Playing Back the Nation: Waria , Indonesian Transvestites

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.