Miss Transvestite 2007 Emily and Miss Lipsing 2008 Akela join a protest (JP)
Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Ienes Angela remembered back to a long time ago when she sat in a church and felt uncomfortable. It was an unpleasant experience. She felt as though she didn't belong because people were staring at her.
"All I wanted to do was worship God, but they treated me like I didn't belong. So I gave up on going to church," said the slim, tall and tanned transvestite.
"I cannot understand why so many people view waria (transvestites) as not being human. We have basic rights just like them," Ienes, 34, told The Jakarta Post.
Ienes said it was hard to uphold her rights in most aspects of life, not just at church.
Seeking employment in the formal sector was a difficult task, she said.
Work opportunities in the formal sector for transvestites are limited, with most employers reluctant to have waria in their offices. With such restrictions, Ienes said many waria were forced to work as prostitutes or street singers to survive.
She said once she applied for a position as a telemarketer with a company in Jakarta. The job involved selling hotel memberships to people via the telephone.
"The manager told me the company would employ me only if I agreed to cut my long hair and dress in male clothing," she said. "What do such jobs have to do with appearance? I didn't need to meet customers face-to-face."
Ienes Angela remembered back to a long time ago when she sat in a church and felt uncomfortable. It was an unpleasant experience. She felt as though she didn't belong because people were staring at her.
"All I wanted to do was worship God, but they treated me like I didn't belong. So I gave up on going to church," said the slim, tall and tanned transvestite.
"I cannot understand why so many people view waria (transvestites) as not being human. We have basic rights just like them," Ienes, 34, told The Jakarta Post.
Ienes said it was hard to uphold her rights in most aspects of life, not just at church.
Seeking employment in the formal sector was a difficult task, she said.
Work opportunities in the formal sector for transvestites are limited, with most employers reluctant to have waria in their offices. With such restrictions, Ienes said many waria were forced to work as prostitutes or street singers to survive.
She said once she applied for a position as a telemarketer with a company in Jakarta. The job involved selling hotel memberships to people via the telephone.
"The manager told me the company would employ me only if I agreed to cut my long hair and dress in male clothing," she said. "What do such jobs have to do with appearance? I didn't need to meet customers face-to-face."
It was a difficult choice, Ienes said. She needed the job but also wanted to be accepted the way she was, long hair and all.
"I'm more comfortable when my hair is long. Such discrimination really traumatizes me."
Later, Ienes, a winner of several transvestite beauty pageants, found a job in a beauty parlor.
However, the small salary she was receiving forced her to hit the streets around Lawang Park in Central Jakarta to work as a prostitute.
In this line of work she made many friends, including some transvestite activists from the Srikandi Sejati Foundation, which is a non-governmental organization that provides transvestites with information on HIV/AIDS.
She was offered a position at Srikandi and took it.
"I thanked God I could finally stop being a prostitute," Ienes, who is now the foundation's finance administrator, said.
In Indonesia, the word waria comes from "wanita pria", which literally means "woman man". The term is used to refer to transvestites as well as transgendered and transsexual people.
The Indonesian government categorizes transvestites as being a group of people who are "mentally ill", while religious institutions accuse them of being sinners, a recent book published by non-governmental organization Komunitas Gay Lesbian Biseseksual Indonesia, Hak Kerja Waria: Tanggung Jawab Negara (Transvestites' Rights to Employment: The State's Responsibility), explains.
Komunitas Gay Lesbian Biseseksual Indonesia works to uphold the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and transsexual people in Indonesia.
Ienes is not the only transvestite who has had bitter experiences seeking work in the formal sector.
Several years ago Keke Amalia, or Budi Nugraha as he is otherwise known, worked in a department store as customer service officer. He said he was only given the job after he agreed to dress in men's clothing.
"Later on when they realized I had a feminine side, they told me to act more manly," the 30-year-old transvestite, who prefers to be identified as "he", said.
"They threatened to fire me within a month if I didn't change my feminine attitude. But it wasn't even a month before they fired me. They said they didn't need me anymore."
Keke said his manager always found faults in him, despite the fact he never received any complaints from customers. He said the store's customers liked his polite and friendly attitude.
"To my knowledge, there was no official store policy saying employees should act in accordance with their gender," he said.
Keke said the experience had made him pessimistic. He said he did not know whether the attitude of the government and members of the public in relation to transvestite could ever change.
Komunitas Gay Lesbian Biseseksual Indonesia's book, which was published in cooperation with Friedrich Eibert Stiftung, contains 20 testimonies from transvestites on difficulties they have experienced in the workplace, society and their families.
