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Kathoey close up12/13/2023 ![]() ![]() She has a small army of fans, many of whom are other trans people, that follows her from fight to fight. In her years of fighting, Rose has become something of a local celebrity. She went over the top rope like a man, not under the bottom rope as her biologically female counterparts would. News channels where there to film as she, a trans fighter in full makeup and wearing a feminine top, jumped into the ring. Even certain stadia in Bangkok, like Omnoi Stadium, allow her the freedom of personal expression. When fighting in her home region of Isaan, the northeastern area of Thailand known for producing the majority of Thai boxers, she can wear what she likes. Outside those venues, however, finding events with a more relaxed dress code is not difficult. This attitude has affected her career-she's turned down matches at Lumpinee, Rajadamnern, and Channel 7, all major Bangkok stadia where contenders must fight shirtless and with short hair. Though still biologically male, Rose refuses to fight shirtless. A few years ago, she took to wearing tops to all her fights. Rose had been struck by how femininely Bubae had walked and presented herself before the fight, though all that was stripped away once the bell rang.ĭespite her male build and relatively short hair, Rose is easy to spot at the gym-her clothing sets her apart. Two years ago, she faced a trans fighter named Bubae in an event in a military camp in Khorat. It's a small circuit, though, and sometimes their paths cross in the ring. Trans fighters like Rose are rare she herself knows of only three or four other active trans fighters. The pills and their desired feminine effects would have to wait. She quietly stopped making trips to the pharmacy. Her coaches found her high-level matches in Bangkok. She moved up weight classes, where both she and her opponents were approaching their full adult musculature. Her fights became more frequent and for higher stakes. She was able to keep taking hormones and fighting, so long as she stopped the pills a week before a fight.Įventually she gave up the hormones entirely. At only 14 or 15 years old, Rose was still in a relatively light-weight class. She kept her coaches in the dark about her use of hormones. "I am so embarrassed when they talk about me like that," she says. Rose has heard announcers engage the roaring crowd during her fights, laughing about her or her motivations in clinching. Sometimes it's not the opponent who makes disrespectful comments. Rose tries to ignore the comments and unwanted kisses, psychological tactics that make her shy, embarrassed, and angry. But sexualized comments in the clinch are a burden very few fighters report enduring. Verbal communication between fighters is not uncommon in a Muay Thai fight-one fighter may quietly concede to the other when it's clear a loss on points is inevitable. "When we're in the clinch, they'll ask me if I like it, say how close we are and that we've been clinching a long time." It gets worse when they start talking to her. The mid-clinch kisses make her uncomfortable. She's been kissed on the cheek during clinching, or when touching gloves at the start of the fight. ![]() Reactions from her opponents are also all over the board.
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