Transgender women, commonly called waria, are an important part of contemporary Indonesian society. Growing discussion of LGBTQIA+ issues have seen gender and sexual minorities become increasingly visible in Indonesian public life, especially among younger and urban Indonesian populations.

But what about the important role long played by waria in Indonesia's cultural-political landscape? How have waria navigated public life in the world’s largest Muslim society?

In this episode, Dr Annisa Beta discusses these issues with Dr Benjamin Hegarty, a Mckenzie Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Melbourne. His book, tentatively titled "The Made-Up State", will be published soon.

In 2021, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Annisa Beta, Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, and Dr Charlotte Setijadi from the Singapore Management University.