The Phenomenon of Coming Out of LGBT Artists and Celebrities in Indonesia: Confessions Resulting in Pros and Cons

Kapanlagi.com - Disclaimer: This interview includes several sources from different professions, such as sociologists, psychologists, sexologists, and even LGBT activists themselves.

Reporter: Adi Abbas Nugroho, Dadan Eka Permana, Nuzulur Rakhmah, Sahal Fadhli, Fikri Alfi Rosyadi.

The term LGBT seems to be familiar to all of us. Discussions about this topic often appear in various mass media, social media, and even in conversations around us. One thing for sure, this topic is quite sensitive and often raises pros and cons from various layers of society.

So, what is LGBT? From the writer's point of view, LGBT refers to a group of people or community who have unconventional sexual orientation and gender identity (a.k.a not like most people). LGB is a sexual orientation that stands for Lesbian Gay Bisexual, while T stands for Transgender which refers to a person's gender identity.

When exposed to the public, LGBT immediately became a debate in various parts of the world, including Indonesia. Most people (and parties) refer to LGBT as a sexual deviation that violates religious and social norms. Often, the LGBT community is marginalized, mocked, and even experienced violence, both physically and psychologically, because their existence is considered a minority that has violated human rules and nature.

 

 

 

 

1. The Coming Out Phase in LGBT

Ida Ruwaida, sociologist and lecturer at Fisip UI / Credit Photo: KapanLagi.com

Coming Out of the Closet or commonly abbreviated as Coming Out is an expression used by the LGBT community to openly reveal their sexual orientation to the public.Given the fact that most of the public still view LGBT as a sexual deviation or a violation of nature, coming out for LGBT individuals is like a gamble.Their decision to come out may be accepted and supported, but it can also be the opposite.

This phenomenon is certainly interesting to explore further.KapanLagi.com recently had the opportunity to chat with several experts in the field, including those who openly identify as LGBT.From the expert side, we spoke with sociologist Dr.Ida Ruwaida, S.Sos., M.Si who is quite aware of this issue.

"In LGBT, there is a term called coming out.Many people who are actually sexually oriented towards the same sex do not want to talk to their families about it because they are afraid of being considered this or that, but they are open with their friends and social circle." That's why coming out in the LGBT world is actually about family. Even in Indonesia, because of societal and familial pressures, people may feel like they have to get married at a certain age, even if they're not ready. They may get married just to fulfill the expectations of their family and social environment," said Ida Ruwaida in a recent conversation with KapanLagi.

It's not easy for someone to come out about their sexual orientation, especially if they're a public figure known by millions. Their decision to come out could be a double-edged sword and damage their career. According to Ida, this is a common occurrence in the entertainment industry.

"Actually, in Indonesia, many people in the entertainment industry, artists, or anyone who is part of the subculture are familiar with each other. They know who is a singer or an artist, but they have a code of ethics not to disclose the privacy of these artists. Even though we all know that there are artists who are considered homosexual or lesbian, they never come out and say, 'I am this kind of person.' This indicates that social acceptance is lacking in Indonesia, unlike in Vietnam and some other countries where it is tolerated to the point where they can get married," explained Ida further.

 

 

 

2. Social Media as a Means to Speak Up

Now even though those who 'carry' the LGBT flag are looked down upon and subjected to various negative treatments, the fact is that more and more of them are speaking up openly about their sexual orientation, especially through social media. There are several figures, both celebrities and non-celebrities, who have openly admitted that they are LGBT, such as those whose names have recently emerged. For example, Millendaru, Ragil Mahardika, Chika Kinsky - Yumi Kwandy, and several others.

"Since I was little, I felt very feminine. Mama also wanted a daughter from the beginning. From a young age, my hormones were more female hormones. I am comfortable like this, happy in this way, proud like this than before," said Millen quoted from Deddy Corbuzier's YouTube channel, Tuesday (4/2/2020).

For Ida, the presence of social media in this digital era cannot be denied as one of the triggers for the emergence of LGBT issues along with all the pros and cons within it.

