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”
- Introduction & content warnings
- We were here
- Other sources than official records
- Power in numbers
- Who’s missing?
- Official vs unofficial stance on queerness
- Court documents
- Decolonizing history
- Porn, erotic art
- Conclusion
- Discussion with co-host Dr. Izat El Amoor
- Outro
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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.
- Anjali Arondekar, professor of feminist studies & South Asian studies at the University of California Santa Cruz.
- Niloofar Rasooli, doctoral fellow at the Swiss Institute of Technology
Guest co-host bio:

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.
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Episode transcript: (discussion portion only)
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