Jakarta, 17 May 2023 - This article is published to commemorate the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia which falls on 17 May.
Since the late 2010s, transpuan vocabulary has been widely used both online and offline, and is now included in the Big Indonesian Dictionary. Progressive media and civil society organisations in the capital city also began to use the term transpuan more intensely in 2020.
The word transpuan is a combination of the first syllable of the English word "transgender" (trans-) and the final syllable "woman" (puan). The English language itself is known as transwoman, which comes from the combination of the words "transgender" and "woman". However, the history of the word transpuan in Indonesia involves its own gender justice struggle.
Historically, transgender in Indonesia is not new, and transpuan is not the first term used to refer to a related gender identity group.
The journey of shifting terms to refer to a group often has different meanings and affects how they identify themselves, depending on who introduced the term and where, and in what cultural context.
The history of this term change is also key to understanding how trans people in Indonesia are fighting for their rights, including access to healthcare, identity cards, and safety in public spaces.
From "Waria" to "Transpuan"
In 1968, the term "wadam", which stands for "Hawa" (woman) and "Adam" (man), was introduced. This term was coined by the then Governor of DKI Jakarta, Ali Sadikin, with the aim of providing a more positive term for the term "banci" or "bencong". A year later, the DKI Jakarta government also facilitated the birth of the first wadam organisation, Himpunan Wadam Djakarta (HIWAD).
"Sissy" was a term often used from the 19th century until the late 1960s. This term implies a much more hurtful and offensive meaning.
However, the use of the word Adam (derived from the Prophet Adam) was protested by a religious group in East Java. The Ministry of Religious Affairs then changed it to "waria", taken from the combined syllables "woman" and "man", in 1978.
Starting in the late 2010s, some transgender activists in Jakarta began to restrict the use of the word waria. Quoted in the research, the activists outlined three reasons. Firstly, the term waria was given by the government and not created by the relevant community. Secondly, the term includes the word "man" which is not part of its meaning. Third, the term is considered a form of objectification and government domination.
For example, a transgender activist, Kanzha Vinaa, said:
"There are trans friends who prefer to refer to themselves as transwomen, while there are others who prefer to be called waria. But for people outside the trans community, we ask them to use the word transpuan."
According to the activist, it is important to give the trans community the space to choose what they are more comfortable being called - either as waria, transpuan, or possibly both.
Arum Marischa, a waria from Yogyakarta, said:
"I personally prefer the term waria. But, in my opinion, whether it's waria or transgender, it's up to us to agree together."
Other research has found that there are also trans people who use terms depending on the situation. For example, they refer to themselves as "waria" or "transgender" in certain settings and contexts that are shaped by unequal economic and political positions.
These statements show the different use of terms between how researchers and communities categorise others and themselves.
Trans communities in Indonesia are often the object of researchers and journalists. However, they are often not included as partners. In fact, for formal contexts, including research and media content, it is important to be sure which terms are appropriate to use because this is basic ethics. To be sure, it is necessary to adjust to the context and the will of the local community.
Transgender as a Term of Struggle
Initially, the use of the word transpuan was only familiar among the middle class or Jakarta-based activism networks. However, based on our observations, the term is also used by people outside the middle class and outside the metropolitan area - often in conjunction with or confused with waria. Some transgender and queer activists use the term transpuan for greater social acceptance.
Explanations related to the use of the terms transpuan and waria actually have parallel motivations. Both emerge as efforts and desires to gain recognition and have control to identify themselves, refer to themselves, and understand themselves.
The first use of transpuan in an Indonesian-language book was in the book Acceptance: Stories of Acceptance by Parents with Trans Children written by psychologist and trans activist, Stephanie Halim. In her introduction, she offers an expansive definition of "trans". The definition shows a nationwide pattern in the generation of new concepts related to transgender in Indonesia.
This is similar to what happened with the changing meanings of the words 'woman' and 'women'. The term woman was often used in the New Order's development project and insinuated a patriarchal form of government power that was closely tied to the domestication of women.
The emergence of the term transpuan also contains access to solidarity with feminist activist networks. The word "woman" (-puan) in transpuan indicates an attempt - on an individual and collective level - to take over the recognition of one's own community and break away from the terms given by state actors.
Unravelling Transgender Solidarity Across Countries
Transgender is not a neutral term, it has a history of its own. It came into widespread and official use in the US in the 1990s to distinguish between sexuality-based and gender-based identities. Before that, people usually referred to themselves with the existing vocabulary of "gay", so the term transgender opens up space to differentiate oneself as well as to be differentiated by other people and institutions.
If we explore the history of trans women in Indonesia, we will see how injustice against the trans community emerged, as well as the solidarity between trans women and women and between transgender communities in the Southeast Asian region.
In Southeast Asia, "transgender" is used more broadly as a platform for rights and recognition, including - but not limited to - HIV/AIDS programmes.
In the mid-2010s, as funding and infrastructure for HIV work in Southeast Asia grew, the term transgender began to be used in the context of democratic public spaces and in the context of international advocacy.
Unfortunately, the new Constitution, which has been passed by the government and the House of Representatives, has become a form of criminalisation of groups based on sexuality and gender identity by the state.
Indonesia's trans history is also embedded in regional relations in Southeast Asia. The Asia-Pacific Transgender Network (APTN) is a Bangkok-based regional coordination and advocacy committee for transgender organisations across Asia and the Pacific. One of its outputs is the "Health Handbook for Waria" published in 2010.
Transpuan is one of the ways trans communities in Indonesia connect regionally to demand recognition and advocacy for their common interests, and to escape the shadows of a history of injustice due to colonial and capitalist exploitation.
This is because transgender women in Indonesia have not fully received basic rights as citizens, such as access to health and identity cards.
Transgender is not just about gender, but also about the struggle for justice across borders.
Thumbnail : Nuva Frames
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Penulis :
Benjamin Hegarty — Global Health Program, The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney
Amalia Puri Handayani — Peneliti PUI-PT PPH Pusat Unggulan Kebijakan Kesehatan dan Inovasi Sosial, Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya, Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya
