Trans* Activism in Indonesia and Iran: Working Against Misrecognition and Enhancing the Intelligibility of Trans* Subjectivities

ABSTRACT

This article presents a case study of trans activism based on qualitative data in Indonesia and Iran, drawing on the existing public discourses as well as discourses and practices among activists. The article consolidates the work of Nancy Fraser on the politics of recognition, while it uses Judith Butler’s ideas on intelligible and unintelligible subjects to argue how the workings of recognition and misrecognition of trans* status affect the liveability of trans* people and how they are constituted as intelligible and unintelligible subjects in society.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflicts of interest are reported by the authors(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

¹ The term trans*, with the asterisk, is used in this article to underline crossing boundaries and transcending gender fixation. It is an inclusive term that refers to people who identify as nonbinary, binary trans, trans men and trans women, and people who use surgeries, hormones, or other medical interventions, as well as those who do not.

² Since 1978 the term waria, consisting of the words pria (man) and wanita (woman), has frequently been used in Indonesia for individuals who are born as male but identify as female.

³ Telephone interview in 2017.

⁴ Seminar on “The Lived Experience of Iranian Transsexuals” organized by the Sociology of Medicine and Health Department, University of Tehran, 2014. The same department organized another seminar on “The Interdisciplinary Views on Transsexualism in Iran” in 2015.

⁵ Written and directed by Negar Azarbayjani.

⁶ Written and directed by Abbas Raziji.

⁷ Written and directed by Sanaz Bayan; this went on stage from December 2017 to March 2018 in Tehran.

⁸ Bayan’s interview with Ibna news agency, https://www.ibna.ir/fa/longint/278105, retrieved September 25, 2022.

⁹ Face-to-face interview in 2015 in Tehran.

¹⁰ Face-to-face interview in 2015 in Tehran.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jón Ingvar Kjaran

Jón Ingvar Kjaran (they/their), Ph.D., is a professor of anthropology/sociology of education at the University of Iceland, School of Education, in the Faculty of Diversity and Education, currently leading two research projects on gender violence funded by the Icelandic Research Fund. Their research focus is on gender, sexuality, ethnicity, race, queer issues, and violence.

Zara Saeidzadeh

Zara Saeidzadeh (she/her), Ph.D., is a postdoctoral researcher in Gender Studies currently working on violence against trans* women in Sweden. Her research focuses on socio-legal study of trans* citizenship drawing on status recognition and needs of trans* citizen within intimate relations, family, employment, and activism.