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frequently asked questions on Teenpath.net, but isseldom asked of Thai parents.The internet as a channel for SOGI activismPeer support groups on the internet can supportpeople with different sexual orientations and genderidentities (SOGI). User-organised online platformsfor SOGI and specific gender- and sexuality-relatedinterest groups can provide counselling, share lifeexperiences and often extend to offline support andconnections, such as discussion groups for thosewho want to come out.The internet is also a new frontier for campaignson sexual identities, sexual health and genderidentity issues. Gender and SOGI activists use socialmedia to recruit new participants to online andoffline campaigns, such as mobilisation to reduceprejudice and homophobia on the International Dayagainst Homophobia and Transphobia. The Anjareeand Saphan groups, for example, use the internetand social media to raise awareness on genderidentities, and to counter haters and misconceptionsin mainstream society, such as by affirmingthat lesbians, gays and trans people are not “mentallyill”.The internet as a space to explore sexualitiesBecause of the repressive cultural norms on propersexualities and legitimate relationships (i.e. sexwithin marriage), which are heavily promoted bythe Thai state, individuals use the internet to escapeconventions by exploring sexual practices andintimate relationships by themselves.Unlike girls in the United States who mayface cyber bullying after their half-naked photosare published on the internet, Thai teens enjoypopularity and fame from posting sexy half-nakedphotos of themselves as a way to gain acceptance.Due to the wide distribution of affordable smartphoneswith high-definition cameras, the practiceof teenagers aged 13 to 20 taking pictures of themselvesand sharing the photos on social networksites, such as Facebook, has become popular andfashionable.The most notable example was a teenager withthe Facebook username Nuey Pramannanlae. Inearly 2005, she became an online celebrity attractingadmiration among Thai teens after she postedhundred of photos of herself in various sexy poses.Most of the photos show her wearing tight shirtsor dresses and focus on her breasts. This inspiredother teenage girls to imitate her. Since 2006, numerousNuey copycats have appeared, revealingthemselves to a greater degree – going beyond sexyto half naked, to nudity. Many of them show half ormost of their breasts. Some have gone further byposting pictures of themselves making love. Mostof these did this purely to attract attention and gainadmiration.The internet as a space to escape repressionMainstream Thai society has strict rules on whatproper intimacy should entail: heterosexual relationshipswithin the monogamous marriageinstitution, which is promoted by the state and themainstream media. Additionally, the law also criminalisescertain sexual activities, such as partnerexchanges and sex shops, as “indecent”.Cyberspace allows the opportunity to escapefrom the “norm” and lets people explore sexualitiesand enjoy a sexual freedom that is not allowedin the offline world. For instance, online platformsprovide even wider opportunities for dating, suchas casual relationship personal web boards, andwebsites for Thais seeking Thais and Thais seekingforeign partners. Explicit casual dating websitesand online dating services are not blocked by Thaiauthorities. Websites such as www.sexdatenow.netoffer localised dating services as well as warningsabout consensual casual relationships and condomuse.Despite being criminalised under Thai law,swinging parties are not a new phenomenon, butthe internet has decentralised the practice, movingit from paid organised events to self-organisedappointments through social media and onlinewebsites where couples can check one another’sdetails. Some websites may require membershipfees. Most of the websites require registration toprevent police crackdown and arrest under theCCA.Sex shops are not legalised in Thailand. Buyinga sex toy in a roadside shop in a tourist night bazaarcan be an awkward experience, especially for women.Online sex shops offer a better experience andanonymity for women and buyers in general. Somewebsites also have women receptionists or are operatedby women. “Ae AengKa Oratai” (in Thai) and“Morning Love” are examples of YouTube users thatadvertise sex toy products with educational sexologyvideos and product demonstrations for women.Some online sex shops also feature products forLGBT people.Under the current legal framework and culturalnorms, online sex shops help overcome legal barriersand embarrassment for women and LGBTpeople who seek pleasure by allowing them to remainanonymous and enjoy privacy.226 / Global Information Society Watch
Table 1.Selected examples of online gender and SOGI advocacy and activismTarget audiences Website TopicsTeenagers, students, youngadults, parents, teachersLesbian women, LGBT, SOGIand gender activistsWomen and victims of domesticviolenceMen who have sex with men (MSM)Teen Path, an online sourceof sexuality-related andreproductive health awarenessand informationwww.teenpath.netAnjareewww.anjaree.orgSocial media: www.facebook.com/anjaree and www.facebook.com/anjareefanpageBangkok International DayAgainst Homophobia andTransphobiaSocial media: www.facebook.com/bkk.IDAHOTSapaan Group: Alternative Mediafor SOGI Rightssapaan.orgThailand Domestic ViolenceInformation Centre(governmental)www.violence.in.th/publicweb/Default.aspxAdam’s Love, a web counsellingcentre for MSMwww.adamslove.orgSocial media: www.facebook.com/adamslovethailand• Online access point for sexual andreproductive health information ande‐learning.• Answers questions on sexual health andreproductive health issues in forums,emails and chatrooms and providesreferral to offline services.• Raises awareness on SOGI/LGBT issueswith a focus on lesbian rights.• Distributes online news and informationon LGBT and lesbian issues.• Social media campaign for same-sexmarriage law in Thailand.• Uses social media to campaign andraise awareness on homophobia andtransphobia.• Informs activists and LGBT participantsabout public action through the internetand real world campaigning.• Produces online and offline media tocounter discrimination, stigmatisationand biased representation of SOGI.• Campaigns for legal reform to preventdiscrimination, using the internet as amobilisation platform.• E-learning on violence against women.• Online directory of service centres thatdeal with violence against women.• Uses online channels to raise awarenesson STIs including HIV/AIDS and topromote sexual well-being, health andvoluntary HIV testing among MSMs.• Provides online counselling services.Conclusions• Although numerous services, products and activitiesrelated to sexuality are illegal, in practiceThai law is loosely enforced. Most of the services,products and activities are widely available, atleast in Bangkok. This does not mean that harsherlaw enforcement is called for, but suggeststhat the law is not realistic or practical.• Because of the structure of the internet, attemptsby the Thai authorities to block access topornography and websites related to sexualityare futile. Most Thai internet users can still accessporn sites.• The Thai authorities, especially the police andthe ministry of culture, tend to impose conservativevalues upon Thai society. Laws againstLGBT people are usually invoked when scandalsbreak out or when the authorities want to makea splash in the media.• Because of the anonymity of the internet, itplays a very important role in improving thesexual well-being of Thai people who live in a227 / Global Information Society Watch
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Costa Rica . . . . . . . . . . . .
