Why do you like to act so provocatively?
I don’t see it as provocative. It’s a way to bring people’s attention to the message that I want to communicate. Regarding the pose with the Pridi Panomyong statue at Thammasat University, I just wanted to remind people that Pridi would have wanted students to follow his principles, not simply worship him. That statue is just stone. The act was criticized by many, but I just used sex as a tool to communicate that uniforms are controlling our true identity. I quit Chulalongkorn University because they abused my fundamental human rights, forcing transgender students to wear male uniforms and cut their hair short. I couldn’t stand for that. Thammasat gave me the freedom to be who I am.
People say you only did it because you want to be famous.
That’s so untrue. Why would I put myself in a position where people are denouncing me and even cursing my family? I just want to raise awareness of the fact that people have the right to go against tradition and culture, which are often just concepts used to control people.
Have you been threatened?
Yes, a lot, but mostly on the internet, not in reality. I did have to run away once, though, after I saw a bunch of people walk towards me with a look of hatred.
Why do you keep doing it?
I believe it’s a way of showing people that not everyone in society has to think the same way. We must learn to tolerate and accept one another so that we can live together without have to resort to violence.
Why are you against this controversial amnesty bill?
This law is totally unfair for people who lost their lives. There was a massacre in 2010 and those who ordered the killings, Abhisit Vejjajiva and Suthep Tueksuban, will get away with it. Even Thaksin Shinawatra, I want him to be punished for his involvement in the killings in the South, the Krue Se Mosque incident and Tak Bai incident. This amnesty is unlawful as it’s against the human rights of the people who died. You can’t just forget that. It shows that Thai society just doesn’t learn from past mistakes. We had killings in 1973, 1976, 1992 and 2006, and, in all those incidents, ordinary people are always the biggest losers. I feel betrayed by the Pheu Thai Party.
What’s next for you?
I will campaign to reduce gender discrimination, especially against transgenders. If we aren’t as pretty as Poy Trichada, then we are always treated as a joke, and that’s not right. I also dream to work in journalism to encourage people to understand this important issue.
