【by Yu-Ying Hu, Dec. 2024】
Around the turn of the millennium, the term “transgender,” or kuà sìng bié in Mandarin, emerged in Taiwan as a new, non-normative gender identity category. It represents individuals whose gender expression and identification transcend or challenge the traditional gender binary. A transgender movement followed, focusing on the autonomy of transgender identity to ensure cultural recognition and livability, while advocating for transgender equality in a society where the connection between sex and gender is rigidly heteronormative. As a political identity category, it has united diverse “trans” subgroups, which vary widely in terms of gender-transgressive identification and expression. As Josephine Ho (2002) has noted, transgender individuals in Taiwan “embody” their gender identity through various forms of bodily expression that are independent of their sexed bodies, manifesting “a modern project of self” through the ways they construct and develop their transgender identities and embodiments. The rise of the “transgender” identity and movement calls for public recognition of these individuals as a collective group, similar to other gender minorities like “gays” and “lesbians,” who have long faced exclusion and discrimination within the heteronormative gender system.
Although “transgender” has become recognized as a visible and autonomous non-normative gender identity, as an umbrella term, it has also downplayed the diversity within transgender identification and bodily expressions. Throughout the history of transgender identity in Taiwan, we see how the definition of the term has fluctuated between the pathological conception of “transsexual,” which emphasizes medical intervention, and the liberating politics of “transgender,” which highlights the transgressive agency of non-binary gender identities and expressions in order to challenge the naturalness of heteronormativity (Liu 2022). Both perspectives reflect what Foucault (1990) observed regarding the emergence of “homosexual” as a specific way to categorize people based on sexuality. Through the power of knowledge, “transgender” as a collective identity has been constructed either as a pathological or political concept to serve various discursive purposes. The development of “transgender” in Taiwan reveals how modern, progressive gender movements rely on identity politics to advance their liberal ideals, while also demonstrating what Jagose (1997) calls “the limits of identity.” Identity politics operates by homogenizing diversity, often excluding those who do not fit neatly within its framework. As a result, the rich variety of gender-transgressive identities and expressions is reduced within the definitional confines of “transgender,” leading the general public to either view them as gender dysphoria to be addressed through medical means or as subversive rebels intent on disrupting social structures and norms.
Transgender politics in Taiwan emerged in part due to the global influence of the progressive gender movement that developed in Euro-American contexts. In Taiwan, the gay and lesbian movement flourished after the end of martial law in 1990, a time when social movements of all kinds blossomed and the government sought to solidify democracy by embracing “human rights” as a core “national value” (Chu 2003). Although Taiwan is not a member of the United Nations, it voluntarily adopts the human rights covenants stipulated by the UN and convenes international committees to review the country’s human rights implementation. During these reviews, the insufficient protection of transgender rights was repeatedly highlighted, with particular attention given to the requirement that transgender individuals undergo sex reassignment surgery in order to change their gender status on legal identification. While these comments prompted the government to consider removing the surgery mandate, they also sparked strong conservative opposition. The ensuing debates between transgender and women’s rights in Taiwan closely mirrored those taking place in Western countries. Consequently, Taiwan’s transgender identity and movement are not only shaped by the intersection of medical knowledge and gender politics but are also influenced by the cultural globalization of Western LGBT+ human rights discourse, which plays a significant role in directing and standardizing the transgender rights movement in local societies.
The essays in this collection examine the epistemology of “transgender” in Taiwan. From identities such as “non-binary” to “cross-dressing,” from legal mobilizations for transgender rights to the rise of the anti-gender movement, the essays collectively offer a detailed and nuanced portrayal of gender nonconforming identities and the inequalities they entail—inequalities that the umbrella term “transgender” cannot fully capture. The collection opens with Howard Chiang’s reflection on how “transgender” studies have been dominated by transatlantic cases and theories, calling for more genuine and nuanced academic engagement with the complexities of transgender issues within diverse transnational cultural contexts. Next, Yo-Ling Chen and Panchen Lo document the emergence of the anti-gender movement following the visibility of advocacy for “gender recognition without surgery” in mainstream society. They explore the proleptic politics of Taiwan’s trans-antagonism, which draws on global anti-transgender discourses and cases as its foundation. Subsequently, Yi-Chien Chen outlines various forms of exclusion and discrimination faced by gender nonconforming people, along with the legal actions surrounding “gender recognition without surgery” that have been mobilized to address the social disadvantages of gender nonconforming individuals.
In addition to the disputes within discursive and political realms, Yo-Ling Chen moves beyond the concept of “transgender” to examine the emergence of “non-binary” identity in Taiwan, highlighting how this has become a distinct identity category for gender nonconforming individuals who challenge binary gender classifications and reject medical intervention. Meanwhile, Panchen Lo explores the subcultural community of cross-dressing under the term “wei-niang,” arguing that cross-dressers adopt this label not because it reflects their inner selves, but because it fosters a sense of belonging as they navigate between the parallel worlds of male and female, reality and fantasy. Together, these essays contribute to an epistemological history of gender nonconforming identities, expressions, and inequalities, revealing a diversity that transcends and complicates “transgender” as a collective identity category and a banner for gender movements.
Although Taiwan is often hailed as the most LGBT+ friendly country in Asia, following the passage of the same-sex marriage law, “transgender” rights remain a more complex and contentious battleground for diversity and equality in gender and sexuality. These essays serve as important historical records, illuminating the path ahead through the struggles of the past. As we gain a deeper understanding of the complexities beneath the political and global discourses surrounding transgender issues, we have a greater opportunity to genuinely understand the experiences of gender nonconforming individuals and advocate for social transformation that addresses their real needs.
AUTHOR
Yu-Ying Hu is an associate professor at the Graduate Institute of Gender Studies at Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan. Her research focuses on the transnational dissemination and local adaptation of progressive feminist and gender politics. She is particularly interested in how local LGBTIQ+ communities in Taiwan perceive and navigate transnational influences in their identificatory practices and political initiatives, within the context of Taiwan’s global connections and geopolitical complexities. Currently, she is working on research projects examining the formation of Taiwan’s nationalism in relation to LGBTQ+ rights and identity. She is also exploring the transnational bio-scape, particularly regarding Taiwanese lesbian women’s reproductive expectations and actions. Her work can be seen in interdisciplinary journals of Sexualities, Inter-Asia Culture Studies, Taiwanese Sociology, Taiwan Journal of Anthropology, Journal of Women’s and Gender Studies etc.
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Jagose, Annamarie. 1997. Queer Theory: An Introduction. New York: New York University Press.
Liu, Yu-Ting 劉宇霆. 2022. “跨性別迷宮：台灣性別運動歷史的「跨性別」身份認同形塑” [Mapping of Transgender : Shaping of “Transgender” Identity in the History of Taiwan’s Gender Movement]. Unpublished master’s thesis, Graduate Institute of Gender Studies, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City.
Foucault, Michael. 1978. The History of Sexuality: An Introduction. New York: Pantheon Books
Ho, Josephine 何春蕤. 2002. “認同的「體」現：打造跨性別” [The Em(bodi)ment of Identity: Constructing Transgender]. Taiwan: A Radical Quarterly in Social Studies 46: 1-43.