The Thai Queer Resources Centre Needs Old Gay Magazines And

For your interest

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Thai Queer Resources Centre (http://www.tqrc.org/) (TQRC) is developing a comprehensive collection of Thai language publications on gay, kathoey and lesbian issues. The TQRC would love to provide a good home for old Thai gay magazines and books.

The large volume of gay, lesbian and kathoey magazines, booklets, and ephemera published in Thailand since the 1970s is a treasure trove of information on the history of some of the worldтАЩs most important homosexual and transgender cultures.

However, these valuable materials are in danger of being destroyed and disappearing completely because established institutions have not considered them тАЬworthyтАЭ of collection and preservation. Neither the National Library of Thailand nor any university or institutional archive, whether in Thailand or the West, has collected these materials. Because of this, the only remaining copies are in the hands of private collectors.

To respond to this emergency ThailandтАЩs gay, lesbian and transgender communities and the AsiaPacifiQueer Network have jointly established the Thai Queer Resources Centre, with the aim of saving and preserving ThailandтАЩs endangered rainbow heritage.

On behalf of ThailandтАЩs gay, lesbian, and transgender communities and the international community of scholars the TQRC wishes to invite you to donate well-preserved copies of any relevant materials that you may have obtained over the years. The publications and materials we seek for the Thai Rainbow Archive include:

* ALL magazines and newsletters on gay, lesbian, and transgender themes published in Thailand in both Thai and English. We are interested in receiving copies of both commercial magazines (e.g. тАЬMithunaтАЭ, тАЬNeonтАЭ, тАЬMidwayтАЭ, тАЬMorakotтАЭ, тАЬMaleтАЭ, тАЬWeekend MenтАЭ, тАЬHorng Ha LiamтАЭ, тАЬK-MagтАЭ, тАЬDoorтАЭ, тАЬMMтАЭ, etc.) and free bar magazines (e.g. тАЬVarietyтАЭ, тАЬMax MagazineтАЭ, тАЬSpiceтАЭ, тАЬGay Guide BangkokтАЭ, etc.)
* All fiction and non-fiction books on Thai GLT issues and themes published in Thai, English and other languages, both in Thailand and overseas.
* Posters, leaflets, flyers, handouts, and other ephemera relating to Thai GLT events, movies, songs, stage plays, meetings, etc.

HOW TO DONATE YOUR OLD MAGAZINES, BOOKS, ETC.

TO MAKE A DONATION of any of the above materials please contact:

* For English speakers: email KHUN ROGER saranyu_lon "at" hotmail.com

* For Thai speakers: KHUN BON thai_queer "at" yahoo.co.th

A PERMANENT HOME FOR THAILANDтАЩS RAINBOW ARCHIVE?

Initially the collected materials are being stored securely at the offices of participating Thai gay community groups. The project partners are investigating possible locations in Bangkok for a permanent home where the collected the materials can be preserved safely and made publicly available for researchers today and in the future.


THE THAI QUEER RESOURCES CENTRE , July 10, 2007.

[Marsilius]

It seems more than a little over the top and queenily dramatic to describe this as an "emergency".

In any case, no-one is proposing to destroy the things. They are just in the hands of private collectors. Is it an "emergency" that many of Picasso's paintings are in the hands of private collectors and so unavailable for "study"?

And what sort of study do some of the magazines quoted lend themselves to, for goodness sake? A PhD, perhaps, on "Satins, sequins and sarongs - fashion trends among male models in Thai pornography, 1970 - 2007"???

I find your dismissive reaction inappropriate considering that a group of people have come together and try to do something constructive.
You may not have had the opportunity to look at these magazines, or to read them, particularly the old one. They are extremely rich in information on how gay people in those earlier times presented and thought themselves, the way they constructed their life and feel about their sexuality and their place in Thai Society. As a UK member you could compare the evolution of magazines like Gay Times or even the free one available in bars. There is a lot to learn. The TQRC is not interested in the porn or picture only magazines but in the one that contain life stories and articles. Most of them are in Thai and unless you can read Thai, it will be hard for you to see how important these are.

Nobody forces you to contribute, but please respect the work of other as you would like yours to be respected.

[Marsilius]

My point - apart from my somewhat flippant last paragraph where you appear to have had a sense-of-humour bypass - was a serious one and you ought to have addressed it seriously.

These items are not on the point of disappearing in a Nazi bonfire. They exist and will continue to exist. There is no "emergency".

The point of your request is quite a reasonable one and, if you had used more temperate language in your original posting, it would have been completely unexceptionable. Instead of which you chose to make this an "emergency". Darfur, anyone?

As someone who studied history at degree level and then taught the subject for more than ten years, I know about the importance of historical materials. But the ones to which you refer are in no sense under threat. I repeat, there is no "emergency".

[elephantspike]

If any of this material is out of print and in the public domain, I'm willing to host any scans here. I guess that could help preserve it.

I have a few issues of Door from The Nineties myself, but I can't get them to scan. The damn pages are all stuck together!

My point - apart from my somewhat flippant last paragraph where you appear to have had a sense-of-humour bypass - was a serious one and you ought to have addressed it seriously.

These items are not on the point of disappearing in a Nazi bonfire. They exist and will continue to exist. There is no "emergency".

The point of your request is quite a reasonable one and, if you had used more temperate language in your original posting, it would have been completely unexceptionable. Instead of which you chose to make this an "emergency". Darfur, anyone?

As someone who studied history at degree level and then taught the subject for more than ten years, I know about the importance of historical materials. But the ones to which you refer are in no sense under threat. I repeat, there is no "emergency".

For info, I am not directly connected to the TQRC. I am only posting the notice here.

I don't know how familiar you are with the publishing situtation in Thailand, but your last comment suggest you are not up to date with what been happening and is still going on now (read the website for info).

Most of these magazines were confiscated by the police during the Thaskin era and his moral order campaign. New or old it is now impossible to find them on sale in the street and even if there are publishers ready to print them there is nobody willing to sale them because the police would fine the street vendors. Hence most have ceased publication. Some were still available in some saunas, but those have been taken home by customers.

Street vendors found which such material are still being threatned and would be fined if found in possession of these magazines. If you want to buy them, you need to do that undercover. They are only available in limited number in specific places. Many have already disapeared, and more will. I hope I have addressed your point.

If you want to help you are more than welcome!

A big ol' stash of vintage gay porn. Oh, yeah, the police are gonna be aaaallll over these people.

[Smiles]

" ... I have a few issues of Door from The Nineties myself, but ... the damn pages are all stuck together! .... "
Off topic .... but a classic problem from one's early teens brought back to embarrass. Late night under-the-covers solitary jerk-offs with bodybuilding mags and a flashlight ( my brother might hear :blackeye: ). Those pages were gooey indeed!
Brings back to mind how difficult it was to manipulate the mag, the light source, one's throbbing teenage engorgement, as well as keeping the covers in a kind of tent with one's knees, all at the same time. This took practice ... and I was practiced.

Cheers ...

throbbing teenage engorgement

Careful, dear...you'll excite the pedo crowd.

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

you should try and get a government grant.

"I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of national emergency, even if I'm in a cabinet meeting."
Ronald Reagan (1911 - 2004)

A big ol' stash of vintage gay porn. Oh, yeah, the police are gonna be aaaallll over these people.

Yeah, you better watch out BG!