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  • Season finale!!!! See full show notes for references & additional info.

    Queering Premodern Asia is a limited series and the 5th season of the Nuances podcast about Our Asian Stories. Each episode explores different aspects of sexual diversity in premodern Asia with commentary from guest scholars. Episodes are divided into a narrative portion, and a discussion with a guest co-host from the queer Asian community.

    Ep. 9: In search of the “socially acceptable”IntroductionMilitary makeup and good looksWomen in trade & female agencyGender fluidity as a plusLove, marriage and their casual (and recent) relationshipWhy it all changedIcons and rebelsWhy premodern Asia?Why me?Discussion with co-host Ryan Ah SeekCreditsSpotify playlistDid you enjoy this episode?

    🧧 If you would like to help me spread the word about the show, or support it financially, learn more at nuancespod.com/support

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you’d like to tell other people how much they will enjoy this show, please consider writing a review.

    ☎️ You can even leave me a voicemail!

    💌 Subscribe to LAZOU’s substack, where I’ll be sharing some behind-the-scenes + additional essays!

    Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | LinkedIn | Threads | Facebook

    Guest co-host bio

    Ridwan (Ryan) Ah Seek, known as Ryan, is LGBTQIA+ activist in Mauritius. He is the former President and current vice president of Collectif Arc-En-Ciel, the biggest LGBTQIA+ NGO in Mauritius. He challenged Section 250 of the Mauritian Penal Code in 2019 and won the case on 4th Oct 2023, against the State of Mauritius.Instagram | TikTok | Facebook

  • See full show notes for references & additional info.

    Queering Premodern Asia is a limited series and the 5th season of the Nuances podcast about Our Asian Stories. Each episode explores different aspects of sexual diversity in premodern Asia with commentary from guest scholars. Episodes are divided into a narrative portion, and a discussion with a guest co-host from the queer Asian community.

    Ep. 8: For the RecordIntroduction & content warningsWe were hereOther sources than official recordsPower in numbersWho’s missing?Official vs unofficial stance on queernessCourt documentsDecolonizing historyPorn, erotic artConclusionDiscussion with co-host Dr. Izat El AmoorOutroDid you enjoy this episode?

    🧧 If you would like to help me spread the word about the show, or support it financially, learn more at nuancespod.com/support

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you’d like to tell other people how much they will enjoy this show, please consider writing a review.

    ☎️ You can even leave me a voicemail!

    💌 Subscribe to LAZOU’s substack, where I’ll be sharing some behind-the-scenes + additional essays!

    Guest bio

    Izat El Amoor is an assistant professor of sociology, public scholar, and a queer Palestinian (citizen of Israel). He studies queer issues in Palestine with a focus on education, family life, and the Palestinian Queer Movement. He also studies queer life in the SWANA Region with a focus on political and cultural factors of mobilizing for towards queer change since the Arab uprisings erupted in 2011.
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  • Queering Premodern Asia is a limited series and the 5th season of the Nuances podcast about Our Asian Stories. Each episode explores different aspects of sexual diversity in premodern Asia with commentary from guest scholars. Episodes are divided into a narrative portion, and a discussion with a guest co-host from the queer Asian community.

    Content warningsIntroductionPerforming gender in Indonesia, Philippines, JapanCross-dressing in theater in Korea, China, India, JapanGender bender icons from China, Vietnam, KoreaGender boundaries in premodern China, Japan and IranConclusionDiscussion with co-host Stella Gold

    Did you enjoy this episode?

    🧧If you would like to help me spread the word about the show, or support it financially, learn more at nuancespod.com/support

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you'd like to tell other people how much they will enjoy this show, please consider writing a review.

    💌 Subscribe to LAZOU's substack, where I'll be sharing some behind-the-scenes + additional essays!

    CONTACT @nuancespod on socials!

