24Hrs - Transvestite from Nicolas Axelrod on Vimeo.
Houn Syporn knew he wanted to be lady from the age of five. He used to play with make up and creams. Her mother was worried but Syporn knew what he wanted. Now, (S)he works in one of the many hostess bars of Phnom Penh. Syporn, with her many nicknames, cares for customers, serving drinks and chatting with local expatriates and tourists. She is not shy to say she is a ladyboy; she will openly admit and make a point of it before a potential customer is interested in getting to know her. Like many of the other hostess in her business Syporn comes from an impoverished province, she works hard every night to support her family. Though the bar only pays her a minimum wage, just enough for her to cover the rent, she is able to get by with tips from customers, and lady drinks (drinks bought for ladies that cost double, a percentage of the difference is given back to the girl).
Cambodia generally understands transgender in less rigid terms than in western countries. Regardless, ladyboys in Cambodia still suffer from discrimination their work opportunities are generally limited to hair and make-up salons and hostess bars. Syporn knows this all to well, when she walks down the streets passersby will call out to her ‘oh Katoey’ (“fairy” or “queen”).
Cambodia generally understands transgender in less rigid terms than in western countries. Regardless, ladyboys in Cambodia still suffer from discrimination their work opportunities are generally limited to hair and make-up salons and hostess bars. Syporn knows this all to well, when she walks down the streets passersby will call out to her ‘oh Katoey’ (“fairy” or “queen”).
14 comments:
Isn't this a crime in the kingdom?? I think it should be.
Why it should be a crime?
A crime of just wanting to be a woman?
There is no such a crime. A Buddhist society should have the compassion and tolerance.
There are many more urgent and serious problems for Cambodia to deal with and transvestism is not a crime.
What this boy is doing is not a problem for the society at all. No society is homogeneous when it comes to such a thing. He is only expressing his own inclination and there is nothing wrong with that!
The overseas kids are spoiled the Cambodian culture.
We need to keep some of these overseas out of the country to ensure the environment is not contaminated.
YES 1 + 1 = 3 NO 1 + 1 = 2
Ladyboys is true to himself. He or she takes great risk to support his family. Sometime desperation make human does the impossible act.
interesting, how 4:53 PM thought of "pure" environment in Cambodia...
pure environment of intolerance and violence?
Definitely,it's not a crime but it's weird , disgusting ,very disturbing, eyesore and we can't do anything about it but to live with it.This is a punishment to decency.
it is a sign that cambodia is catching up with the world in this sexual orientation age. hey, transvestite or transexualor gay or msm, etc existed all over the world, too, not just in cambodia. i think cambodia scene is just now opening up and become a normal. just another minority group in cambodia like anywhere else on the planet in any country, too, you know! the best thing anyone can do is to support and advocate for their freedom and protection in all ways, etc... i think they should cater to tourists from all over the world. if tourists want it, cambodia should have it, everything e.g. fun, variety, versatile, nightlife, bars, sex shops, toys, disease advocate and prevention, health conscious, etc... welcome to the small world!
4:53PM,
Oversea kids never want to visit your fucking country.Keep it for your own kids .It's your own kids that love to absorb Western culture.Nowadays,they are hardly wait to celebrate Christmas,Valentine etc ...and they're doing it so weirdly and too extreme.
Pourk Ah SCUM RAINSY's people turn to deviation from the norm such as Lady Boy, Gay, Lesbian, CFF, Transvestite to prove that their failure in a politcal scene is a winner in society scene.
ah 2:19 AM,
political win, my ass. political intimidation and violence is the correct term, don't you think?
where did you just come from? The old Ho Chi Minh trail forrests?
the robbers, rapists, wife beaters, land grabbers and other corrupt goevenment "execllencies" all carry their "samdachs" and "oknhas" pictures in their houses, offices, and schools for influence and best lucks, there ain't no oversea khmer kids picture any where in their houses.
what heritage say, those kids, the rich ones, in Cambodia are protecting? they are just sucking ill-gotten money from their "oknhas," "samdachs, and "excellencies" parents"
Calling us names ha .How about yourself or pourk ah kbal yuon khluon khmer,ah kanhcheas yuon dach thlay .It's inevitable that in the near future ,your heads will be use as bond fire to boil water for your boss.
dont spill the masters tea stupid khmer monkey
khmer only know how to do one thing kill
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