See the FULL SHOW NOTES for references, links & more.

Queering Premodern Asia is a limited series and the 5th season of the Nuances podcast about Our Asian Stories. Each episode explores different aspects of sexual diversity in premodern Asia with commentary from guest scholars. Episodes are divided into a narrative portion, and a discussion with a guest co-host from the queer Asian community.

• Introduction & content warnings
• Third Gender as spiritual leaders/ people with special powers
• • Asog Babaylans (Philippines)
  • Manangbali (Malaysian Borneo)
  • Hijras (South Asia)
  • Bissu (South Sulawesi, Indonesia)
  • Bayasa (Central Sulawesi, Indonesia)
  • RatoNale/Seaworm Priest (West Sumba, Indonesia)
  • Balian and Basir (Kalimantan, Indonesia)
• Sexuality as fluid
• • Chigo (Japan)
• Beyond the Western model
• • Gay & Lesbian non-equivalence
  • Baklâ (Philippines)
  • Heterosexuals and Lesbians in Thailand vs. the West
  • Kathoey (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia)
  • Gender ambiguity in premodern Muslim societies
  • 5 genders of the Bugis culture (Indonesia)
  • Intersex
• Outro
• Discussion with TONIE

Featured Song: More Than My Body by TONIE

Guest scholars:

• Sachi Schmidt-Hori, professor of Japanese literature & culture at Dartmouth College.
• Wu CunCun, ⁠⁠professor of Chinese literature at the University of Hong Kong⁠⁠.

Guest co-host

TONIE is doing their very best to make you cry, in all the best ways. The LA-native writes and produces each synth-pop track from the comfort of their skylit home studio in Brooklyn, NY — a perfect backdrop for the emotional vulnerability that colors their lyrics. Proudly Vietnamese American, nonbinary, and themselves!

TONIE can be reached on Instagram & TikTok and their website Itstonie.com

Connect with Nuances: Our Asian Stories on Instagram, TikTok, Threads or YouTube