Exploring Transgender History at CIH Pride Lecture

Our favourite annual event during Pride Week is the Calgary Institute for the Humanities (CIH) Queer History Lecture—always free!

This year, on September 2nd at 7 PM, the CIH welcomes Dr. Howard Chiang from the University of California, Santa Barbara, for a public lecture titled “Decolonizing Transgender History: The View from the Asia Pacific.“ Presented in partnership with the Calgary Public Library, UCalgary Alumni, and the Calgary Foundation, the event explores new ways of thinking about gender, history, and identity.

Dr. Chiang asks a thought-provoking question: Does Asia have a trans history? His research challenges the idea that gender-nonconforming people are missing from the historical record, while also questioning whether the Western concept of “transgender” is the best way to understand gender diversity in Chinese-speaking societies.

Using examples from the Sinophone Pacific, Dr. Chiang explores how a decolonial approach can open new perspectives on transgender history and encourage us to rethink how history has been written.

An internationally recognized scholar, Dr. Chiang is the Lai Ho & Wu Cho-liu Endowed Chair in Taiwan Studies at UC Santa Barbara and Director of the Center for Taiwan Studies. He is the author of the award-winning books After Eunuchs and Transtopia in the Sinophone Pacific, and was recently named a 2026 Dan David Prize laureate in History.

Curious to learn something new? Join us for a stimulating conversation that challenges conventions about gender and history. This free public event is open to everyone—register today to reserve your spot.

{KA}