    Instagram | TikTok | Web | LinkedIn | Twitter

    Host: Lazou

    GUEST BIO

    Stella Gold is a queer and nonbinary Rebirth + Wealth Coach for changemakers and comes from a lineage of activists. They are the founder of My Gold Standard, a believer in wealth activism, pro liberation from all oppressive systems, and collective care. They believe in using business as an ecosystem for financial solidarity for yourself AND the collective. Their ancestors are filipinx, romanian jewish, scottish, irish, chinese, italian, iranian, french, german, british, and likely so much more. They hold values and beliefs in abolitionism, anarchism, decolonization, collective and ancestral liberation, and leftism. Instagram | LinkedIn | Web

  • Queering Premodern Asia is a limited series of Nuances: Our Asian Stories. Each episode explores different aspects of sexual diversity in premodern Asia with commentary from guest scholars. Episodes are divided into a narrative portion, and a discussion with a guest co-host from the queer Asian community.

    Introduction & content warningsChina & the missionariesChina, Britain, and the Opium WarsJapan, gun boat diplomacy, and rapid modernizationThailand, Iran, TurkeyRegulating prostitutionConclusionDiscussion with co-host CeceAcknowledgments

    Guest co-host: Cece is a Canadian born Chinese transgender trans model, advocate, poet, and public speaker who is using her voice to lift up the marginalized, fill in the gaps, and instigate journeys of discovery

    Did you enjoy this episode?

    🧧If you would like to help me spread the word about the show, or support it financially, learn more at nuancespod.com/support

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you'd like to tell other people how much they will enjoy this show, please consider writing a review.

    💌 Subscribe to LAZOU's substack, where I'll be sharing some behind-the-scenes + additional essays!

    CONTACT

    Instagram | TikTok | Web | LinkedIn | Twitter

  • Nuances podcast about Our Asian Stories. Each episode explores different aspects of sexual diversity in premodern Asia with commentary from guest scholars. Episodes are divided into a narrative portion, and a discussion with a guest co-host from the queer Asian community.

    Introduction & content warningsWhy is this series focusing on premodern Asia?The West isn't the only imperial powerFrom the Silk Road to the Age of ExplorationBritish colonization of India, Section 377 & vagrancy LawsPremodern Chinese law about sexual crimes (w. Prof. CunCun Wu)Portuguese vs British India (w. Prof. Anjali Arondekar)Spanish colonization of the PhilippinesFrench colonization of Vietnam/Cambodia/LaosDiscussion with co-host StellaAcknowledgments

    Guest co-host: Stella is a writer, editor, and co-host for the Brazn Azn podcast along with the lovely Virginia Duan.

    Did you enjoy this episode?

    🧧If you would like to help me spread the word about the show, or support it financially, learn more at nuancespod.com/support

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you'd like to tell other people how much they will enjoy this show, please consider writing a review.

    💌 Subscribe to LAZOU's substack, where I'll be sharing some behind-the-scenes + additional essays!

    CONTACT

    Instagram | TikTok | Web | LinkedIn | Twitter

  • If you enjoy this show and would like to help me spread the word about it, or support it financially, you can find out more at ⁠nuancespod.com/support⁠.

    View the full show notes⁠⁠.

    Subscribe to ⁠LAZOU's substack⁠.

    GUEST BIO

    Shreya Sharma, pronouns she and her, is a podcast marketer by day who finds herself immersed in questions about intersectional identity by night. Thankfully for her, she is a writer too. She occasionally publishes her love affairs with sounds and audio on the Shreya's Audio Affairs newsletter on Substack..

    Instagram

    CONTACT

    Instagram | TikTok | Web | LinkedIn | Twitter

    Host: Lazou

    Support this podcast: nuancespod.com/support

    Subscribe to Lazou's Substack

  • Queering Premodern Asia is a limited series and 5th season of the podcast Nuances: Our Asian Stories. Each episode explores different aspects of sexual diversity in premodern Asia with commentary from guest scholars. Episodes are divided into a narrative portion, and a discussion with a guest co-host from the queer Asian community.4. LOVE, MARRIAGE & THEIR CASUAL RELATIONSHIP Introduction & content warnings Marrying for love China China - Male-Male marriages in Fujian China - Marrying ghosts Iran - the many forms of love How the definition of love and marriage evolved in Korea and Japan Vietnamese village customs Female agency in South East Asia (Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines The only people without marriage When did love and marriage tie the knot? Discussion with Dr. Badie What monogamous people can learn from polyamorous folks OutroIf you enjoy this show and would like to help me spread the word about it, or support it financially, you can find out more at nuancespod.com/supportIf you'd like to leave a review, these are the places you can do so write a review GUEST BIODr. Manijeh Badiee (she/her/hers) is an Iranian, queer, bisexual, polyamorous, neurospicy, cisgender femme professor, psychologist, and CEO of Poly Therapist Psychology Corporation..Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn | Web CONTACTInstagram | TikTok | Web | LinkedIn | TwitterHost: Lazou --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/support

  • See the FULL SHOW NOTES for references, links & more.