"Now we don't need to talk about celebrities, it's actually more interesting for the context of Indonesia if we talk about gay people, it's not new, homosexuality is already widespread. Why are designers more inclined to be gay?" Even in Malaysia, there are no homosexuals. They have wives and everything. Although I have to be careful commenting because there are actually homosexuals who have to have wives to give the impression to society that their life is 'normal'. In fact, they have many same-sex partners. What I want to emphasize is that homosexuality in Indonesia is not something new. It's just that because of the digital era, they are more visible," said Ida.

Furthermore, the sociology lecturer from Fisip UI also talked about the phenomenon of changing times thanks to the presence of social media. Nowadays, the public tends to compete for attention about their existence. "Because there is no privacy in social media, what do you want to eat? Where do you want to go? Announce it to the world, that's how it is. Especially with streaming, TikTok, IG stories. This is a world that blurs the line between public and private life. In the past, we could talk about our private lives and not show them to the public. Now, it's almost the opposite. So, social media life allows us to show our existence," she continued.

 

 

 

If the fact is that many LGBT people experience unpleasant treatment from the public, why do so many of them dare to speak up? Is it just to get exposure? Or maybe they really want to be honest without needing to hide anything? Chika Kinsky and Yumi Kwandy, who recently caused a stir by openly admitting that they are a same-sex couple, have their own answers.

"So actually Yumi came out first. I'm bisexual, so I just follow my heart. If I click with a guy, I'm dating a guy. If I click with a girl, then I'm dating a girl. But if, for example, she (Yumi) came out before me, then she came out first."

3. Reasons for Coming Out

Chika Kinsky and Yumi Kwandy, a same-sex couple who caused a sensation / Credit Photo: KapanLagi - Budy Santoso

If the fact is that many LGBT people experience unpleasant treatment from the public, why do so many of them dare to speak up? Is it just to get exposure? Or maybe they really want to be honest without needing to hide anything? Chika Kinsky and Yumi Kwandy, who recently caused a stir by openly admitting that they are a same-sex couple, have their own answers.

"So actually Yumi came out first. I'm bisexual, so I just follow my heart. If I click with a guy, I'm dating a guy. If I click with a girl, then I'm dating a girl. But if, for example, she (Yumi) came out before me, then she came out first."

But bisexual too, like that. But she's more open than me," said Chika when met by KapanLagi.com recently.

"Basically, there's no trigger, I just want to be honest with myself. It just falls into that. That's why we never encourage people to be like, for example, born that way. We never encourage you to speak up, because then you'll bear the pressure. We can't help you bear it. We just have our own awareness." Like Chika herself wants it, if she doesn't want it, people can't force her. If I'm tired of living a double life, it's better than accepting netizen's criticism. So it's like, I'll just be honest," added Yumi on the same occasion.

Chika and Yumi now have their own personal Youtube channel called Yumsky's Diary, which mostly focuses on LGBT themes. But don't get it wrong, the couple named Yumsky is trying to focus more on education, not campaigning for the LGBT community. As of this writing, the Youtube channel has more than 180 thousand subscribers.

"So, actually we didn't really think about doing a podcast because we didn't really know if Yumsky's Diary would be successful for now. So actually, the first time was for the Spotify podcast, and then it was like 'what's the point, Spotify doesn't seem to be doing much yet', and we really do the podcast but on YouTube we're the same. But it's a different segment, so the two of us want the concept to be 40 percent about LGBT. We educate about LGBT so we don't take it lightly," Chika explained about her Youtube content.

 

 

 

4. Close Family Reactions After Coming Out

Una Dembler, born with the name Arjuna Dembler / Credit Photo: KapanLagi.com - Bayu Herdianto

As we know, LGBT is still not fully accepted by Indonesian society. This topic is also always sensitive to discuss because it often raises pros and cons. So, what about the reaction of the closest family when someone speaks up about their decision to become LGBT? The answer will definitely vary.

Now for Una Dembler, a transgender who is also a celebrity, her decision to change her sexual orientation was well accepted by her father. And although she initially faced rejection from her mother, in the end everything went according to Una's wishes.

