I remember when a young Korean transwoman named Harisu burst onto the scene in 2001 by doing a commercial for a local cosmetic brand called Dodo.
She not only turned heads because of her striking beauty, over the decade she would become a sought after model and K-pop star, trans rights advocate, eventually get married in 2007, and open a trans themed nightclub. She would also become a role model for young transwomen in Korea.
Ten years after that groundbreaking debut, the SBS network is broadcasting a documentary entitled 'Harisu: Ten Years Of Her Dream'. It will focus on what has been transpiring in Harisu's life since she became an iconic part of her homeland.
I'll just have to wait until somebody uploads it to YouTube to see it.
Those of us with longer memories would probably dispute that title by pointing out Harisu was the first Korean transwoman to garner international attention. But 23 year old Choi Han Bit has done something that even trailblazing transwoman Harisu hasn't.
In Korea there is a television show called Open Hall in which beautiful women compete for a chance to become a supermodel. Out of the 1,200 applicants they received for this show, Choi Han Bit was one of the 160 initial contestants selected.
Over the 20 days of competition Choi has continued to impress and advance. She got through the first preliminary round which whittled those 160 contestants down to 50, and then made it through the July 28 second round which cut the remaining ladies down to 32 competitors.
Making the September 25 finals virtually guarantees her 'supermodel status' regardless of whether or not she actually wins
During her speech, according to AllKpop she had lots to say and many people to thank, including her parents.
"Looking back, the situation I'm in would have seemed impossible to me as a child. I'm just so happy to be here right now and I want to become a dignified supermodel as well as a great role model. I would like to thank my parents for actively supporting me through the surgery and the pursuit of my dreams."
When asked if she would like to be a celebrity, she said that she did not want to use her transgender status to become a celebrity, but would rather become a celebrity through her hard work and passion.
At the conclusion of her speech, Choi said, "I would like to send a message to any other transgenders. Be dignified and proud of who you are."
Amen sis. Your transsisters around the world are definitely proud of you.
I'll have to do some searching to find out if she ultimately won the contest. Here's hoping she did.
When it comes to Asia and the Pacific islands, there is a wide variance in terms of the populace's acceptance level for transgender people.
One of the countries that has made gigantic leaps in terms of acceptance of transgender people is South Korea. Much of the improved perception of transgender people there has been driven by transwoman Lee Kyung-eun, who is better known to Koreans and the rest of the world by her stage name of Harisu.
Harisu was born in 1975, transitioned in her teens, had SRS, then started garnering international attention in 2001 when she appeared in a wildly successful advertising campaign for Dodo Cosmetics.
The multitalented Harisu has authored four books, modeled, acted in movies and television shows, appeared in print and television commercials and recorded several K-pop albums.
On November 29, 2003 she petitioned a Korean district court in Incheon to change her name and gender on her family registry. The petition was granted and on December 13, 2002 she became only the second person in South Korea to legally change their gender. On May 13, 2007 after dating him for two years she married her boyfriend Micky Jung.
Harisu was cognizant of her role as South Korea's first open transgender celebrity and was adamant about always setting a good example. Her successful transition opened the door for other Korean transwomen to walk in her pumps.
A K-pop group called Lady appeared on the scene which tried to capitalize on Harisu's popularity in Korea. After a nationwide talent search, three transwomen were chosen to form the group and a fourth was added later. However, the band received a lukewarm reception and officially disbanded in 2007.
In addition to Harisu being credited for helping to change attitudes about transgender people, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea has been pushing to protect transgender people in Korea as well.
South Korean transpeople are now eligible to serve in the country's military forces and rewrote its military medical examination procedures in order for them to do so.
But the biggest milestones for Korean transsexuals have been in their court system. In June 2006 the Korean Supreme Court ruled that transsexuals who have sex change operations should be able to legally change their gender.
Justice Kim commenting on their decision, said that their decision “is the best choice to alleviate the suffering of transsexual people at a time when any tangible legislative measures to protect their rights is most likely a long time coming.”
And to illustrate just how far Korea has come on transgender issues, a Korean court recently sentenced a man to four years in jail plus community service for raping a transwoman. It's a landmark case there because in 1996 the Korean judiciary rejected a similar case involving the rape of a transwoman.
So once again you have an Asian nation running rings around the self proclaimed leading democracy in the world when it comes to granting basic human rights to transgender people. When are we in the States going to catch up to the rest of the world who long ago recognized that we are human beings?
