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                    TransNews Mail No.7 2003/03/08

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今日は国際女性デー(International Women's Day)
http://www1.jca.apc.org/3-8IWD/

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          T  O  D  A  Y  '  S     C  O  N  T  E  N  T  S

1・民主党衆議院議員・近藤昭一さんのメッセージ
2・長野県議会・牛山好子議員秘書さんからのお返事
3・Thai film strikes blow for 'lady-boys' (Asia Times 3/8)

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1・民主党衆議院議員・近藤昭一さんのメッセージ

＃同趣旨の文章が、ご本人のHP（2月13日付日記）にも掲載されていますが、ここで
は、虎井まさ衛さんの「私たちは性同一性障害をかかえる人々を応援します」
http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~krtry/index2.html　から引用させていただきます。
＃


近藤昭一　衆議院議員（民主党・愛知3区・当選2回）
http://www.dpj.or.jp/giin/show_giin.php3?id=56
http://www.kon-chan.org

 　 民主党の人権政策会議の副座長を務めていますが、その第一回のテーマで「性同
一性障害」を取り上げさせていただきました（引用者注・2003年2月13日）。

　正直申し上げて、自分の不明を心から恥じました。私の政治家としての信条は、
「誰も排除されることのない社会をつくる」ことですが、性同一性という障害のため
に、これほどまでに疎外を受けている方がいらっしゃることを十分に知りませんでし
たし、当事者の方たちの悩みにきちんと思いを馳せたことがありませんでした。

　当日の会議で厚生労働省の担当者（正確には担当する部署さえないというお粗末
さ）から状況説明を受けたのですが、同省の姿勢には強く怒りを覚えました。

　我々の「どういう場合に『性同一性障害』を認めるのか」という問いに「ガイドラ
インがあります」という答え。ところが、そのガイドラインは日本精神神経学会でつ
くられたガイドラインで、それに沿っているからといって、公的サービスを受けられ
るわけではないという。もちろん、薬による治療も、薬の効能説明にないということ
で、保険適用もなければ、きちんとした使用法もない。

　「それで、どうするつもりか」と聞くと、「今のところ基礎的な資料もないので、
どうしようもない」と寝ぼけた答弁が帰ってきました。国際的に認知された障害であ
り、外見上の性と内面の性が一致しないところから、日本国内でも悩みを抱える人た
ちが多くみえる訳です。その方たちは、社会の差別と闘い、やっとの思いで治療を受
け、いくばくかの心の安心を得る。しかしそれも束の間、自分の認知する性と戸籍上
の性の不一致からくる多くの困難に見舞われるわけです。あれだけ、スモン、HIV、
ハンセン病など、国民の側にたっていない厚生省の体質が問題になったにもかかわら
ず、いまだに変わらない姿勢に本当に強い怒りを覚えました。問題を認識し、現状を
どうするのかを、国として考えなくてはならないにもかかわらず、全くその認識に欠
けています。

　会議終了間際に、当事者という三名の方が発言されました。実は、私はここに当事
者の皆さんがおられるとは思っていませんでしたので少々驚きました。勇気をもって
がんばっておられる皆さんの行動に心から感動を受けました。

　仲間とともに、戸籍の性別変更、社会保険や健康保険証、さらにはパスポートや投
票ハガキ上の性別表記の廃止など、当事者の方たちが安心して日常生活をおくれる法
改正に挑みたいと思っています。

＃民主党勉強会については、Sexual Science '03年1月号参照。
http://www.medical-tribune.co.jp/ss/2003-1/ss0301_2.htm　＃

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2・長野県議会・牛山好子議員秘書さんからのお返事

＃内容的にプライバシーの問題はないと思いますので、ここに掲載させていただきま
す。お忙しい中お返事をいただきありがとうございましたm(__)m＃

こんにちは
メール大変にありがとうございました
××様と同じご意見を各地から頂戴し、
本当にこの問題の大切さ、早期対応が必要だと実感しています
現在、牛山は議会中で長野市に滞在中のため
すぐに直接のお返事ができず申し訳なく思っております
いただいたメールはさっそく牛山へ伝えさせていただきました
３月末には議会も終わりますので、改めてお返事を兼ね
その後の長野県における進捗もお伝えできればと思っています
これからも何かお気づきの点、ご意見ございましたら
お知らせいただければと思います
春一番のあとではありますが、まだまだ寒さが続きます
お体に気をつけてお過ごしください　牛山事務所　設楽秀子


＃牛山好子議員の質疑・応答については、当メール号外1号(3/3)をご覧ください。
http://transnews.tripod.co.jp/tnmail-e1.htm　＃

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3・Thai film strikes blow for 'lady-boys' (Asia Times 3/8)

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/EC08Ae03.html

Asia Times 2003/03/08

Southeast Asia
Thai film strikes blow for 'lady-boys'
By Marwaan Macan-Markar

BANGKOK - Mention the name "Nong Toom" here and most Thais seem to know who
she is: a strikingly beautiful woman with a curvaceous body and graceful
gestures to match.

This popularity stems from her (then his) story that grabbed public
attention in early 1998 - a katoey as Thais call transvestites and
transsexuals, excelling in the most macho of sports in this Southeast Asian
country, Thai kickboxing or Muay Thai.

In 2000, after pummeling the men in the ring, Parinya "Nong Toom"
Charoenphol decided to fulfill a boyhood dream to become a woman. Now, at 21
years, she is.

It was a story waiting to be grabbed for film given its uniqueness - this
country had never witnessed the presence of a transsexual in the ring
before. Nong Toom, in fact, would happily wear lipstick during bouts.

In many ways, the story of Nong Toom - beyond the curiosity it readily
generates - brought into sharp focus the struggles and triumphs of an
individual belonging to one of Thailand's pervasive sexual minorities.

Thus, film director Ekachai Uekrongtham has set his heart on exploring such
themes and more to project this "very humane account" in his film, Beautiful
Boxer.

"This is the story of a very warm person who believed that he was born in a
wrong body and fights to get what he wishes," said Ekachai outside a studio
north of Bangkok, where filming has begun.

Beautiful Boxer, which is estimated to cost US$2.5 million, is Ekachai's
cinematic debut. He has earned a name in this Southeast Asian country as an
award-winning stage director.

Nong Toom herself is a consultant in the film and is cast in a minor role as
a trainer to top kickboxer Asanee Suwan, who will play Nong Toom in the
film.

To give the depth and seriousness the film requires, the narrative of
Beautiful Boxer will be woven around Nong Toom's childhood in a home of a
family living on the borders of poverty in northern Thailand, his years as a
novice Buddhist monk and his life as the "lady-boy" boxer.

For the real-life star, the film delves into aspects of her life that convey
the passion that drove her in her journey from boyhood to womanhood.

"You cannot choose how you are born, but you can choose how you want to be,
and make society accept you the way you are. That is the lesson of the
film," said Nong Toom.

But in attempting to immortalize Nong Toom's struggles through film,
director Ekachai is also helping to clarify - or some may say push - the
limits placed by the authorities here on portraying katoey in popular
culture.

What helps is the medium he has chosen - a movie for the big screen, rather
than television.

That is because in Thailand, which has authorities such as the police
censorship board to edit out sections it deems unsavory for local audiences,
there is more space in film to project katoey in sympathetic light than on
television.

Furthermore, Beautiful Boxer comes after the nod of approval the authorities
gave to the 2001 hit film Satree Lek ("Iron Ladies").

That film, which became the second-highest earner in the local cinema, was
about the true story of a katoey-led volleyball team that won a national
championship in 1996.

This month, the sequel to Iron Ladies opens in cinemas across the country.

"The government is more sensitive to the way katoey appear on television,
because it is a more popular medium," said Ubonrat Siriyuvasak, of the
communication arts faculty at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University. "Film is
where new ground can be broken.

"The national broadcasting authorities are against the katoey character
being celebrated or being projected as a serious character or in a lead role
on TV," she added. "This is because they are worried it will promote
imitations."

Currently, katoey are a regular feature on television shows, but often in
comedies and in those, too, they have minor roles. Television viewers rarely
get to see a portrayal of katoey where their individual struggles and
triumphs in life are depicted.

Yet katoey move freely in this society, a mark of tolerance toward this
sexual minority. Besides occupations that katoey have been identified with -
dancers in go-go bars, and workers in hair salons and in the fashion
industry - they work in banks, in department stores and, in a few cases, in
the civil service.

"There are katoey from all segments of society, and they are becoming more
visible now," said Ubonrat. "And they are making an effort to make
themselves acceptable."

What works in their favor is the law in Thailand, where homosexuality is not
deemed a crime, unlike some of the other countries in the region. As
significant for the katoey is the ease with which they can get hormone
pills, have breast implants and, as in the case of Nong Toom, get corrective
surgery here.

When the film of Nong Toom's life comes out this year, Thai audiences will
get a chance to deliver another message about how receptive they are to a
serious portrayal of such characters in the country's cultural life.

A thumbs-up for Beautiful Boxer will mean more space for Thai cinema to shed
light on a sexual minority that despite the openness of society toward them,
has no legal rights and, as a result, remain vulnerable to abuse.

(Inter Press Service)


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　　　　　　　　　TransNews Mail No.7 2003/03/08
　　　　　　　　　　brought to you by TransNews
　　　　　　　　　　http://transnews.tripod.co.jp
　　　　　　　　　　mailto:alfayoko2002@yahoo.co.jp
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