Love to love you, baby

Eighteen years ago, we gay Thai men fell in love with Christina Aguilar, who went on to become the top dancing queen of the 1990s in our hearts. Thailand's first female artist with a debut album - "Ninja Christina" - that sold more than a million copies, we loved Christina for her daring style at a time when swinging your hips sexily on stage was considered taboo and could torpedo a singer's career.

But now we have "coyote/pretty girls" grinding their hips everywhere.

Gay men have always admired those who make a breakthrough in the entertainment field. We worship people who have survived hardship in life because as members of a still largely despised minority, we can identify with them.

In the twilight of her fading fame, another female pop singer is rising on our chick list. I was a fan of Masha Vadhanapanich in high school, when as a supermodel she graced the covers of top magazines. After building a career in acting, she became better known for her singing.

But Masha only became a fixture in our hearts after she dated a young DJ hardly older than her son. While to conservatives her act was unacceptable, to gay men, she was a true survivor, swimming against the tide of others' expectations.

The dance songs on her latest album, "Let's Have Fun Tonight", are real gay-crowd pleasers. "I've met so many gay men at my concerts. I wanted to do something for them," she says. Masha has even been seen on the dance floor at gay clubs and parties.

And how could I forget Jennifer Kim with her trail of heartbreak? So many of her songs tell stories of unrequited love. In her first concert, "Snowkim 2007", sharing deep emotions, laughs and tears, she tapped gay men's hearts like no other singer has done before. Kim has said that at times she feels that she's a gay man trapped in a woman's body.

So, we have at least three divas on our list. What about the men?

Remember Mum Laconic? His feminine looks as the singer who rose to fame with the Laconic band years ago had people guessing about his sexuality. To me, he was Thailand's Boy George.

Thongchai McIntyre?

After enjoying success in a singing career that has spanned 20 years and more, our "Phi Bird" or "Papa Bird" - or even "Auntie Bird" as some people now call him - is still in the closet. Now pushing 50, he is still Thailand's No 1 male pop singer.

In 2005, Dunk Punkorn Boonyachinda was trying to tell the world "I'm gay". He came out with a new look for the release of "Metro Sexual", shocking the media and his fans with a corset-style outfit that was more effeminate than "metrosexual".

Even so, as a feminine gay man I support him, because he doesn't use a macho image to mask his true personality.

So which pop idols will win our hearts in 2008? I'm not sure.

Grammy's new male stars Aof, Peck, and Ice make a good team on their new album, "Together". Though they're in touch with their feminine sides and don't mind doing dance numbers that appeal to gay audiences, they have avoided being labelled as a gay boy band.

Making the choice to be openly gay is something that's new to artists in Thai society. Staying in the closet is still the safest way to advance your career and earn money. I don't know how Mum Laconic has managed to survive for years in showbiz with no secrets about his gay lifestyle. Success has many meanings, I guess. But true success, I do believe, is being yourself both in and out of the public eye.