Attitude needs more attitude

Thailand’s version of Attitude magazine has increased its readership continuously since its launch about 20 months ago. I initially bought every issue, but now I get only the issues that really interest me, having found 

 that the content of the Thai edition is quite limited. I’m referring not to the translated articles from the UK but the ones written here. 

Attitude presents subjects of interest to gay men, and the Thai edition is full of lifestyle consumer products and services – what to buy, where to eat, where to travel – along with tips on love. There are also articles spurring the reader to think about serious gay issues – rights, legal matters, politics and the like – but most are translations alluding to what’s happening in the West. It’s rare to read about issues in the Thai context. 

Take, for example, articles about pride parades and gay couples adopting children. Thailand doesn’t officially recognise marriage between same-sex persons, so legal adoption is quite out of the question here. And Gay Natee opposed Chiang Mai Gay Pride, so how can we have a parade when gay activists can’t even agree on things? 

Sure, it’s good to know about the gay life in other parts of this world, but what is the use if we can’t make a connection with our lives here? 

Attitude’s Thai edition needs more diverse content. It needs to look beyond urban upper-middle class gays. Yes, they’re seeking acceptance from society just like all other gay groups, but they have the financial wherewithal to ease their problems. 

Stories revealing other aspects of the LGBT community in Thailand would be a bridge linking and strengthening us. They could even explain why we need to know about adoption and gay-pride parades.

Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre researcher Dr Narupon Duangwises once compared the Thai edition of Attitude to a hi-so gay man and was roundly criticised for it. Many of the magazine’s defenders cited marketing constraints, indicating that they regard magazines as just another business and not part of the mass media, which alone must demonstrate social responsibility.

If they read the British edition, though, they will see how important the social issues are to its subscribers. It’s not only how about how to spend your leisure time and money. It offers a complete picture of LGBT life. 

I hope the Thai edition will also become a magazine that seeks to change public perceptions and attitudes – even within the gay community.