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 well-known 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.