Personally the term TG (transgender) includes transgender women, which is a man transforms to a woman, and transgender man, which is a woman transform to a man. Thai words for transgender woman are second type women, katoey, cross sex woman. For transgender men it doesn’t Tom as most Thais assume for are familiar with. For TG community, English word is used, transman and cross sex man.
(For Anne: “katoey”is Thai for transvestite, lady boy, or trans-sexual. Udom)
However I think that the term second type women still a stigmatized term because it implies gender classification. As for the term “katoey”, in TG women community some people are pleased and don’t feel offended by it. Some don’t like and don’t want to be called “katoey”.
The term that I think is neutral and feel comfortable with is the abbreviate of English one – trans or cross sex women.
And transgender community, in general, the preferred term should be cross sex people community.
Thanks Udom for starting the discussion.
(For Anne: This discussion started because I wasn’t sure about what Thai words to use for TG, TG women. This is still controversial and different communities, different groups use or prefer different words. – Udom)
