Masculinity, sexuality and Islam: The gender politics of regime change in Indonesia

Kathryn Robinson*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

    28 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    This chapter explores the larger history of sexuality and gender in Indonesia since the first appearance of lesbi in the national news in 1981, through the work of Saskia Wieringa, who studied a working class butch/femme community in Jakarta. These studies include Sharyn Graham Davie's powerful analysis of calalai in South Sulawesi, based on research conducted primarily in 1999 and 2000; this chapter works on tomboi in West Sumatra, conducted in 2001 and 2004; and Tracy Wright-Webster's wonderful undergraduate thesis on butchi in Yogyakarta, Java, in 2003-2004. In 1983, the first formal lesbian organisation was created in Jakarta. Her subsequent longitudinal study of a working-class butch/femme community in Jakarta provides solid historical depth to the story of lesbians in Indonesia. A close look at each of these studies reveals different understandings of what it means to be masculine and female, This chapter focuses on the similarities among them as it reworks the meaning of lesbian in Indonesia in the 2000s.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationSex and Sexualities in Contemporary Indonesia
    Subtitle of host publicationSexual Politics, Health, Diversity and Representations
    PublisherTaylor and Francis Inc.
    Pages51-68
    Number of pages18
    ISBN (Electronic)9781317910961
    ISBN (Print)9780415731287
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 5 Dec 2014

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