The Unnameability of Gender Diversity among Taiwan Indigenous Peoples: Adju

Date & Time: Saturday, May 17, 2025 | 1:40–3:00 p.m.

Venue: Room SS3004-2, College of Social Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University

Speaker: Dong Chen-Hao (Colorful Wi Indigenous LGBTQ+ Alliance Leader; Curator of the Adju Music Festival)

Lecture Overview

This lecture explores the concept of "unnameability" experienced by Adju—a term referring to Indigenous men, particularly among the Paiwan people, whose gender expressions do not conform to mainstream expectations and whose identities cannot be fully defined within existing LGBTQ+ categories.

From an anthropological perspective, the lecture examines how Western concepts such as "gay" and "transgender" may not adequately represent Indigenous gender cultures and locally embedded understandings of gender diversity. The speaker emphasizes the importance of interpreting gender categories through Indigenous languages and cultural contexts, rather than reducing diverse gender experiences into a simplified notion of a "third gender."

The emergence of Adju reveals the diversity, fluidity, and complexity of gender expressions among Taiwan Indigenous peoples. This lecture calls for greater recognition of Indigenous naming practices, cultural meanings, and locally grounded understandings of gender within academic discussions.

We warmly welcome all interested participants to join us for this lecture.