One of the testimonies is from Emy Mades, who was forced to leave her job as bartender because her colleagues said bartending was a "macho" job. Emy was told to work in salon instead.
In another case, Lia Asma from Palembang was verbally abused by colleagues in the government office she worked in. Verbal abuse is a common theme in many of the testimonies featured in the book.
"Negative attitudes toward waria are sanctioned by the government and religious institutions," Ienes said.
"Religious institutions only ever reproach us. I don't see them ever attempting to embrace or change us.
Ienes said she still believed in "One Divine Source", but she decided to give up on religion a long time ago.
"I don't even remember the last time I celebrated Christmas," she said.
Sidebox:
Activists demand equal rights for transvestites seeking work
Groups fighting for the rights of transvestites have demanded the government be more supportive of the minority group, especially as they try to secure employment in the formal sector.
Yulianus Rettoblaut, the head of the Indonesian Transvestites Communication Forum, said there were about 3.8 million transvestites, or waria, in the country, 17 percent of whom were university graduates.
"Although they hold university degrees, many of them remain unemployed because companies are afraid of losing their reputation and customers by employing waria," Yulianus told The Jakarta Post.
As a consequence, waria work as prostitutes and street singers, while those who have enough money usually start their own businesses.
However, working in the informal sector or being self-employed is not as easy as it may seem, Yulianus, who in 2006 became the first waria in Indonesia to run for a National Commission of Human Rights position, said.
"Hair and beauty training is expensive and to open a salon costs a lot of money. Not all waria can afford it," she said.
In Indonesia, the word waria comes from "wanita pria", which literally means "woman man". The term is used to refer to transvestites as well as transgendered and transsexual people.
Yoseph Adi Prasetyo, a National Commission of Human Rights commissioner, said people should stop labeling transvestites as a deviant group of people who have no rights.
"In fact, waria are Indonesian citizens who should be protected by constitutional rights," he said.
"The government should treat waria equally as citizens entitled to protection regardless of their gender".
In a book titled Hak Kerja Waria: Tanggung Jawab Negara (Transvestites' Employment Rights: The State's Responsibility) published by non-governmental organization Komunitas Gay Lesbian Biseseksual Indonesia, several contributors said Indonesia should follow examples from other democratic countries.
In the book, writers give several examples of transgendered people in other countries working in the formal sector, including in top governmental positions.
Some of the examples given were of Wladimiro Guadagno (Vladimir Luxuria) who is an Italian parliamentary member, Prof. Barbara (Ben A. Barres) who is a top neurobiologist at the Stanford Medical School, Colliaux who is an Air France stewardess and Stephanie Langhoff, a physical chemist and chief scientist at the NASA Ames Research Center.
Komunitas Gay Lesbian Biseseksual Indonesia is one of several organizations fighting for the rights of those who are marginalized because of their sexual orientation. Through campaigns, advocacy activities and educational programs, Komunitas Gay Lesbian Biseseksual Indonesia, which was established in January 2006, works to uphold the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and transsexual people in the country.
Komunitas Gay Lesbian Biseseksual Indonesia activists said in the book violations against the rights of transvestites were still rampant in Indonesia.
Manpower and Transmigration Ministry spokesman Irianto Simbolon said when it came to employment, the government did not discriminate between sexes. However, it recognized only two sexes -- male and female.
"There's no new sex. Waria will have no problem getting a job in the country if they stick to the gender they were born with," he said.
"I'm more comfortable when my hair is long. Such discrimination really traumatizes me."
Later, Ienes, a winner of several transvestite beauty pageants, found a job in a beauty parlor.
However, the small salary she was receiving forced her to hit the streets around Lawang Park in Central Jakarta to work as a prostitute.
In this line of work she made many friends, including some transvestite activists from the Srikandi Sejati Foundation, which is a non-governmental organization that provides transvestites with information on HIV/AIDS.
She was offered a position at Srikandi and took it.
"I thanked God I could finally stop being a prostitute," Ienes, who is now the foundation's finance administrator, said.
In Indonesia, the word waria comes from "wanita pria", which literally means "woman man". The term is used to refer to transvestites as well as transgendered and transsexual people.
The Indonesian government categorizes transvestites as being a group of people who are "mentally ill", while religious institutions accuse them of being sinners, a recent book published by non-governmental organization Komunitas Gay Lesbian Biseseksual Indonesia, Hak Kerja Waria: Tanggung Jawab Negara (Transvestites' Rights to Employment: The State's Responsibility), explains.
