From the Iron to the Lady: The Kathoey Phenomenon in Thai Cinema

Even though they lack any legal rights, the kathoey, also known as ladyboys, have great social relevance in Thailand. We face a different way of looking at homosexuality, starting with a more tolerant consideration from the religious point of view thanks to the way it is conceived through karma. The successful release of The Iron Ladies (Thongkonthun, dir., 2000) initiated the production of an increasing number of gay films in Thailand. Choosing the standpoint of queer theory, this paper attempts to put across the reasons behind the success these films have found, studying the way Thai culture, particularly its cinema, depicts the various homosexual factions: the portrayal of the kathoey as a role model; an approach to the boom of male homosexuality in films; an investigation of the use of stereotypes; the evolution of the commercial gay comedy or the upsurge of dramas aimed at homosexual audiences.