    Queering Premodern Asia is a limited series and the 5th season of the Nuances podcast about Our Asian Stories. Each episode explores different aspects of sexual diversity in premodern Asia with commentary from guest scholars. Episodes are divided into a narrative portion, and a discussion with a guest co-host from the queer Asian community.

    Introduction & content warnings Third Gender as spiritual leaders/ people with special powersAsog Babaylans (Philippines) Manangbali (Malaysian Borneo) Hijras (South Asia) Bissu (South Sulawesi, Indonesia) Bayasa (Central Sulawesi, Indonesia) RatoNale/Seaworm Priest (West Sumba, Indonesia) Balian and Basir (Kalimantan, Indonesia)Sexuality as fluidChigo (Japan)Beyond the Western modelGay & Lesbian non-equivalence Baklâ (Philippines) Heterosexuals and Lesbians in Thailand vs. the West Kathoey (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia) Gender ambiguity in premodern Muslim societies 5 genders of the Bugis culture (Indonesia) IntersexOutro Discussion with TONIE

    Featured Song: More Than My Body by TONIE

    Guest scholars:

    Sachi Schmidt-Hori, professor of Japanese literature & culture at Dartmouth College. Wu CunCun, ⁠⁠professor of Chinese literature at the University of Hong Kong⁠⁠.

    Guest co-host

    TONIE is doing their very best to make you cry, in all the best ways. The LA-native writes and produces each synth-pop track from the comfort of their skylit home studio in Brooklyn, NY — a perfect backdrop for the emotional vulnerability that colors their lyrics. Proudly Vietnamese American, nonbinary, and themselves!

    TONIE can be reached on Instagram & TikTok and their website Itstonie.com

    Connect with Nuances: Our Asian Stories on Instagram, TikTok, Threads or YouTube

    --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/support
  • Queering Premodern Asia is a limited series and the 5th season of the Nuances podcast about Our Asian Stories. Each episode explores different aspects of sexual diversity in premodern Asia with commentary from guest scholars. Episodes are divided into a narrative portion, and a discussion with a guest co-host from the queer Asian community.

    Introduction & content warnings China – Literacy as a barrier (Prof. Wu) China – Li Yu's "The Fragrant Companion" (read by Karen) China – Lesbian consort in the Ming dynasty (Prof. Wu) China – Wu Zao China – Golden Orchid Societies Korea – Deposed Crown Princess Sun Bin Japan – Lesbian sex toys Iran – The cross-dressed woman (Niloofar Rasooli) Discussion with Karen

    References - in the shownotes on nuancespod.com

    Episode transcript: COMING SOON

    Guest scholar:

    Niloofar Rasooli, doctoral fellow at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. Wu CunCun, ⁠professor of Chinese literature at the University of Hong Kong⁠.

    Guest co-host bio:

    Karen Zheng is a first-generation, queer, Chinese-American poet. Her poetry has been featured in Sine Theta Magazine, Honey Literary, Benningham Review, Harbor Review and elsewhere. She has received fellowships from the Breadloaf Writers’ Conference, Roots. Wounds. Words, Chicago Storystudio, and The Poetry Lab. She has been a finalist for Harbor Review’s Washburn Chapbook Prize. In her free time, she hosts the Mx. Asian American podcast and Tucked in Bed podcast. Find out more about her on her website and listen to Mx. Asian American here and here.

    You can also follow us on all social media: @nuancespod

    --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/support
  • Queering Premodern Asia is a limited series and the 5th season of the Nuances podcast about Our Asian Stories. Each episode explores different aspects of sexual diversity in premodern Asia with commentary from guest scholars. Episodes are divided into a narrative portion, and a discussion with a guest co-host from the queer Asian community.

