By Jenni Chang & Lisa Lisa Dazols August 2011 It’s always hard to find lesbians, but it’s especially challenging in Java, Indonesia where ninety percent of the population is Muslim and women fight against second class status. Amongst the jilbab dressing, we spot a fohawk and meet Ema. A university student who often gets mistaken
The Republic of Indonesia is comprised of 17,508 islands. It is the world’s largest archipelago state. With an estimated population of around 237 million people it is the world’s fourth most populous country and the most populous Muslim-majority nation; however, no reference is made to Islam in the Indonesian constitution. Indonesia is a republic, with an elected legislature and president. Most Indonesian Hindus are Balinese, and most Buddhists in modern-day Indonesia are ethnic Chinese. Bali has a population of about 3,151,000 and is home to most of Indonesia’s Hindu minority. Tourism is the largest single industry and as a result Bali is one of Indonesia’s wealthiest regions.
Unlike other Muslim countries, Indonesia is relatively tolerant of homosexuality. As in many countries in South East Asia, it is a part of everyday life. Even in the media several gay or transsexual prominent people exist. Nevertheless this subject is low key and not openly talked about. Fanatical Muslim groups have been known to attack gay men. Homosexuality is a not a crime when it occurs in private and between consenting adults. Also see: Islam and Homosexuality.
Name: Indonesia
Population: 237107000
Capital: Jakarta - Pop. 8900000
Area: 1904569 sq. km/ sq. miles
Language: Indonesian
Religion: Islam, Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism
Status of Homosexuality: Legal
Telephone Country Code: 62
Being Gay, Muslim and Indonesian
Young Muslim gay Indonesians search for a balance between their natural sexual orientation and the proscriptions against homosexuality found in the Koran. For some it means renouncing Islam and for others it means being celibate. From: Jakarta Post September 23, 2009 Despite living under the same roof for years, Fachri (not his real
Gay Indonesia–Jakarta 2002-08
Intro: In 1998, a magazine declared Indonesia as “descending into madness”–government instability, economic liability, racial attacks, religious violence. But an individual is not a label and a country is not a headline. I added Indonesia to my journey because that country of 14,000 islands swarms with beauty: flowers, mountain rainforests, ancient temples, artwork, architecture, exotic
Gay Indonesia-Bali: Perennial and Tranquil
A week in sun-drenched Bali can be very seductive for anyone. Despite the bombings in ’02 and ’05, Bali continues to be a place of calm repose, swaying palms, restful beaches, green forests, friendly faces and master wood carvers. Bali is also home to a small resident lesbigay community that lives calmly among the easy-going
Gay Indonesia-Sumatra (Medan)
Intro: Far from the economic and political vortex of Jakarta, the city of Medan (and its environs) hustles and bustles with the business of a major metropolis. It is Indonesia’s third largest city with a population of about 2.2 million, The Asian gay travel site Utopia-Asia playfully suggests "that’s about 90,000 Utopians" (gay people). Perhaps.