The Role of Religion among Sex Workers in Thailand

Sorajjakool, Siroj; Benitez, Arelis

doi:10.3390/rel6041263

Cited by 5 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 7 publications

(3 reference statements)

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“…Thailand has always been a religious country. Religion and spirituality are believed to be a fundamental part of who we are as human beings (Siroj and Brenitez, 2015). Studies of contemporary Thai sexuality often examine Buddhist scriptures and practices that denote non-heteronormative behaviors (Jackson and Dejnakarintra, 2006).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Buddhism, gender, and sexualities: queer spiritualities in Thailand

Ocha

2023

EDI

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PurposeThe article aims to present a new aspect of “the emergent identities” in Thailand with a correlation between morality and religiosity. The research deals with the perception of 65 Thai male-to-female transgender sex workers who are currently working in sex tourism in Pattaya and Bangkok. This article explores the role religion plays, the linkages between sexualities, and the potential for Thai Theravada Buddhist individuals to understand the way that they cope with life and interpret its meaning among these sexual minorities. Finally, the article shows how Thai marginalized Theravada Buddhists are negotiating their gendered religious spaces in Thailand.Design/methodology/approachThe study investigates perceptions of religion and its role in the lives of Thai Buddhist male-to-female transgender sex workers. Almost all the qualitative data was collected sequentially through (1) focus group discussions, (2) small group discussions, and (3) in-depth interviews. All interview sessions took place over six months in 2019. The researcher is a native Thai speaker and conducted the interviews in Thai with selected sex workers over 20 years old who have at least one year of experience engaging in sex work.FindingsThe research found three principal characteristics of “lived religion” in which emergent identities negotiate sexuality and morality: (1) Buddhist dequeering (the way Buddhism operates conservatively to reinforce heteronormativity), (2) queering Buddhism amidst multiple oppressions (how Buddhism operates to complement queer identity and empowerment), and (3) queering Buddhism as enlightenment (Buddhism with an emphasis on “practice” and “spiritual development”). The paper discusses how institutional Buddhism creates and recreates gendered identities in complex ways.Research limitations/implicationsThe article shows how Thai marginalized Theravada-Buddhism are negotiating their gendered religious spaces and “buy” the right to sexual and anatomy within their families and society by providing financial support, engaging in religion practices, donating in social charity projects base on their faith and capacity.Practical implicationsThe paper is supporting human right movements and dignity for sexual minorities gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender questioning, intersex (LGBTQI+) in Thailand. The paper also promotes equality to all human beings and shows a struggle for the basic human rights of sexual minorities in religion. The paper is raising awareness to religion's rights for all to look beyond distinctions of gender and class which may help to shape future history.Social implicationsThis article examines how Thai transgender sex workers utilize the non-essentialist philosophy of Theravada Buddhism. The paper finds that respondents are negotiating their religious spaces through the linkages among their gender, body, embodiment, identities, and sexualities. Despite most respondents believe that being born “a kathoey” as a result of bad karma, they use the Buddhist teachings of karma to explain their identities and even to lead a meaningful life to gain more merits for a better rebirth.Originality/valueThailand still lacks research on queer spiritualities and Buddhism. The article has seen challenges to the human rights of sexual minorities in religion. The solution is to increase awareness of the concepts of sex, gender, and sexualities and broaden the understanding of “endless performativity” and “gender diversification” (Butler, 1990) for gender sensitivity and gender responsiveness in creating “social equality” for all member societies in public campaigns, and media launched by the state and NGOs.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Buddhism, gender, and sexualities: queer spiritualities in Thailand

