Dough therapy

An activist uses the process of baking bread to provide mental support so LGBT! Muslims can embark on a journey of self-discovery

- THANA BOONLERT

Oranong Chanasit, an activist, took a bakery course to learn how to knead dough in the hope of teaching hill-tribe children, but encountered a life-changing experience.

"Bread has its own life," Varisara Leeteerakul, an instructor, told her in a workshop.

She thought that her mentor must have referred to yeast, a type of fungus, that makes bread swell. The more she practised, the more she realised that making bread is good for the soul. Following a long career in human rights, she has designed a bread therapy workshop for LGBTI Muslims in Pattani.

"I understand their religion and don't blame it, but some followers are not accepted for their sexual orientation. How would they feel?," she said in an interview.

Founder of Healing Loaf, Oranong attended the 2nd Thailand Transgender Wellbeing Conference in Bangkok from March 31-April 1. She joined other human rights campaigners in sharing how toms, trans men and nonbinary individuals are facing challenges in their own regions.

As of March 22, 2,453 trans men are registered with the FTM Thailand. Because it is typical for them not to come out, only 77 individuals (3.14%) took this demographic survey, which shows that they are in the working-age group and competent to make decisions about transitioning. Over half of them are concentrated in the central region (51.9%), followed by the eastern region (18.2%), the northeastern region (14.3%), the northern region (7.3%), the southern region (5.2%) and the western region (2.6%).