Keiko Takemiya's manga serial Kaze to Ki no Uta, first published in 1976, was groundbreaking in its depictions of sexual relationships between men ( ) "I think everyone can accept … Thai society has changed in the last two years since Together With Me started," he says.
Max Nattapol Diloknawarit, who plays a protagonist in the popular series Together With Me, has also witnessed a change in Thai society since the boy's love sensation took hold.
"Now young gay men can hold their hand in public and don't really need to hide their sexual identity," he says. He says the steady stream of boys' love television shows and feature films are triggering fundamental changes in Thai society. This seems to be unthinkable 10 years ago," says Thai political scientist Poowin Bunyavejchewin. "I think male-male romance or male-male homoerotic relations has now become a new normal in Thai pop culture. In recent years the genre known as 'boys' love' has spread fast across South-East Asia and is reaching cult status in some parts of the West, despite the anxieties of conservative parts of Thai society. Why are Thailand's same-sex romantic dramas gaining a global following? Shrouded in controversy, Love of Siam became an unexpected hit, bringing in over 40 million baht ($2 million) in its first month.Īt a time when it was a struggle to find a gay character on Thai television, the film's success sent an emphatic message to entertainment media companies: there was money to be made in same-sex romance. As an American gay man living in China for 8 years, and Thailand for 5 years, I assure you that gay life is not as peaches and cream as you want it to be.In 2007 a film about two young men who develop feelings for each other in high school caught Thai audiences off guard. You sweep in, enjoy the surface gratifications that present themselves in designated gay hotspots, but fail to look at the subsurface of what it does to families and society outside of the gay streets and bar areas of a community. Your comment about where it is best to party and travel. Your commentary in this article is from the viewpoint of a gay traveler, not invested in these societies and cultures. It can take decades for a society to become prepared. Just look at what happens when western nations, such as America or the UK "colonize" other nations. It is one thing to ensure that the minorities have equality and acceptance, but to push that acceptance on societies not prepared for such drastic and quick change is harmful. Sure, it is great for the minorities of gays in the country, but at what cost to the remainder of societies. This is especially true in places where LGBTQ progress has been made. Bi-sexual thinking is also more of a norm, as sex is a form of entertainment and relief from the daily dredges of life in these poorer nations.Īs western influences and liberal ideologies get introduced and accepted into these countries, they breakdown the fabric of the societies and are causing more harm to the general populous than actually doing good. It is culturally expected for them to have children and families, so as to not be a burden on society. This is why you will find many "gays" in these countries marrying the opposing gender. Without that conservative society norm, the elderly would be forgotten and thrown away. While you may condemn the "conservative" view in some of these countries, it is a necessity.
Parents spend their lives giving and supporting their children, with the concept that the children will repay at the end of a person's life. That is the responsibility of the children of a family. For instance, many countries do not rely on retirement funds and social programs to take care of the elderly. On that same note, the family is much more important, as well as the progression through age. Even the concept of "love" and "relationship" is different. It should be noted that many Asians, regardless of country, view sexuality much differently than a western gay would.