    Ep. 1: In search of Prince Charming and his King

    Introduction & content warnings Official records (Prof. Wu) China - The Half-eaten peach (read by Edmond) China - Lord Longyang (read by Edmond) China - Passion of the cut sleeve China - Duke Jing (read by Prof. Wu) Korea - King Mokjong & King Gongmin Vietnam - King Khai Dinh Pakistan - Shah Hussain & Madhu Laal Discussion with Edmond - thoughts on the stories Discussion with Edmond - cultural significance Discussion with Edmond - queerness & our Asian parents Beyond the gentry class (prof. Wu)

    Episode transcript: COMING SOON

    Guest scholar: Wu CunCun, professor of Chinese literature at the University of Hong Kong. She specializes in gender & sexuality in late Imperial Chinese literature and culture. She is widely published in both English and Chinese.

    Guest co-host bio:

    Corpus Christi, Texas native Edmond Chan (Historical violin family instruments) has performed with many early music ensembles and orchestras in the United States, Europe, and Hong Kong, some of which include Tempesta di Mare: Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra, Brandywine Baroque, the Dryden Ensemble, the Washington National Cathedral Baroque Orchestra, Holland Baroque, l’arte del mondo Köln, and the Early Music Society of Hong Kong. He is first prize winner in the 2022 International Clara Schumann Competition, and second prize winner in the 2022 France Music Competition. Edmond holds a master's degree in Baroque violin from the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht: Utrechts Conservatorium in the Netherlands where he studied with Antoinette Lohmann. His master’s thesis entitled “The Fashionable Violinist: Fashion and How to Hold the Violin in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries” explores the relationship between 17th and 18th century clothing and period violin performance, and how this relationship can better inform historical violinists (and historical musicians in general) on performance practice techniques. Edmond also holds an Artist’s Certificate in Baroque violin from the Koninklijk Conservatorium den Haag where he studied with Kati Debretzeni and Walter Reiter. Edmond has taught and lectured at conservatories and universities in Europe and the United States along with workshops in Ecuador and Hong Kong. When Edmond is not teaching, performing, or continuing his research into historical clothing, he enjoys cooking, swimming, running, going on bike rides, and playing board/card/computer games with friends and family.

    @brqvlnfoodie on Instagram | TikTok

    --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/support
  • Full transcript here | Support the show here.

    In search of our queer Asian roots

    The idea for this series came about a year ago, inspired by my interviews with the queer Asian community.

    Many of the guests shared a desire to connect more with their culture, but also a feeling of being rejected by it because of their queerness, like Cece S1 E07⁠

    Queer representation in the media has primarily centered white narratives which is often not relatable to queer Asian folks, like Josh explains in S1 E06

    A lot of families see queerness as a Western concept that is incompatible with their Asian heritage or cultural tradition, especially the part of our culture that expects us to get married and have kids. Like Travis says on S3 E06

    My queer guests also often feel like queer spaces aren’t safe for them, as those are typically very white spaces and often have very overt anti-Asian sentiment. Edmond talks about this in S1 E08

    Another issue our queer Asian community faces is fetishization, as well as misogyny in their Asian family circles. Like Sally, S1 E09

    For some of my guests, it was religion, more specifically Christianity, that made it hard for their parents to accept their queerness. Like Dani S3 E05

    A common theme I also picked up in those conversations is how lonely it was for them as young people trying to navigate their queerness. Like Tonie S1 E03

    I was really struck by how little I knew of these experiences. As a straight woman, I lived decades completely oblivious of these experiences. But the more I heard, the more I wanted to encourage my fellow straight folks to be curious, to care, and to engage with these stories.

    One day, I was scrolling on TikTok when I saw a video about how in 1651, there was a Chinese play that featured lesbian characters. It immediately piqued my interest. If that story was out there in a hit play in 1651, what else is out there? Could history bridge the gap between our current diasporic existence and conversations that seem too futuristic for our parents? More importantly, what if we could validate the idea that queerness and cultural pride are not alien concepts, but in fact intertwined in our past?