Ocha

2023

EDI

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“…This query poses as a question an opinion known in the literature as a “rape myth” and represents one of many false beliefs people hold about sexual assault that shift blame from the perpetrator to the survivor. Although most studies (see Cotton et al, 2002; Jakobsson & Kotsadam, 2011) seem to imply there should be a positive correlation between acceptance of rape myths and thinking it is morally acceptable to buy and sell sex, in the context of a Bolivian society overfilled with macho culture 20 and where almost 90% of people identify as Christians, 21 the relationship may work in reverse—people may believe women who dress provocatively are to blame if they are sexually abused (a consequence of macho culture, described in Ugarte et al, 2003; Wilson, 2014) and think transactional sex is immoral and should be illegal at the same time (a consequence of religion, described in Sorajjakool & Benitez, 2015; Vaggione, 2018).…”

Section: Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Prostitution in Bolivia: An analysis of attitudes and perceptions

Bojanic,

Jordán

2023

Latin American Policy

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Perceptions about prostitution in Bolivia are analyzed through a survey conducted in February 2021. The results show that while prostitution is generally viewed as immoral, most people surveyed think that buying and selling sex should be legal. Utilizing least squares and probit regressions, we find that the principal predictors of the morality of the sex industry and on whether it should be legal are gender, attitude toward sex, rape myths, political persuasion, stance on gender equality, and beliefs regarding the size of government. Men and sexual liberals are inclined to view prostitution more favorably, whereas people with politically conservative views, those with strong beliefs in gender equality, and those who favor a bigger role for government tilt in the opposite direction. The main recommendation from these findings is that a national legal framework should be established to formalize the industry.

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“…Sex work is generally considered unacceptable in mainstream Thai society and is also condemned by the dominant Buddhist culture. Sex work by its nature is not in connection with morality (Sorajjakool andBenitez 2015, p. 1270). Kirsch (1982) pointed out four decades ago that Thai women were more attached to the 'this-worldly' domain than their male counterparts, based on an observation that the majority of market sellers were women, indicating their greed and materialism.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Accordingly, Peace has even suggested that Buddhism's broadly positive perception of sex workers explains why prostitution, despite being regarded as both illegal and immoral, is still widely accepted in Thailand. Sorajjakool and Benitez (2015), in their study of 12 sex workers in Bangkok, describe how sex workers adopt Buddhist teachings and practices to reconcile their inner conflict and moral qualms about their occupation. In short, the relationship between sex workers and Buddhism may not be one of simple opposition.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Buddhist Modernism and the Piety of Female Sex Workers in Northern Thailand

Kidpromma¹

2022

Religions

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This paper highlights Thailand’s distinctive form of Buddhist Modernism through an exploration of religious piety among female sex workers in the city of Chiangmai. The generally accepted key basis of Buddhist Modernism, as depicted by certain Western Buddhist scholars, is interaction and engagement with modernity. More specifically, it is seen as incorporating modern science into the Buddhist worldview, and as regarding meditation as a core practice of ‘true Buddhism’. Crucial components of popular Buddhism, such as magical monks and mystical rituals, are excluded from this depiction of Buddhist Modernism, and even decried as ‘false Buddhism’, despite their canonical basis and long-term acceptance. Using ethnographic methods, this paper argues instead that the result of interactions with modernity by popular Buddhists always includes engagement with and mythologizing of traditional cosmology. That is, rather than solely involving global networks and scientific rationalism, Thai Buddhist Modernism is the product of complex patterns of interaction among local beliefs, mystical practices, and modernity. The purpose of this integration of modern and popular Buddhism in the religious practices of sex workers is to create loving-kindness (metta). Metta, in turn, is held to bring luck and attractiveness to practitioners, allowing them to earn an income to support their impoverished families and live well in modern society, as well as to accumulate good merit (bun) to improve their religious lives.

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The Role of Religion among Sex Workers in Thailand

Cited by 5 publications

References 7 publications

Buddhism, gender, and sexualities: queer spiritualities in Thailand

Buddhism, gender, and sexualities: queer spiritualities in Thailand

Prostitution in Bolivia: An analysis of attitudes and perceptions

Buddhist Modernism and the Piety of Female Sex Workers in Northern Thailand

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