing transgender persons to wear male uniforms to classrooms, exams and graduation ceremonies. They claimed that people with transgender inclination needed to dress and live accordingly. They also claimed that they had asked the Royal Household Bureau whether male transgender people could wear female uniforms at a graduation ceremony and were told that the bureau did not limit people's rights and they should contact the Education Ministry and universities about the matter.

Not quite as much acceptance for lbs as we might have thought in some parts of Thai society.

[dummy_plug]

Indeed! Sad, but unfortunately true. I think the whole mantra of "acceptance" is really merely tolerance in Thai society.

[Bumpa STIKKA]

This is all tied in to the 'Royalty' aspect of Thai culture and as such I understand the authorities reluctance to move too quickly on this.

It's one thing to wear the uniform, have your own toilets and be accepted on a girls night out... it's another thing to stand before a member of Thai royalty in a quite clearly unformal and inappropriate manner of dress.

Transgendered people ARE accepted in Thai society much more than any other nation. It's not simply tolerance.

[PigDogg]

Jiradech Usawad, said that all universities have allowed students to dress in the uniforms of their transgender inclination because they would not observe the regulations set anyway

[cancer12]

NOT in my university!!!

[rxpharm]

Garcia, do you  mean your university does not allow ts to wear female uniforms or clothes? Would be interesting to find out what policies the Philippines universities follow.

A good editorial reply from a Thai reader to the story from Bangkok Post

POST BAG DECISION ON TRANSSEXUALS HASTY
Published: 27/12/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

With respect, I disagree with the decision of the University Rectors Council to force transsexuals to dress as males for graduation.

To quote William O. Douglas: ''All education is a continuous dialogue _ questions and answers that pursue every problem to the horizon. That is the essence of academic freedom.'' In this case, I suggest that the rectors have not asked themselves enough questions, nor have they sought the answers. The question is not as open-and-shut as their unanimous decision would suggest.

I am not a psychologist specialising in sex changes, but then I very much doubt if any of the rectors are, either. Several such specialists should have been called upon to give their learned opinions before the rectors acted in haste.

Our constitution rightfully prohibits gender-based discrimination, and what is the council's decision if not just that? Also, before transsexuals undergo gender reassignment surgery, their doctors will generally encourage them to dress and live like the gender they wish to be for a year. What more advanced medical knowledge do the rectors have, that they should order their graduates to go against their doctors' advice?

The rectors allege that their decision is to show respect for the royalty present. But given that the transsexuals will dress as neatly as any other student present, wearing exactly the same uniform, where's the lack of respect? The transsexuals certainly are not wearing the uniform of the opposite sex as a form of protest.

Modern medical consensus seems to be that a person is born with a given sexual inclination, and cannot choose it any more than he/she can choose his/her gender.

As things stand now, a transsexual must undergo great social ridicule in order to live the way that's most comfortable for him/her, due to prejudice which the rectors, of all people, should seek to free themselves of.

As cross-dressing does not impinge on the rights of others, I say let them be.

Burin Kantabutra

Hopefully more of Thai society will share these views.  

[Bumpa STIKKA]

I'm still on the side of the traditionalists on this one. One of the great things about Thailand is the reverence it has for it's monarchy.

It's OK to smoke cigarettes but I wouldn't light one up during my graduation whilst being introduced to a member of royalty.

By the way - the students still graduate. They are simply asked to wear formal uniform if they wish to be introduced to royalty.

My first girlfriend refused and was quite happy to go as a spectator and we had a great day.

We should also consider the effects that relaxing the rules will have on the hundreds of other students and parents. Maybe they don't want the ceremony to be distracted by students trying to make social statements and express their 'freedoms.'

Transsexuals (and their supporters) should stop using these events to further their cause because in fact it only marginalizes them further.

Once the sex has been changed on the passport then this problem will go away. It's the law regarding transsexuals that needs addressing and NOT traditional ceremonies that affect all graduates.

[rossco]

Once the sex has been changed on the passport then this problem will go away. It's the law regarding transsexuals that needs addressing and NOT traditional ceremonies that affect all graduates.

Agreed. The law to accept a formal sexuality change needs to be passed first. As the original article states:

"It would be inappropriate to notify a graduate as male to the Royal family member and for the graduate to emerge in a female uniform."

[cancer12]

Many universities in the Philippines have policies regarding wearing the proper uniform within the campus, especially the private ones or the ones run by certain religious groups or orders, the biggest universities such as mine.. ( university of the philippines ) does not require any uniform, everyone no matter what your sexual preference is, is entitle to his right to wear anything he would feel comfortable wearing, and even in the comfort rooms, me and some of my lb friends can actually choose which one we would feel more comfortable to do our private stuff ( that is why it is comfort room) anyway... and on the graduation ceremony there is theme ( in terms of color, style) the graduates are asked to wear, but for ladyboys ( well certainly applicable for everyone) , we can wear a dress or pants...

i remember a year ago, i saw an org mate walking in the in the street where i live ( where most boarding houses are located) she is a ladyboy, and it was her graduation day, so she was rushing to look for a dress to wear, since i am a good samaritan, i lent her a beige tube cut cocktail dress for her to wear that day( oh god, she has not returned it back to me yet) i will try to get a pic...

and also, in my pictorial for the yearbook, i was able to choose what am i gonna wear.... no hard policies.

anyway, thats her the tall one in beige dress...

[cancer12]

this is one of my grad pics in 'SABLAY'...

not graduated yet, but i am sure i will not have any trouble wearing anything i want.

[cancer12]

i agree with you bumpa stikka, the more you go against the rules, the more marginalization of lb community reinforces... somehow... graduation is a ceremony for your achievement academic wise, what you have learned in the four long years for hardship in the university, and i believe that it can also be a venue where you can show the people that you learned your rights,and you learned how to stand for your rights... and wearing a dress for a graduation ceremony should not be an issue,
though it is different in the thai society...

[Guest]

My long time lb gf had to don a boys wigs and wear male clothes for when she recieved her graduation papers from the son of the king quite funny seeing her dressed like that.