Komunitas Gay Lesbian Biseseksual Indonesia works to uphold the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and transsexual people in Indonesia.
Ienes is not the only transvestite who has had bitter experiences seeking work in the formal sector.
Several years ago Keke Amalia, or Budi Nugraha as he is otherwise known, worked in a department store as customer service officer. He said he was only given the job after he agreed to dress in men's clothing.
"Later on when they realized I had a feminine side, they told me to act more manly," the 30-year-old transvestite, who prefers to be identified as "he", said.
"They threatened to fire me within a month if I didn't change my feminine attitude. But it wasn't even a month before they fired me. They said they didn't need me anymore."
Keke said his manager always found faults in him, despite the fact he never received any complaints from customers. He said the store's customers liked his polite and friendly attitude.
"To my knowledge, there was no official store policy saying employees should act in accordance with their gender," he said.
Keke said the experience had made him pessimistic. He said he did not know whether the attitude of the government and members of the public in relation to transvestite could ever change.
Komunitas Gay Lesbian Biseseksual Indonesia's book, which was published in cooperation with Friedrich Eibert Stiftung, contains 20 testimonies from transvestites on difficulties they have experienced in the workplace, society and their families.
One of the testimonies is from Emy Mades, who was forced to leave her job as bartender because her colleagues said bartending was a "macho" job. Emy was told to work in salon instead.
In another case, Lia Asma from Palembang was verbally abused by colleagues in the government office she worked in. Verbal abuse is a common theme in many of the testimonies featured in the book.
"Negative attitudes toward waria are sanctioned by the government and religious institutions," Ienes said.
"Religious institutions only ever reproach us. I don't see them ever attempting to embrace or change us.
Ienes said she still believed in "One Divine Source", but she decided to give up on religion a long time ago.
"I don't even remember the last time I celebrated Christmas," she said.
Sidebox:
Activists demand equal rights for transvestites seeking work
Groups fighting for the rights of transvestites have demanded the government be more supportive of the minority group, especially as they try to secure employment in the formal sector.
Yulianus Rettoblaut, the head of the Indonesian Transvestites Communication Forum, said there were about 3.8 million transvestites, or waria, in the country, 17 percent of whom were university graduates.
"Although they hold university degrees, many of them remain unemployed because companies are afraid of losing their reputation and customers by employing waria," Yulianus told The Jakarta Post.
As a consequence, waria work as prostitutes and street singers, while those who have enough money usually start their own businesses.
However, working in the informal sector or being self-employed is not as easy as it may seem, Yulianus, who in 2006 became the first waria in Indonesia to run for a National Commission of Human Rights position, said.
"Hair and beauty training is expensive and to open a salon costs a lot of money. Not all waria can afford it," she said.
In Indonesia, the word waria comes from "wanita pria", which literally means "woman man". The term is used to refer to transvestites as well as transgendered and transsexual people.
Yoseph Adi Prasetyo, a National Commission of Human Rights commissioner, said people should stop labeling transvestites as a deviant group of people who have no rights.
"In fact, waria are Indonesian citizens who should be protected by constitutional rights," he said.
"The government should treat waria equally as citizens entitled to protection regardless of their gender".
In a book titled Hak Kerja Waria: Tanggung Jawab Negara (Transvestites' Employment Rights: The State's Responsibility) published by non-governmental organization Komunitas Gay Lesbian Biseseksual Indonesia, several contributors said Indonesia should follow examples from other democratic countries.
In the book, writers give several examples of transgendered people in other countries working in the formal sector, including in top governmental positions.
Some of the examples given were of Wladimiro Guadagno (Vladimir Luxuria) who is an Italian parliamentary member, Prof. Barbara (Ben A. Barres) who is a top neurobiologist at the Stanford Medical School, Colliaux who is an Air France stewardess and Stephanie Langhoff, a physical chemist and chief scientist at the NASA Ames Research Center.
Komunitas Gay Lesbian Biseseksual Indonesia is one of several organizations fighting for the rights of those who are marginalized because of their sexual orientation. Through campaigns, advocacy activities and educational programs, Komunitas Gay Lesbian Biseseksual Indonesia, which was established in January 2006, works to uphold the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and transsexual people in the country.
Komunitas Gay Lesbian Biseseksual Indonesia activists said in the book violations against the rights of transvestites were still rampant in Indonesia.
Manpower and Transmigration Ministry spokesman Irianto Simbolon said when it came to employment, the government did not discriminate between sexes. However, it recognized only two sexes -- male and female.
"There's no new sex. Waria will have no problem getting a job in the country if they stick to the gender they were born with," he said.
