A Political Biography of the Indonesian Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Movement

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Here, the history of the Indonesian LBT movement is charted, from invisibility, to visibility and now as it moves again into hiding. In the early 1980s, during the oppressive military dictatorship called the New Order in Indonesia, the first organizations of Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans persons were established. They were short-lived, but prepared the ground for a more comprehensive LBT rights movement after the democratic opening of society in 1998. From 2000 to 2015 the visibility of the movement grew, until a vicious state-sponsored backlash set in, driven by majoritarian, fundamentalist Islamist groups.

Saskia Wieringa tracks the movements progress and explores the persistence of the butch/femme model of relationships; the proliferations of identities; family violence and conversion therapy; religion; and the anti-LGBT campaign. In its insistence on the local dynamics of this movement, the book aims to debunk the idea that homosexuality is a Western import. Chapters deal with the many religious and secular phenomena that are linked with gender diversity and same-sex relations traditionally, and the erasure of many of these traditions is explained using the concept of postcolonial amnesia. A Political Biography of the Indonesian Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Movement is also a contribution to the growing literature on decolonization studies, pointing out that its dynamics, its historical course and its present condition, different as they are from the dominant Western view on a global LGBT movement, needs to be considered as valuable as accounts of Western LGBT histories are.

Reviews

A Political Biography of the Indonesian Lesbian, Bisexual, and Trans (LBT) Movement is a rich exploration of resilience and activism in Indonesia. With meticulous research and firsthand reflections, Professor Wieringa illuminates the inception of the LBT movement.

This political biography is not just a chronicle; it is a testament to the courage of individuals who have defied cultural constraints to forge a path toward equality and recognition. Wieringa's narrative captures the evolution of the LBT movement, from its clandestine beginnings to its emergence as a contested but ever-present force advocating for justice, acceptance, and human rights. Readers will encounter inspiring leaders, poignant stories of self-discovery, and the collective strength that arises when marginalised voices unite. Professor Wieringa's insightful analysis and engaging storytelling make this book an indispensable resource for anyone seeking a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and triumphs of the Indonesian LBT movementa movement that continually pushes boundaries and inspires change.

* Sharyn Graham Davies, author of Gender Diversity in Indonesia *
This is a compelling historically grounded account of the complex challenges lesbian, bisexual and trans Indonesians have faced over time. Drawing on moving oral histories, and personal insights based on her long engagement with such issues, Wieringa documents the brave persistent activism of this community to achieve recognition and rights. * Katharine McGregor, University of Melbourne, Australia *
Written by the foremost scholar of global lesbian studies, this thought-provoking book offers an extensive and provocative history of Indonesian lesbians and trans from pre-colonial times to the present, a history that has been nearly invisible in wider gay and queer literature. By documenting gender diversity and same-sex practices in pre-colonial times, Wieringa counters the religious and Indonesian state anti-gay rhetoric of the current post-democratic era with its appalling levels of anti-gay discrimination and violence. This is not just an Indonesian history. Readers will find exquisitely rendered in-depth portrayals and personal stories of the on-going culture and dynamics of butch-femme relationships and the recent arrival of no-label lesbians, presenting a fluidity of gender and sexuality that contests staid Western notions of binary gender. * Evelyn Blackwood, Purdue University, USA *

Author Bio

Saskia E. Wieringa is Honorary Emerita Professor of Gender and Womens Same-Sex Relations Crossculturally at the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands. Wieringa is co-editor of The Sexual History of the Global South (Zed Books, 2013).