"I came out first to my dad. Because every morning he usually makes tea for my dad like a girl, I confessed when I graduated from high school. I asked permission to transition by growing my hair." Dad's mind was already open because he had worked abroad. And he felt that since I was a child, I was a girl because when I was in the womb, I wanted to have a girl. When I spoke to my dad, he agreed because it was my life choice. Then I was asked to talk to my mom. When I spoke to my mom, she couldn't accept it because she was shocked about what the family would say. Finally, my dad helped me. Gradually, she agreed. After that, I asked to leave home and live alone," Una recalled in an exclusive interview with KapanLagi.com recently.

A similar story was also experienced by Ragil Mahardika, a gay man who is now married to a German man and settled there. Although initially it shocked his extended family after coming out about his true identity, gradually his decision was accepted well.

"When I had settled in Germany for about three years, I told my family honestly about my sexual orientation. So, in 2014, I came out to my extended family before posting it on my social media," explained Ragil Mahardika in an exclusive interview with KapanLagi.com.

"So, at the beginning of dating, I never posted pictures of guys. But I felt like I was being restricted, why couldn't I post while I was already living in Germany? I am in a support system environment that is very tolerant of sexual orientation. From there, I felt this was the right time to tell my extended family that I had a different orientation. Finally, I told them, and the process was also long, their acceptance was not immediate. But for months there were tears here and there. But from there I won my desire to express myself on social media because my extended family already knows," she added further.

 

 

 

5. Reasons Why Someone Becomes LGBT

Zoya Amirin, about the reasons why someone becomes LGBT / Credit Photo: KapanLagi.com

Equally interesting to dissect is how someone becomes LGBT. Some say they have had the wrong company, others suspect trauma in a relationship that leads to distortion in their sexual orientation. However, for most LGBT people themselves, they feel that since they were born in this world, they were destined to be different from others in general.

Zoya Amirin, a leading sexologist in Indonesia, has also expressed her opinion on this topic to KapanLagi.com. Zoya herself often gets patients who identify as LGBT, so she has some interesting stories from her point of view to share.

"People don't become LGBT because they don't get sexual satisfaction from the opposite sex, so that's their true sexual identity. What makes people have a gender identity is their brain, 'Who am I? Do I like women or men or like both?' Where does sexual orientation come from? Well, I don't know, there are many conflicting studies." Is there anyone who says that homosexuality is due to trauma? There is due to trauma, there is an imbalance in the brain, true. But all of that cannot be said to be one of the causes," explained Zoya Amirin.

"So this is a sociobiological problem, there is a biological problem that affects their social life or their social life choices are also different biologically. Like what? They were raped, disappointed by the opposite sex, and finally, biologically, they feel more comfortable with the same sex," she added.

 

 

 

6. Do You Know LGBTQQIAAP?

Meaning of LGBT+ / Credit Photo: Facebook - Scoutadelic

Although most people only know the term LGBT, it turns out there is a longer and more detailed acronym, namely LGBTQQIAAP. This term was created after sexologists conducted in-depth research and concluded it based on the experiences of their patients. What is the full form of this term? Zoya Amirin tried to explain it one by one in broad strokes.

"You already know LGBT, right? If Q is Queer, they don't want to be defined as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. Basically, they are a bit strange. Queer people don't want to be called bencong (a derogatory term for effeminate men), they are just different. Physically, some are male and some are female. They are looking for and attracted to whoever they like." The other Q is Questioning, they are really questioning what they are. If Queer people have already experimented but don't want to be labeled, Questioning people don't know what label they are, whether bisexual, gay, or lesbian. They are still in the process of figuring it out," explained Zoya Amirin.

"I is Intersex. It's also sad for men who have XY chromosomes and women who have XX chromosomes. So don't blame women if they have a child with male chromosomes. This means that if someone is unclear whether they are male or female, they are Intersex. There are cases of volleyball players who turned out to be not female because they have a condition called hypospadias, where their penis doesn't develop properly." The first A is Ally. Yes, I am an Ally, straight but I support Queer individuals, including LGBT individuals. We respect them," she continued.

