Fridae

Khangpiboon has been fighting for months after the University Board Committee rejected her application because of social media posts they viewed as not “acceptable for a Thammasat lecturer," according to Asian Correspondent.

Khangpiboon is one of the most prominent LGBT activists in Southeast Asia. She is co-founder of the Thai Transgender Alliance and often attends national as well as regional LGBT and UN conferences to talk about transgender and LGBT issues in Thailand. She’s written numerous academic articles on the topic, both in Thai and English. After delivering a number of lecturers at the University she became one of the first openly gay academics.

However, a series of instagram posts, one allegedly containing images of a penis shaped lipstick from Japan, the Faculty of Social Administration has decided not to hire her as she hasn’t followed the “ethical principles of Thammasat lecturer”. Social media activity is not officially part of the employment criteria and Khangpiboon believes this is just an excuse.

“I believe it is about my gender, as I am the first openly transgender person to apply for a position of lecturer at Thammasat,” she said. “I have information that some conservative people from my faculty and university have collected the data from my private Instagram account as evidence against me.” The hiring body rejected claims by Khangpiboon that the latest decision was based on her transgender identity.

Khangpiboon is not letting the matter drop: "I will take further legal steps at the Administrative Court of Thailand. In the courts my case could take months, or even years, but I am determined to go all the way to Constitutional Court.”