Open AccessPlaying Back the Nation: Waria , Indonesian Transvestites
Author(s) -
Boellstorff Tom
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
cultural anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.669
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1548-1360
pISSN - 0886-7356
DOI - 10.1525/can.2004.19.2.159
Subject(s) - indonesian , femininity , gender studies , sociology , linguistics , philosophy
Waria (better known as banci or béncong ), who can be provisionally defined as male‐to‐female transvestites, are wellknown members of contemporary Indonesian society. Waria are best understood not as a third gender but a male femininity. By exploring how waria reconfigure concepts of authenticity, I address the relationship between the waria subject position and Indonesian national culture.