“After we won the case, seven minors came forward to report that they were assaulted by the same man,” she said. What happened to us was a punishable crime,” she said.Īfter more than a year of court proceedings, the verdict finally came down: The man was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison. “I realized that my friends and I had been targeted and punished because we were lesbians. The workshop, which was partly supported by UN Women, altered their perspectives about what had happened - and whether they should go to the police. “We learned about our rights and the multitude of barriers, challenges, and discrimination that we routinely face because of our sexual orientation,” she said. I didn’t say a word about this to anyone.” They stayed silent about the attack until a workshop on LGBTI rights in Thailand changed their minds. Then she and three friends were assaulted by a teacher. It wasn’t until college that Nongnee began to express her sexual identity again. “I was told that being a lesbian woman is a sin.” “People in my village gossiped and called me a sinner, a deviant, and a traitor to my religion.” She was 17 years old at the time and remembers being ostracized for her sexual orientation. I was sent off to live in my grandfather’s farm house, far from everyone,” she recalled. “I was told that being a lesbian woman is a sin … When my mother caught us, she separated us. Nongnee Kondii* was in 10th grade when she fell in love for the first time - with another girl. (Photo courtesy of Nongnee Kondii) Nongnee Kondii, Thailand
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