Out with you!

Natee

Gay rights activist Natee Teerarojjanapong (นที ธีระโรจนพงษ์) has gone on another one of his pro-openness rants, demanding gay entertainers come out of the closet. We all know you are there, he says - so why not stop trying to fool the public, come out and tell us what you really are, and the world will be a happier place.

Natee (pictured) is interviewed by Siam Rath newspaper, which says he has published a book where he promises to lift the lid on the exploits of gay stars - without actually naming anybody.

It sounds like a damp squib to me, but then the Thai press can always be relied upon to give personalities a free plug, and so it is in this case. The newspaper asks Natee if he is worried about getting sued. 'If they want to sue, they are welcome - but I don't name names,' he says defiantly.

But that's the point. If no one is identified, then the grounds for a defamation action are remote, as is the prospect that many readers will be interested.

Well, almost no one is identified. One artist whom Natee does name in his interview, if not in the book is RS Promotions singer 'Dunk' Punkorn Boonyachinda. Natee says he writes about Dunk in the book, without mentioning his name. He brought up his example for constructive reasons - not, presumably, to create a stir.

Natee says gay entertainers owe a debt to their gay selves - they get their creative streak from the fact they are gay. He suggests they honour that debt by coming out.

'I sympathise with Thai stars these days. Everyone knows they are gay, but they continue to deny it, because society does not give them the opportunity to come out. But in another sense I think they are merely insulting themselves, being gay with no honour or pride.

'You are one of the people just like anyone else...why do you have to fool them? You say you love your fans, but you are not honest with them. Yet one day your fans may no longer be so faithful to you.

'Look at me - I am happy for people to call me gay,' Natee says.

One Thai singer has achieved superstar status, but will not confirm what everyone already knows - that he is gay.

'We have some singers who are superstars, who have risen to the highest pinnacle, but who continue to deny they are gay even though everyone in the industry refers to them as 'auntie'.

'When he holds a concert, he dresses like a real man, and kisses all the girls - yet to industry insiders, he is a fraud. Ask yourself - when are you going to admit that you are gay? Your popularity is unlikely to suffer, as it has already scaled the peaks.'

The Siam Rath story was published at the Pantip webboard, where one reader took a more sympathetic view towards gays who prefer to stay in the closet.

'That an individual is gay but unable to come out already causes misery to that person. He will no doubt have a good reason why he is unable to admit he is gay, and why he must tolerate that unhappiness. Other people should not attempt to interfere, as long as that person continues to be a good member of society, and does not hurt anyone else.

'As for people who are gay and are able to come out - we can regard those ones as lucky, in that their families are able to accept them (unless they simply choose not to care what they think). But gays who have come out have no right to force other people to follow their example, because everyone is different. Using your own reason for coming out as the basis for judging other people is not right.

'Being a good person has nothing to do with coming out, then trumpeting the fact for the world to hear - because you can still be openly gay but no good as a person.'

Another reader said he had never disliked gays in his life - until he came across the gay activist who calls himself Natee Teerarojjanapong. He could not understand why such a book would be published.