Gay TV ban backlash

As I would have expected, the Thai Ministry of Culture's call for a ban on homosexuals on television has prompted some editorials and letters to the editor.

A Nation guest columnist says the ministry is "confused about gays" and that the ban is "sloppily-phrased" and "ill-conceived". Here's some more good parts:

It is increasingly obvious that the ministry - with its narrow-mindedness - sees itself as the sole authority and owner of "Thai culture", which in fact belongs to every Thai citizen.

It shows little regard for freedom of expression - the basis for evolving arts and cultures as opposed to ones on the brink of extinction. This authoritarian tendency has previously been observed in the ministry's narrow-minded plans to blacklist songs, censure fashion shows, dictate Songkran [Thai New Year water festival] dress codes, and so on.

Despite the ministry's flimsy claim that this "homosexual behaviour" can alter a child's sexual orientation, scientific research shows that sexual orientation is largely determined by genetics and to a small extent by different pathways in brain development in the first few years of life - nothing to do with television.

If the ministry is serious about addressing parental concerns regarding "homosexual behaviour", what it can do, instead of infringing on artistic freedom, is educate the public that while behaviour is like a costume that can be put on and grown out of, sexual orientation is like skin that doesn't change at will.

On the other hand, the ministry could do much good in helping to shape well-balanced gay teens by encouraging a positive image of gay people on television - although this seems far-fetched in its current "gay equals deviant" mindset.

Now the responsibility lies with Thai society to debate how much liberty can be sacrificed in exchange for the ministry's imposed "cultural order". Remember that "homosexual behaviour" is just one item on this busybody ministry's list, and it doesn't stop there.

On the same day this guest column ran, there was a letter to the editor:

The call to limit the portrayal of gays on television just proves that it is a waste of our taxpayers' money to have a Ministry of Culture. Why it became a ministry in the first place is beyond me. Whatever happened to reform, efficiency and transparency?

To get back to the topic, this is not the first time the government or powers that be have "requested" that the presence of gays on television be toned down. It is the general audience, whether in Thailand or anywhere else, who have misconceptions about gay people. It is easy to say there are a lot of gay appearances on Thai TV, but it depends on how you want to view it, and there are no actual statistics to support it. It is we who put gays, transvestites, transsexuals, bisexuals, tootsies and katoey-wannabe comedians under one big umbrella. Because of our culture, certain characteristics and behaviour of Thai men are not distinctly masculine when compared to their Western counterparts.

For outsiders, it may seem that there is a large gay presence in Thai society. I do not think the proportion of gays in Thailand is greater than in any other society, and certainly not on TV; otherwise, there would have been more drama shows with gay characters, considering how Thailand is perceived to be one of very few countries in the East tolerant of gays. Instead, we have more of one-dimensional katoey wannabe characters who serve one purpose only: to add comedy and entertainment to the programmes. Have there been any shows or dramas that really focus on or portray gays as the leading character? I mean an actual gay person, not a screaming drama queen. Not that I know of, or at least not until very recently, in Love 8009.

Even then, the gay characters are just one of many components of this show. I think that it's a very good thing that finally someone has had the courage to present a show that reflects what is going on in real life. This should be encouraged by the powers that be, not suppressed.

Diversity is good for all of us. It teaches us to open our minds, to embrace different points of view, and that in turn will help us be well informed to make sound decisions in our lives. Gay people, not just flamboyant katoeys, exist in Thai society too, you know. They have a right to be here, provided that they do not harm others, and I do not believe that being gay will harm or go against society.

If you are not busy trying to ridicule or put them down you will see that many of them are good people. Of course, there are good and bad people in any society and you can say the same for gays.

You cannot control everything on TV, or in life for that matter. If you don't like something on TV, you have the choice to turn it off. Do not let TV control your life or your children.

Also today (temporary link):

Since it was established, the Culture Ministry has come up with one half-baked initiative after another. The ministry has proved beyond doubt that it is a waste of taxpayers’ money. Khun Thaksin, admit your mistake, dissolve the Culture Ministry and let Thai culture find its own way, the way it has for hundreds of years. Either that, or at least replace the morons working at the ministry.