We soon learned that Buginese people (also referred to as Bugis), who are one of the three major ethnic groups in the province, have five genders that coexist in harmony. Aside from makkunrai (women) and oroané (men), the Buginese society identifies calalai (transgender females), calabai (transgender males) and bissu. Bissu is the fifth gender, which embodies all genders or none of them: it transcends gender. The etymology of the term is unclear but it could derive from the Sanskrit word bhiksu, meaning monk.

Rating: Transsupportive, Australia-Indonesia Centre, May 29, 2019 (PDF archive)