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 Muay Thai boxer Nong Rose Baan Charoensuk, right, who is transgender, kicks Priewpak Sorjor Wichit-Padrew during a boxding match at the Rajadamnern Stadium In
 Bangkok
 PHOTOS REUTERS
 Transgender boxer winning battle for acceptance
 THAILAND: Clad in a pink tank
 top and shorts, her face made up
 with rouge and red lipstick
 transgender Muay Thai fighter
 Nong Rose Baan Charoensuk is a
 formidable opponent.
 counters, but they cannot change
 their gender designation on ident-
 ity papers, despite a 2015 law
 against gender-based discrimi-
 nation.
 Just ask Karun "Priewpak"
 Kaemlam, a male fighter who lost
 a thrilling five-round match to
 Rose, as she is generally known
 earlier this month to fight her
 After more than 300 fights
 racking up 30 of her 150 wins
 through knockouts, Rose said she
 was finally allowed to fight at
 Rajadamnern Stadium.
 Puttipong Plukram, the owner
 of the camp in the northeastern
 province of Buriram where Rose
 trains, calls her a "great role
 model", citing her diligence in
 chores and training, and saying
 she often runs farther than anyone
 I wasn't able to fight her
 strength and big build," Priewpak
 said.
 She fights like a man because
 she is really a man," added
 Priewpak, who suffered a gash
 above his right eye in the fight.
 It was the second consecutive
 win for Rose in the revered Muay
 Thai arena at Rajadamnern
 Stadium after becoming the first
 transgender boxer to fight there
 last month
 else.
 her," said Puttipong, 56
 Parinya
 2004 film Beautiful Boxer
 Everyone respects and adores
 Rose is not Thailand's first
 transgender boxer. That was
 NongToom
 Nong Rose Baan Charoensuk prepares for her boxing match at the Rajadamnern Charoenphol, the subject of the
 The crowd was clearly in her Stadium.
 corner, cheering wildly for her
 Toom eventually ran a boxing
 Born Somros Polchareon, Rose it would be embarrassing if they school and Rose someday hopes to
 sald she identified as a woman at
 being a transgender
 mean that we're weak," Rose said
 after the fight. "We can achieve makeup and a sports bra in the don't care about them."
 anything as well."
 doesn't
 won or lost," she said.
 do the same.
 Rone
 me
 said an early age and began wearing Istill face those insults, but I Rose also aspires to be an
 ambassador for Muay Thai around
 Thailand is widely seen as a
 paradise for gay and transgender
 at eight, following in the fooksteps has done most of her fighting, her people, but many say they are
 The 21 year-old started boxingIn the rural towns where she
 ring
 the world, and urges transgender
 boxers in rural areas not to be dis-
 couraged by early setbacks.
 e
 an uncle, a Muay Thai fighter appearance disconcerted some of treated as second-class citizes.
 are
 who encouraged ber to train. Her her male opponents.
 twin brother is also a Muay ThaiThey would say they didn't television, in beauty
 They have to fall first and
 Transgender women figure on overcome that, then the finish line
 and won't be far out of reach.
 want to fight with a gay person, as at hair salons and cosmetics
In the newspaper this morning :) -Gabby