Episodes

  • S5: Queering Premodern Asia - Ep.0 - An Introduction

    S5: Queering Premodern Asia - Ep.0 - An Introduction
    May 26 2024
    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 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/support
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    11 mins
  • Queering Premodern Asia - Nuances Season 5 Trailer

    Queering Premodern Asia - Nuances Season 5 Trailer
    May 21 2024

    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

    --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/support
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    2 mins
  • S4 E11: Dr. Sophia Yen on birth control, #PeriodsOptional, menopause, emergency contraception, and what your BMI has to do with it.

    S4 E11: Dr. Sophia Yen on birth control, #PeriodsOptional, menopause, emergency contraception, and what your BMI has to do with it.
    May 12 2024
    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 better She’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 AccessInequality in Maternal OutcomesMaternity leave in MexicoMaternity leave in CanadaMaternity leave in the U.S.Dr. Rebecca Gomperts from the NetherlandsCalculate 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 BMIsHormonal 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 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/support
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    1 hr and 16 mins
  • It's AANHPI Heritage Month! Or Asian Heritage Month if you're in Canada.

    It's AANHPI Heritage Month! Or Asian Heritage Month if you're in Canada.
    May 5 2024
    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 HawaiianAsians & Asian Settler Colonialism in HawaiiUSA: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Heritage MonthCanada: Asian Heritage Month CONTACT Instagram | TikTok | Web | LinkedIn | Twitter Host: Lazou --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/support
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    17 mins
  • S4 E09: Chef Jenny Dorsey on food politics, and the uneasy conversations that the food industry isn't ready to have.

    S4 E09: Chef Jenny Dorsey on food politics, and the uneasy conversations that the food industry isn't ready to have.
    Apr 21 2024

    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

    1. The people we advocate for should be the ones dictating what advocacy looks like for their cause.
    2. Food is inherently political.
    3. Most books don't sell well - something to keep in mind if you're going to invest time and energy writing one.
    4. 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.
    5. Aligning our business practices with our values can have significant positive impact within our own spheres of influence.
    6. 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.
    7. Recipes using grams are much easier to replicate accurately than those using cups and arbitrary units like "one onion".
    8. The US gallon isn't the same as the Imperial gallon.

    CONTACT

    Instagram | TikTok | Web | LinkedIn | Twitter

    Host: Lazou

    --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/support
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    58 mins
  • S4 E08: Gideon - a quadrilingual high schooler with two awesome moms.

    S4 E08: Gideon - a quadrilingual high schooler with two awesome moms.
    Apr 7 2024

    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

    --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/support
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    31 mins
  • S4 E07: Trans Day of Visibility special with Cece Chow & her son Gideon - the wholesome Asian trans representation you needed to hear.

    S4 E07: Trans Day of Visibility special with Cece Chow & her son Gideon - the wholesome Asian trans representation you needed to hear.
    Mar 31 2024

    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.

    Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn


    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 episode
    • What anti-trans bills passed in 2024? (US)
    • 66% of NYT stories about trans issues failed to quote a trans person
    • Alberta restrictions on transgender youth access to care


    CONTACT

    Instagram | TikTok | Web | LinkedIn | Twitter

    Host: Lazou

    --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/support
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    48 mins
  • S4 E06: Dr. Sachi Schmidt-Hori on U.S. vs Japan culture, parenting, social norms, & why gender pronouns aren't an issue in Japan

    S4 E06: Dr. Sachi Schmidt-Hori on U.S. vs Japan culture, parenting, social norms, & why gender pronouns aren't an issue in Japan
    Mar 17 2024

    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

    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.

    Web


    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

    1. 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.
    2. You can seek out spaces where being you is a plus instead of a minus. Don't settle.
    3. If you're not a white man, emulating white men probably won't help. Be goofy :-)
    4. Language shapes our discussions.
    5. Identity is seen as static, whereas actions are choices that we could change in the future, not immutable character traits.
    6. How integrity is perceived is one of many things that can vary widely outside the West.
    7. In Japan, parenting is about taming the child's ego. In the U.S., parenting is about nurturing the child's ego.
    8. Do not talk to cats and babies in Japan.

    CONTACT

    Instagram | TikTok | Web | LinkedIn | Twitter

    Host: Lazou

    --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancespod/support
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    1 hr and 2 mins