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IntroductionJoanne SandlerGender at
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excluded. 9 And while recent data n
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ox 1In February 2009, intimate pict
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egime, increasing surveillance of t
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Accessing infrastructureMariama Dee
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figure 2.Share of individuals with
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figure 4.Share of where internet wa
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figure 7.Main reasons why individua
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A digital postcard urging people to
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and set the scene for a new point o
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activity, exhorting citizens to exe
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to citizens. 30 The situated experi
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Sexuality and the internetBruno Zil
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ally exclusive. Commercial sex is a
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Sometimes, strangers they meet onli
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Violence against women onlineJan Mo
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elated forms of VAW have become par
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Men often feel that they own their
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ConclusionAs Daroczi, Shevchenko, R
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Online disobedienceNadine MoawadAss
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mapping platform for sexual harassm
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1800 1850 1900Maria Gaetana Agnesi(
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TodaySusan KareCreated the icons an
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Whose internet is it anyway?Shaping
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academic groundwork is needed, both
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empowered and disempowered by them.
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Whose internet is it anyway?Shaping
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Country reports
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P is for PIN: “The website works
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Crime of Trafficking, 9 which recei
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Role of ICTs in the trafficking of
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(1) If any person deliberately publ
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BOLIVIAPreventing digital violence
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Due to the popularity and widesprea
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a position of privilege.” 7 It be
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the councils that the spaces alone
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gradually become the primary field
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Sexuality in Communist Bulgaria”,
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• Of the five MPCTs selected, two
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• MPCT managers should regularly
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protest movement that has gained si
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to arise as to the evolving nature
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CHINAMicroblogs: An alternative, if
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domestic violence, and the exacting
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colombiaWomen’s rights, gender an
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• Women activists and human right
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CONGO, democratic republic ofOnline
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CONGO, REPUBLIC OFWomen’s rights
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The different uses of ICTs for wome
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cook islandsBalancing leadership: A
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and the Netherlands (38.7%). Of the
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costa ricaThe ICT sector requires t
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côte d’ivoireYasmina Ouégnin: A
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family expenses according to their
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was any kind of consultation before
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violence and violence against women
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Write Me In is a series of digital
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Online protests over “virginity t
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ethiopiaEmpowering women through IC
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the exchange take as much as 80% of
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indiaThe internet as a pathway for
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Using ICTs in support of women’s
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• Develop gender-sensitive techni
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The skill of using modern technolog
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However, non-official surveys indic
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iraqICTs and the fight against fema
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multimedia presentations in their v
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Both these groups emerged from the
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Action stepsPaestum 2013Just before
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in 2009. The Dunn et al. study foun
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end of the ICT spectrum, reflecting
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japanDealing with the backlash: Pro
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Akiko and teacher Nomaki Masako (wh
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Access to ICTs helps in the fulfilm
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ut the case was ultimately dismisse
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kenyaWomen and cyber crime in Kenya
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huge online following. Known as an
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Action steps• Lobby to have onlin
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For example, although the abovement
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In addition to the cases mentioned
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Two years later, when facing a simi
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NEPALPerspectives of Nepali women i
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Table 2.Women in technical position
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Page 179 and 180: NEW ZEALANDProposed new laws and th
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Page 183 and 184: NIGERIAThe use of ICTs to express p
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Page 187 and 188: PAKISTANShaping ICTs in Pakistan us
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Page 191 and 192: PERUWomen against violence: Using t
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