Expand the Acceptance of Transwomen

Stigmatization has become a fundamental barrier for transwomen in living a normal life and developing as human beings. Family acceptance and the surroundings are crucial.

KOMPAS/SEKAR GANDHAWANGI

A number of transwomen stand on the side of the road in the Klender area, East Jakarta, Saturday (23/7/2022) early in the morning.

Kompas' thematic coverage published on Monday (25/7/2022) reveals that transwomen have been around us for a long time. However, until now, they have struggled to be accepted by society, their surroundings and even their own families.

The firm grip of stigmatization continues to perpetuate discrimination against transwomen. The stigma includes the notion that transwomen are symbols of disgrace and disaster. It is not surprising that their rights as citizens are often violated. Transwomen are increasingly being marginalized in their own country (Kompas, 25 July 2022).

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According to the Kompas Research and Development survey data, 47.4 percent of respondents are not or less accepting of transwomen in their families, while those who accept transwomen make up 52.6 percent. It was also recorded that 55.3 percent of respondents are not or are less accepting when their neighbors or coworkers are transgender, leaving 44.7 percent of them accepting of transgenders. From this data, it is revealed that the chances of rejection by their surroundings is greater than that of their family.

Family acceptance of transgender women was examined by the Indonesian Family Planning Association (PKBI) in 2018. It surveyed 96 transwomen in eight provinces, namely Aceh, South Sumatra, Jakarta, South Sulawesi, South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, West Java and Yogyakarta.

KOMPAS/BAHANA PATRIA GUPTA

Sonya at her residence, Pacar Kembang area, Tambaksari sub-district, Surabaya, Wednesday (20/7/2022). Sonya is a transgender activist in the city of Surabaya.

From the survey, it was found that 65 percent of respondents said they were accepted by their families. However, 18 percent of respondents were not accepted. For families who accepted them, there is a dichotomy in responding to the way transwomen dressed in women’s clothing in their daily lives. The survey results revealed that 84 percent of transwomen said they were accepted into their families by dressing like women. The rest, about 16 percent of transwomen, were prohibited from wearing female clothing.

The lack of acceptance from their families and communities around them forces many young transwomen to drop out of school and migrate to big cities by living with older transwomen. After getting a job, the young transwomen will move or live in rented houses.

Desperate for money and without adequate formal education or skills, they only have access to the informal work sector, such as working as street buskers, salon employees and sex workers. These jobs become alternatives in line with the limited opportunities in the formal sector.

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Public acceptance, especially by families, is the key to a productive life for transwomen. In the smallest scope, acceptance by their families will increase the confidence of transwomen so they can live as they are, preventing them from being excluded, including in terms of access to education.

Various efforts have been made by the transgender communities in a number of cities, such as Yogyakarta, Depok in West Java and Surabaya in East Java. Most of the assistance and empowerment initiatives are carried out by transwomen themselves or social organizations that care. It is necessary to expand the acceptance of transwomen in order to minimize various problems in the future.

This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo.