Third gender

[914]

I didn't realize this was happening in Taiwan schools. I didn't think parents would be so understanding with their kids' gender identification in such a sex-biased society. But these parents are also from our generation so they're more educated and open-minded. Could it be?

I find this topic fascinating.

By the way, Battery9, your friends are cute. I'd always had a thing for tomboys. Odd. Went through a phase when I was much younger where I dressed (attempted to) as a tomboy.

[Chuanzao El Ale Destroyer]

I didn't realize this was happening in Taiwan schools. I didn't think parents would be so understanding with their kids' gender identification in such a sex-biased society. But these parents are also from our generation so they're more educated and open-minded. Could it be?

I find this topic fascinating.

I do too.
Battery9. he/she is about ten. She/he isn't a tomboy. He/she looks like a girl and has long hair and non-tomboyish clothing, yet my boss told me that the parents told him student is indeed a biological boy and that I am to refer to suudent as "he". I don't want to ask more questions because I just want to go on teaching without issue. But Taiwan culture is very interesting.

The reason I speculated about ambiguos genitalia is because I recently watched this documentary:
part one:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEir4IWHYrY
part two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVaMKMqc ... re=related
part three: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9OAG1X6 ... re=related

It was originally on the learning channel.

I am now a supporter of rights for gender ambiguous individuals. I never gave much thought to it before. I am happy that it seems that Asia is further along on this topic than the west.

[european]

I don't think the 'third gender' thing is at all common here compared to say Thailand or the Philippines for that matter.

And the 'third gender' I am talking about is (the western term being) trans gender - male to female.
There are tomboys about and camp looking men on almost every street, but third sex?
I've seen a handful over the years (one of which groped me in a street asking me to go back to her apartment).

Bring the subject up with students over the age of twelve (in every case for me, they brought it up) and you'll be met with laughter and cries of 'renyao' which in case you don't know, means people monster.
That is usually met with some myopic comments about the 'renyao' being gay.

Which is a sharp contrast to Thailand - where thankfully they are certainly tolerated (a little less so by some ethnic Chinese there) and viewed as a third sex.

[economy ah]

How sweet. It is the slightly older ones that you should worry about, with the large adams apples who threaten all sorts of unpleasant things should you look at them critically in their natural habitat. There are many in Malaysia and Singapore as well, and most look quite beautiful from a few feet away.

[Liz_Taipei]

This story reminds me of something I heard years ago and that always intrigued me.

An expat friend of mine was friends with this very tomboy looking Taiwanese 'female', who was legally a woman: name, voice, ID card. But she often said she would rather have been a man, she had 'manly' interests and hobbies, she could easily have passed for a man if it were not for the voice, etc. I later learned that, let me quote: "when her mom was changing her nappy, she didn't know if that baby was a boy or a girl"... I didn't dare to ask more questions or, God forbids, for a quick look at the object of confusion...

That woman must now be about 40-42 years old, and was born in the South of Taiwan, so we can all guess the state of hospital/medical technology/mentality at that time. She wasn't dating anyone nor seemed to have any 'carnal' inclination towards either men or women.

I am amazed to read about Chuanzao's student case! I wonder why parents wouldn't want their kid to be operated at birth.

[Battery9]

the problem is that you can't choose the gender so early. Many kids get operated on early..but later the child wants to be the opposite sex. Like, you may cut off the penis, but then the girl feels that there is something wrong with her, in the wrong body etc.

I watched an Oprah episode about parents being fine with their kids that want to be the opposite sex. It is so intriguing. There is a big difference between a tomboy girl who wants to climb trees and be boyish, and a girl who screams and becomes depressed when she has to wear a dress.