COLOURS OF ACCEPTANCE

While the new film ‘It Gets Better’ glosses over the real problems of LGBT, it does

make several valid points

 As the open-topped red car motors slowly through the green hills, I admire once more the beauty of the opening scene of new movie “It Gets Better”. Saitan (Penpak Sirikul), one of the leading characters, wears colourful outfits throughout the film and while many of the katoey characters dress in black, their actions provide the colour. 

I think Saitan is like many katoey friends in my life. She leads a colourful life but faces plenty of darkness too. I suspect that most LGBTIQ people – the IQ stands for intersexed/questioning – have similar experiences. For example, we are always sensitive to family issues. 

When we were young, we wondered why our parents and relatives were so concerned when our behaviour didn’t match preconceived ideas about gender. Sometimes we were compared to our cousins, causing us to question whether we were loved. After all, our cousins could behave how they liked so why did we have to change?

 As teens, we realised the reasons behind our family’s treatment and we learned how to keep secrets as well as what we could safely reveal. Some of us were lucky to have good friends and sympathetic teachers who remained at our side; others were alone and feared being found out. 

Adult LGBTs have their own lives. They can choose where they go next. But as we know from the media, many gays and lesbians are forced into marriage. That brings to mind the novice’s na