    And thus began my journey.

    For my Queer Asian listeners, my hope is that this series will help you feel more connected to your Asian roots, and bring hope & healing as you laugh and cry with us on this journey.

    For my fellow straight folks, I hope it makes you curious to learn more. Because I don’t think creating a society that is more inclusive of queer folks should fall squarely on our queer community’s shoulders. In a society where cis-hetero folks like us are the norm, we’d get much further if more of us pitched in. And we can start by listening.

    And for the activists and educators listening, I hope this series helps you reflect on the language you use in your activism, whether it perpetuates orientalist tropes, and how we might do better together.

    Episodes:

    1. In search of Prince Charming (and his King)

    2. But Where are the lesbians?

    3. 50 Shades of Gender

    4. Love, marriage & their casual relationship

    5. Gods, sex, and the patriarchy

    6. The West: savior or demonizer?

    The LGBTQIA+ terms, often doesn’t map quite neatly onto other cultures or eras.

    In the West, queerness is seen as part of your core identity. But this was not the case in premodern Asia at all. Who you slept with did not put you in a different “gay” category.

    We think of Lesbians as the female version of Gays. That equivalence also didn’t exist.

    In some cultures, the English language doesn’t have the appropriate terms to describe their gender constructs.

    I learned so much from researching this series and I can’t wait for you to go on that journey too.

    Queering Premodern Asia drops on June 2nd, 2024.

    Hosted by @itslazou, featuring queer Asian guest co-hosts and scholars.

    Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or go to nuancespod.com to learn more.

    You can also follow us on all social media: @nuancespod

    --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/support
  • My gender identity and who I’m attracted to is nature, right? Well, actually it’s complicated.

    Everything I thought I knew about love, gender and sexuality has been turned upside down. Hi, my name is LAZOU and I'm the host of Nuances: Our Asian Stories. Typically it’s an interview show but I’m switching things up for season 5 with a limited series called Queering Premodern Asia.

    Why? Because before the modern era, there was a LOT of sexual diversity in Asia. But I bet your Asian parents didn’t know that. How do I know? ¼ of my interviews were with queer Asians and one theme that often came up is feeling a disconnect with their Asian culture because queerness is taboo in their family. But being queer wasn’t always taboo in Asia and there’s a lot of research to back this up. It’s all out there but unless you’re in that field, you probably don’t know about it. This is where this series comes in.

    Prof. Wu CunCun: “We have 24 official Chinese history and 23 have special catalog about the emperor’s male favorite”

    There’s the prince charmings and the Kings who adored them in China, Vietnam, and Korea, dating back to 500 BC. There’s the premodern Japanese version of BTS that had monks wrapped around their *cough* finger. The sufi poet and his lover who became one and are still celebrated every year with a festival in pakistan. A lesbian play written in China in 1651. Cross-dressing women in premodern Iran. Korean princesses who slept with their maids. Gender fluid deities in the Philippines and India. There’s even a god of same sex love in China. There’s so many stories and I can’t wait for you to hear them.

    Join me and my queer guest host to uncover the hidden roots of our queer Asian history. Whether you’re straight like me or queer, I promise you it will be fascinating.

    Queering Premodern Asia drops on June 2nd, 2024.

    Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or go to nuancespod.com to learn more. You can also follow us on all social media: @nuancespod

    --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/support
  • GUEST BIO

    Dr. Sophia Yen is a Co-Founder of Pandia Health, expert online women’s hormonal healthcare: from birth control to menopause and more. She graduated MIT, UCSF Medical School, and UC Berkeley with an MPH. With 20+ years in medicine, she’s also a Clinical Associate Professor at Stanford Medical School in Adolescent Medicine. Her passion is making women’s lives betterShe’s also the Mother of 2 future sheheroes and wife of a feminist.Taiwanese-American married to a Korean-American(feel free to cut the last 2 lines or edit as you will).

    Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn | Web

    MENTIONED

    Plan C Pills - Abortion Access Inequality in Maternal Outcomes Maternity leave in Mexico Maternity leave in Canada Maternity leave in the U.S. Dr. Rebecca Gomperts from the Netherlands Calculate your BMI

    TAKEAWAYS

    Sex Ed is more than just "how to not get pregnant". And. Ladies, you deserve satisfaction too. Emergency contraception: Plan B only works well if your BMI is <=25. Ella works for BMI <= 35. Copper IUD works for all BMIs Hormonal birth control doesn't hurt your fertility. In fact it's often used before fertility treatments to stabilize hormone levels. Best to worst: the implant, vasectomy, hormonal IUD, tubal ligation, copper IUD, the shot, the ring, the patch, then the pills. If you're getting an IUD, you should be given pain management. DEMAND IT. (*paracervical block) There are treatments to help you transition in perimenopause and menopause. You don't have to suffer through hot flashes. Estrogen replacement also helps you avoid a lot of health complications from menopause. Women used to have 100 periods in their lifetime (8 kids), now they have 350-400 and each time we risk developing ovarian, endometrial or colon cancer. But periods are optional!!! The pill that works best for white women often doesn't for Black/Asian women. Find the right one for you. Disaggregating "Asian American" in medical research can help better identify genetic differences in our bodies' response to treatments.

    CONTACT

    Instagram | TikTok | Web | LinkedIn Host: Lazou

    --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/support
  • For more detailed shownotes including transcripts, go to nuancespod.com

    If you enjoy this show and would like to show some love, go to nuancespod.com/support

    ABOUT THIS EPISODE

    Happy Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month! Wow, that was a mouthful. Who’s idea was it to group us all together in such a long acronym? It’s a long story but let me know if you’d like me to do a deep dive on that next time. If you’re in Canada, Happy Asian Heritage Month. At least the Canadians knew scope creep was a thing.

    TOPICS:

    Unequal representation in AANHPI celebrations. Why May? Intersectionality: Asian Settler Colonialism. Upcoming series on "queerness" in premodern Asia. Episode recommendations that feature underrepresented Asian perspectives.

    EPISODES FEATURED

    Kiran Kaur Gill (Sikh American)

    S3 E08: Kiran Kaur Gill on fighting Turban Myths with occupationally relevant training programs at the TSA, FBI, and other law enforcement agencies.

    Dani Saldo (Queer Filipino Canadian)

    S3 E05: Dani Saldo is a hot, talented, disabled bisexual pop-star on the rise, who had to break up with her old (able-bodied) self.

    Rita Phetmixay (Lao American)

    S3 E09: Rita Phetmixay: No such thing as boundaries in Asian culture – the Lao diaspora, owning the narrative, and healing intergenerational trauma with compassion.

    Soo Jin Lee (Korean American)

    S4 E1: Soo Jin Lee was never told she was undocumented, but she somehow knew. Also: therapy isn’t the only way to heal.

    Manijeh Moradian (Iranian American)

    S3 E03: Dr. Manijeh Moradian on why Iran isn’t always considered part of Asia, and how the West may be misinterpreting what Iranians truly want out of the current feminist revolution

    Travis Nguyen (Vietnamese American)

    S3 E06: Travis Nguyen, interpreter & translator, on working with the deaf & deaf/blind communities, how intergenerational trauma manifests in day-to-day life, and more.

    Qasim Rashid (Pakistani American)

    S2 E4: Qasim Rashid on how Islam inspires him to advocate for women, for the poor, and even for his haters, and how he remains focused in a world full of injustice.

    AUSLIN (Hmong American)

    S1 E05: AUSLIN, the artist supermom who’s breaking the cycle of intergenerational trauma she experienced as a Hmong American growing up in Wisconsin.

    Offering Rain (Queer Ecuadorian and Indian American)

    S2 E09: Offering Rain on reclaiming their Ecuadorian and Indian roots as a mixed-raced multimedia artist, and the importance of early access to the arts to increase diversity in the creative fields.

    Rahul Borkar (Indian American)

    S1 E02: Rahul Borkar on being a music artist and producer from Louisville, KY

    Scott Okamoto (Japanese American)

    S3 E07: Scott Okamoto on losing faith and becoming an English professor at an evangelical school.

    Cece Chow (Trans Chinese Canadian)

    S4 E07: Trans Day of Visibility special with Cece Chow & her son Gideon – the wholesome Asian trans representation you needed to hear.

