LGBTQ support lends 'new taste' to Thai politics

It takes Siraphob Attohi three hours to transform from a harried student into his drag queen persona Masala Bold - a wisecracking MC, who raises calls for gender equality during Thailand's protests for democratic reforms. A regular at Bangkok's student-led rallies, Masala Bold's glamorous presence and ribald jokes provide a teasing interlude between speeches from protest leaders demanding the resignation of Thailand's premier and reforms to the monarchy. But far from being simply an entertainer, theater student Siraphob - who goes by the nickname Raptor and identifies as male offstage - says the movement's goals align with the LGBTQ community's desire for gender equality. "If we can't...