Beyond Criminality: Unveiling the Untold Kathoey Narratives in Thai-Language News Headlines.
This study examines the portrayal of kathoeys (transgender women and feminine gay men) in Thai-language news headlines (N = 1,265) through Corpus-Assisted Discourse Studies and Queer and Trans Linguistics frameworks. Findings reveal persistent patterns of representation that construct kathoeys throu...
| Published in: | Sexuality & Culture Vol. 30; no. 1; pp. 214 - 237 |
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| Format: | Article |
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Springer Nature
Feb2026
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hlh&AN=191287759&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: hlh uiTerm: 191287759 longDbName: Humanities International Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 10955143 DZ0 jtl: Sexuality & Culture issn: 10955143 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Feb2026 vid: 30 iid: 1 pid: 237 pub: Springer Nature artinfo: ui: 191287759 10.1007/s12119-025-10421-5 ppf: 214 ppct: 23 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: P size: 1.4MB tig: atl: Beyond Criminality: Unveiling the Untold Kathoey Narratives in Thai-Language News Headlines. aug: au: Sreejak, Thanawut affil: https://ror.org/03cq4gr50 Department of English, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand su: Transgender people Feminism Gender differences (Sociology) Social marginality Social constructionism sug: subj: Transgender people Feminism Gender differences (Sociology) Social marginality Social constructionism keyword: Communication and Culture Cultural Studies Corpus-assisted discourse analysis Kathoey Language Media representation Queer linguistics Thai news discourse Trans linguistics ab: This study examines the portrayal of kathoeys (transgender women and feminine gay men) in Thai-language news headlines (N = 1,265) through Corpus-Assisted Discourse Studies and Queer and Trans Linguistics frameworks. Findings reveal persistent patterns of representation that construct kathoeys through binary extremes, either as perpetrators of sensationalized crimes or as exceptional figures in entertainment and beauty. While emerging counter-narratives present kathoeys in advocacy roles, these remain marginal and conditional, reinforcing rather than challenging normative expectations. The findings demonstrate how linguistic choices in headlines, particularly collocations with terms indicating deviance or spectacle, contribute to kathoeys' continued marginalization in Thai media discourse. This systematic othering persists despite growing visibility, suggesting the need for fundamental changes in journalistic practices to promote a more nuanced and dignified representation of gender diversity in Thailand. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: Y custom: Sexuality & Culture is a copyright of Springer, 2026. All Rights Reserved. item: Sexuality & Culture holder: Springer Nature dt: @attributes: year: 2026 holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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