    NEXT WEEK I’ll be back with episode recs for mothers day but also a new guest, Dr. Sophia Yen! We’ll be talking about women’s health, making periods optional, best to worst methods of contraception, menopause, and what is missing from sex education.

    MENTIONED

    Essay by Chinese Hawaiian Asians & Asian Settler Colonialism in Hawaii USA: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Heritage Month Canada: Asian Heritage Month

    CONTACT

    Instagram | TikTok | Web | LinkedIn | Twitter

    Host: Lazou

    --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/support
  • If you enjoy this show and would like to help me spread the word about it, or support it financially, you can find out more at nuancespod.com/support

    GUEST BIO

    Jenny is a professional chef and food writer, researcher, and educator who studies food as the foundation for human meaning-making and identity formation. She holds a Master of Education from Harvard University and is currently a Fulbright-National Geographic Fellow in Singapore, researching food security in the context of hawker centres. Jenny is an IACP-winning photographer, James Beard Awards-nominated writer, and has been named an industry Game Changer by Food & Wine and a Trailblazing Activist by the World’s 50 Best. In pre-pandemic 2020, she also gave a TEDx titled, How Food Can Be A Source of Identity, Intimacy, and Vulnerability..

    Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn | Web

    MENTIONED

    Reem's Billie Eilish's book flops Jenny's TEDx Talk

    TAKEAWAYS

    The people we advocate for should be the ones dictating what advocacy looks like for their cause. Food is inherently political. Most books don't sell well - something to keep in mind if you're going to invest time and energy writing one. The U.S. has many of the pieces that could be leveraged for a more equitable future but we've been brainwashed to fear socialism. Aligning our business practices with our values can have significant positive impact within our own spheres of influence. Immigrant parents often struggle with their kids choosing a career that isn't seen as "moving up in the world" and while their fears around financial stability are understandable, there is an element of classism there that we need to acknowledge and work on. Recipes using grams are much easier to replicate accurately than those using cups and arbitrary units like "one onion". The US gallon isn't the same as the Imperial gallon.

    CONTACT

    Instagram | TikTok | Web | LinkedIn | Twitter

    Host: Lazou

    --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/support
  • GUEST BIO

    Gideon is a 17 year old Canadian high school student, raised by two mothers. He strives to provide a balanced youthful perspective; formed from his diverse friend group and unique life experience. He's spent 12 years studying Mandarin under a Mandarin bilingual program and 3 years studying French whilst speaking Cantonese and English at home. Throughout all his studies he has been exposed and connected to many different East-Asian and North American cultures and holds it as a central part of his identity.

    MENTIONED

    S4 E07: Trans Day of Visibility special with Cece Chow & her son Gideon – the wholesome Asian trans representation you needed to hear. GDPR TikTok Ban

    CONTACT

    ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠TikTok⁠ | ⁠Web⁠ | ⁠LinkedIn⁠ | ⁠Twitter⁠

    Featured Song

    Bloom Without Me by LAZOU

    --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/support
  • Today is Trans Day of Visibility (March 31).

    I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than to share this wholesome portrait of Cece Chow, an Asian trans woman who transitioned later in life, with support from their ex-spouse and kids, and who finally feels at home in her own body.

    GUEST BIO

    Cece Chow is an autistic, ADHD, disabled, Canadian born Chinese trans woman, parent, model, and transgender rights advocate. She strongly believes that representation changes lives and is dedicated to creating positive Asian trans representation so that trans kiddos will see a future for themselves and so that adults who grew up the way she did will see that it is possible to come out later in life and find joy in authenticity.

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    DEFINITIONS

    Gender dysphoria: A sense of unease that a person may have because of a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity. This sense of unease or dissatisfaction may be so intense it can lead to depression and anxiety and have a harmful impact on daily life. CPTSD: Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) can result from experiencing chronic trauma, such as prolonged child abuse or domestic violence. It’s closely related to PTSD and borderline personality disorder.

