Menstruation in a transitioning body: The embodied experience of menstruation among Chinese kua xingbie (cross-gender) people

Abstract

This article delves into the unique menstruation experiences of Chinese kua xingbie (cross-gender) people, emphasizing how the “kua xingbie” concept diverges from the Western academic discourse on transgender. It develops a temporospatial material approach to understanding the kua xingbie body, stressing the material agency of menstruation and sanitary products in shaping kua xingbie identities. Situated in the Chinese cultural, medical, and institutional contexts, this perspective sheds new light on the gender/sex debate, as well as on discussions on social recognition of gender and biological essentialism, showing how kua xingbie individuals navigate and exploit biological essentialism in their daily gender expression. Menstruation, as central to this entanglement, extends beyond the personal and private realm and shows significant social impact in different scenarios, including public restrooms. By comparing the experiences of kua xingbie men and women, the article underscores the diversity and uniqueness of their experiences.