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Every damn time I think we’ve passed this,someone makes yet another opinion piece about how “boring” SOTUS S is,how “annoying” Arthit was, etc.I already wrote this somewhere else but I decided to bring it on here as well....
SOTUS: A true depiction of what it means to be LGBTQ+
SOTUS: A true depiction of what it means to be LGBTQ+
Before I start, let me admit that I’m a queer, bisexual woman, living in a country where being gay comes with a jail sentence. Also, I love, really love, fucking love SOTUS so goddamn much. So please note these biases. Oh and this will be a long ass post, so brace yourself
1. ON THE PORTRAYAL OF ARTHIT, AND THE FEARS OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE GAY IN A COUNTRY WHERE BEING QUEER IS DECRIMINALIZED BUT THERE AREN’T SUFFICIENT LEGAL PROTECTIONS
I think Arthit is one of the most realistic portrayal of what it means to be queer in a country where queer people still face discrimination.I understood his confusion & fears in SOTUS with regards his emotions & what he wants,& I also understood his fears & concern in SOTUS S...
...with regards being open about his sexuality at work.
I live in a country where being outed, at a public forum like in a workplace might get you fired, jailed (yes JAILED) or worse, KILLED (don’t get me started on the mob mentality).So even though Thailand is more accepting...
I live in a country where being outed, at a public forum like in a workplace might get you fired, jailed (yes JAILED) or worse, KILLED (don’t get me started on the mob mentality).So even though Thailand is more accepting...
and homosexuality has been decriminalized,Thai LGBTQ+ folx still don’t have the same legal protection that heteros do.They can’t marry, they can’t adopt, and there are certain discriminations that they face that society can get away with, if it’s in the name of “public interest”.
So yeah. SOTUS will always be one of my favourite dramas because of how true to life, its depiction of the fears gay couples have when trying to integrate into a larger society, is. I mean... it’s easier to be out to your friends (they have no power over you and unlike the other
relationships you will have in your life, your friends are your chosen family. The right friends will love you all the same), but at your place of work??? With colleagues who might be conservative & who might have a problem with you being openly gay? That shit is hard! Trust me!
And Arthit,even though I wanted to shake him so many times for hurting Kongpob so bad,he’s still a character I love,understand,& admire cuz it might take him a while, but he does come around to loving his boyfriend, & that strength of will; that force of his spirit’s one I love.
Please note that I am not saying that the way he treated Kongpob is right. It fucking sucks when it is that your partner isn’t fully out and treats both you and your relationship like a virus in public spaces.
But there exists in us the capacity to recognize the dichotomy of Arthit and Kongpob’s situation in that we can sympathize with BOTH characters and see where they are BOTH coming from.
Also, I do think that people forget something very important about Arthit’s character: his family isn’t as rich as Kongpob’s. Which leads me to point number 2:
ABOUT WEALTH AND THE PRIVILEGE IT AFFORDS RICH GAY FOLX
ABOUT WEALTH AND THE PRIVILEGE IT AFFORDS RICH GAY FOLX
My friends and I are fond of saying that in our side of the world, it isn’t being gay that is illegal, it is being gay AND poor. Why? Because we recognize the privilege and protection that having wealth affords rich queer people.
Look around you. No matter the part of the world you live in, money’s essential to your existence. Even in countries where gay marriage is legalized, being poor’s still a factor. Do you know how many poor, trans PoC (especially black trans women) suffer, & are killed every year??
Your wealth offers you privilege and as much as I love my precious son Kongpob, I do think we sometimes forget the privilege his family wealth affords him. He can’t be fired from his job, when he starts working in his father’s company because his father OWNS the company.
And if he works for another company & is outed & fired,he can always go back to work at his father’s company.His family wealth offers him something that Arthit doesn’t have the luxury of: CHOICE!He (Kongpob) won’t have to worry about housing cuz... *refer to his family’s wealth*
Please note that I’m not saying that Kongpob isn’t brave in his own merit. He is one of the strongest, most dynamic & loving queer character I’ve ever come across. (One of my favourite characters ever)! What I’m saying is that you cannot separate his privilege from his queerness.
3. ON THE TROUBLES OF BEING IN A LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP
And then SOTUS takes things a step further with SOTUS Our Skyy by showing us something that real time couples go through... the dreaded long distance relationship.
I have several friends that boldly told their partners that they don’t do long distance relationships, as such if their partner is traveling or moving away, they will end the relationship. So yeah. Arthit’s fears are so fucking realistic in Our Skyy that it makes my heart hurt.
Being that far away from someone you love puts a strain on your relationship. It is already strenuous that Kongpob is going to get a masters degree because post graduate studies can be so time-consuming. When you combine that with you also working, and both of you not being in...
the same country or time-zone, then there’s a probability your relationship will suffer. So yeah,Arthit is right to be worried.+ Bright broke up with P’Ple when she went to for a work-study abroad & I’m pretty sure all their friends had a firsthand glimpse to the painful breakup.
So Arthit is rightfully terrified. And that is the reason why I love him so much. Because no matter how terrified he gets, he always comes back to the realization that his life is so much richer and more beautiful with Kongpob in it, and he comes back to his man.
SOTUS might not be everyone’s cup of tea, and that is fine. We can’t all like the same thing after all. That is why there is such a wide range of media to meet our different needs and preferences. But, its realism will always be my favourite kind...
sweet, and sometimes heartbreaking but with a happy ending. Unlike certain dramas *cough* MODC. The Effect *cough* and that is why the drama will always be number 1 for me.
And for those who wanted more kisses... As someone who is very handsy with the people I love, I felt Kongpob’s frustration 
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😪" title="Sleepy face" aria-label="Emoji: Sleepy face">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😪" title="Sleepy face" aria-label="Emoji: Sleepy face">. But my best friend is very shy (like VERY SHY) and anti-PDA and felt seen with Arthit’s portrayal (that’s how she is in her relationship as well)
So even though I was like “goddamn it’s been 3 years dammit!” She was like “Nope. That is how I was 3 years into my relationship.” So I guess SOTUS carried the “we’re going to be so fucking realistic” trail into the depiction of that aspect of their relationship as well.
And if you actually believe that Arthit’s reticence means they aren’t having sex,rather than it being a case of someone who is extremely shy & doesn’t like PDA.Well... Might I direct you this amazing edit by @bb0untay showing us Kongpob being thirsty at the character interview: https://twitter.com/bb0untay/status/1239640434655342594">https://twitter.com/bb0untay/...
Once again, sorry for the long thread. But I needed to put this out there. Also, if you haven’t seen SOTUS, watch the perfection that is that show on Netflix and GMMTV’s YouTube page https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="✌🏾" title="Victory hand (medium dark skin tone)" aria-label="Emoji: Victory hand (medium dark skin tone)">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="✌🏾" title="Victory hand (medium dark skin tone)" aria-label="Emoji: Victory hand (medium dark skin tone)">.