    MENTIONED

    Cece's S1 E07 episodeWhat anti-trans bills passed in 2024? (US)66% of NYT stories about trans issues failed to quote a trans personAlberta restrictions on transgender youth access to care

    CONTACT

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    Host: Lazou

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    GUEST BIO

    Prof. Sachi Schmidt-Hori is interested in investigating how gender, sexuality, corporeality, and power are represented and negotiated in pre-seventeenth-century Japanese narratives and illustrations. Her first book, Tales of Idolized Boys: Male-Male Love in Medieval Japanese Narratives (University of Hawai`i Press, 2021) is on medieval chigo monogatari (Buddhist acolyte tales), which often depict romantic relationships between Buddhist priests and adolescent boys. These tales challenge a host of normative and moral standards we (academics, especially) internalize, including such ideas as "sexual orientation," "transgenerational sex," and "sexual agency."Her current project is on the literary representations of "milk kinships" in pre-seventeenth Japanese tales, in cluding the Tale of Ochikubo, the Tale of Genji, the Tales of the Heike.She is also the director of the Springboard Japan Project, a multi-purpose open-access forum for Japan Studies.

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    MENTIONED

    YOASOBI (J-Pop duo) The Tale of Ochikubo (Ochikubo Monogatari) The Tale of Genji (Genji Monogatari) Tales of Idolized Boys: Male-Male Love in Medieval Japanese Buddhist Narratives

    TAKEAWAYS

    The equation of your career/life choices is for you to solve. It doesn't have to make sense to anyone else if it makes sense for you. You can seek out spaces where being you is a plus instead of a minus. Don't settle. If you're not a white man, emulating white men probably won't help. Be goofy :-) Language shapes our discussions. Identity is seen as static, whereas actions are choices that we could change in the future, not immutable character traits. How integrity is perceived is one of many things that can vary widely outside the West. In Japan, parenting is about taming the child's ego. In the U.S., parenting is about nurturing the child's ego. Do not talk to cats and babies in Japan.

    CONTACT

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    Host: Lazou

    --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/support
  • If you enjoy this show and would like to help me spread the word about it, or support it financially, you can find out more at nuancespod.com/support

    GUEST BIO

    Er-Gene is a Korean-American violinist and college professor who lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas. As an immigrant, she was always interested in assimilation as a survival strategy until she discovered Florence Price, the first Black American woman composer whose compositions were performed by major symphony orchestras. Since then, she has championed Price's music and continues to investigate ways classical music can participate in global conversations around diversity, social justice, and equity..

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    MENTIONED

    Florence PriceEr-Gene Kahng performing Florence Price's concertosRandall GoosbyDoenjang Jjigae

    TAKEAWAYS

    People from so-called progressive states like California often make assumptions about the South but fail to realize the same issues exist at home.Exposure to classical music early and ability to afford lessons is a key determinant of one's chances of making it into an orchestra. Diversity efforts need to start there.History is far from static because it only shows the perspective of those who wrote it. Whose perspective might have been left out?To be in community is not only to receive, but also to give back.

    CONTACT

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    Host: Lazou

    --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/support
  • If you enjoy this show and would like to help me spread the word about it, or support it financially, you can find out more at nuancespod.com/support

    GUEST BIO

    Edward Yoo Pokropski is one of the Executive Producers of the Asian Comedy Fest and Emmy Nominated Senior Writer/Producer at NBCUniversal. He is also a comedian touring his storytelling show, Case 84: Adopted in the U.S.A.. The show touches on how the media shapes our view and misconceptions about adoption. .

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    MENTIONED

    Also-Known-As (AKA)Case 84: Adopted in the USA in Minneapolis 3/23/24

    TAKEAWAYS

    Everyone has an accent. Part of decentering whiteness is to no longer center certain types of accents and look down on othersIt's better to try, fail, and do better next time, than to not do anything at all. We don't make choices based on whether it's an Asian thing to do. Breaking the mold or fitting into a stereotype is often not the intention driving our choices, but a side effect of being ourselves.When we have limited time to to tell a story, we build on existing understandings as a shortcut. We just gotta make sure that those foundation pieces are solid.Writing for kids is a lot harder than it sounds. You have to be family friendly, educational, and still exciting and fun.There's never been a better time to create art.

    CONTACT

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    Host: Lazou

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