Is equality on the horizon for Thailand's transgender community?

Photographer Elizabeth Waterman, known for her work documenting sex workers in the U.S., has traveled to Thailand three times over the last twelve months, interviewing and photographing Thai trans women known as Katoeys, commonly known as Ladyboys.

Working as entertainers in GoGo bars and as freelance escorts has allowed Katoeys to earn a respectable income and to dress and be accepted as women, but for some the life can be difficult and exhausting.

Waterman’s subjects shared stories about the challenges brought about by the inability to legally change their gender. Thailand and the world ought to have close attention to the progression of events in Thai Parliament, as a marginalized community comes to the forefront of attention.

Arranged for Advocate.com by Nikki Aye, Digital Photo Editor

Pangtini (right) with a friend in the dressing room, Pattaya City.

Katoey at work in Pattaya City.

Chrissy (on right) dancing on stage, Pattaya City.

Katoeys fixing their makeup at work on Walking Street in Pattaya City. 

Katoeys encouraging customers to come into their bar in Pattaya City.

Katoey Bar in Pattaya City.

Katoeys Nat Bam and Faye shopping after work in Pattaya City.

Nat Bam and Faye making merit with a Buddhist monk at 6am after working in a gogo bar.

Chrissy and friend traveling around Pattaya City on a Baht Bus.

Chrissy and friend on a beach after work.

Chrissy on the beach after work.

Katoey Nadia in Pattaya City.

Katoey Maria often feels unsafe walking down the street in Bangkok.

Katoey dancing with a customer at work in Pattaya City.

Nat and Faye waiting offstage at work.

Katoeys interacting with clients at a gogo bar in Pattaya City.

Katoey outside a gogo bar in Pattaya City.

Nat waiting offstage at work in Pattaya City.

Katoeys napping and resting between stage sets at work in Pattaya City.

Chrissy and friends on the beach relaxing.

Nadia is a katoey living and working in Pattaya City.

Katoey gets ready for work in Bangkok.

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