Mediating Gendered Bodies, Culture, and Urban Spaces

Abstract Transgender funeral performance in southern Vietnam adopts the historical and cultural legacy of male cross-dressing performance, incorporating elements of present-day pop music with erotic overtones. This article explores how transgender funeral performers gain access to urban spaces and create for themselves a niche in the entertainment business. The article addresses how this practice configures in the articulation of social differences among various strata of urban people in Ho Chi Minh City, which has seen rapid political-economic transformations in recent years. The practice itself offers a nuanced portrayal of the relationship between everyday practices and state governance, between subcultures and mainstream culture.