Help Us Save Thailand's Rainbow Heritage

Thailand is home to some of Asia’s, and the world’s, oldest and largest gay, lesbian, and transgender (GLT) communities.  Since the 1970s, this country’s diverse GLT communities have produced a wide range of publications including periodicals and magazines, newsletters, information booklets, as well as advertising material and ephemera related to the many homosexual and kathoey-themed movies, TV programs, stage plays, songs, and popular culture events produced in recent decades.  This large volume of Thai and English language materials is a treasure trove of information that documents the history of some of the world’s most important homosexual and transgender cultures.

While only produced in recent decades, these materials are in danger of being destroyed and disappearing completely in the next few years.  Because of cultural sensitivities and anti-homosexual bias, established institutions have not considered these materials “worthy” 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.  There is currently no public archive of Thai GLT publications and materials anywhere in the world.