"The other A is Asexual, which is an individual who does not feel any sexual desire at all. They are not a priest or a monk, because monks have sexual desires but they control them. Usually, they become Asexual because of sexual abuse. From the victims of sexual abuse, rape, or those who are very perfectionistic, they don't feel aroused if their fingers are slightly off, if they are too thin or too fat. P is Pansexual, which is an individual who can be aroused by anyone, likes Transgender, and doesn't discriminate against LGBT individuals," Zoya concluded.

 

 

 

7. LGBT Law in Indonesia

So far, Indonesia's national law does not criminalize LGBT. However, it should be noted that some government officials have proposed that this issue be officially included in the Criminal Code (KUHP), as one of which was conveyed by the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD in a tweet on his official Twitter account on May 11, 2022.

Yes, this is my statement and I still hold it until now. It was a proposal to the DPR which at that time (2017) was in a dispute about the criminalization of adultery and LGBT. These are religious moral values that we proposed to be included in the KUHP. However, until now, the proposal has not been accepted as law and only applies as a religious and moral principle. https://t.co/0Vy3Wchv8t — Mahfud MD (@mohmahfudmd) May 11, 2022   

 

"Yes, this (proposal to ban LGBT and adultery) is my statement and I still hold it until now. It was a proposal to the DPR which at that time (2017) was in a dispute about the criminalization of adultery and LGBT. These are religious moral values that we proposed to be included in the KUHP. But until now, the proposal has not been accepted as law and only applies as a religious and moral principle," Mahmud MD tweeted in response to an article that showed his statement about the proposal to ban LGBT in 2017.

Mahmud MD is currently actively discussing topics related to LGBT on his Twitter account in response to public uproar over Deddy Corbuzier's podcast video that invited an LGBT perpetrator, Ragil Mahardika. Although many condemned Deddy's actions, Mahmud MD emphasized that what the master magician did could not be criminalized because there is no law regulating it yet.

"Let me ask you: under which law should Deddy and the LGBT perpetrator be charged? Not all Pancasila values have become law. Democracy must be regulated by law (nomocracy). Now, LGBT and its broadcasters have not been banned by law. So, this is not a legal case. Based on the principle of legality, people can only be given heteronomous sanctions (law) if there is already a law. If there is no law yet, then the sanctions are autonomous (such as public insults, ostracism, shame, guilt, etc.).Autonomous sanctions are moral and social sanctions.Many religious teachings have not yet become law," Mahmud MD explained further in his tweet.

 

 

 

8. LGBT Will Soon be Included in the Official Criminal Code?

According to the Vice Chairman of the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), Arsul Sani, the criminal offenses of LGBT practices and adultery are already included in the draft Criminal Code (RKUHP) which was discussed in the DPR during the 2014-2024 period.He conveyed this when asked for a response to Mahfud MD's statement.

"Regarding the criminal offenses of adultery and LGBT behavior, they are already included in the RKUHP draft resulting from government and DPR discussions in the previous period.So there is no need to push for it again, because it has already been discussed and agreed upon.Of course, in a democratic country there are differences in perspectives or aspirations.That's normal.But PPP is ready to fight for aspirations that want to expand the RKUHP article on adultery and LGBT indecent acts if it is felt that the coverage of the article is not adequate," said Arsul, as quoted by CNN Indonesia on Wednesday (11/5/2022).

In fact, the Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP) regarding LGBT issues was almost passed by the government in 2019, before President Joko Widodo decided to postpone it after massive demonstrations that rejected it from various groups.At that time, Andreas Harsono, a senior researcher in Indonesia at Human Rights Watch, also strongly opposed the passage of the RKUHP.

"The Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP) not only endangers women, religious and gender minorities, but all Indonesians. The Indonesian House of Representatives should remove all cruel provisions before passing this bill," said Andreas Harsono in an article on the official website of Human Rights Watch.

Now the question is, will the latest Criminal Code bill that touches on LGBT issues be approved by the government in the future? Nobody knows yet. But one thing is for sure, if LGBT offenses are officially included in the Criminal Code, then LGBT practices in Indonesia will be considered illegal.

What do KLovers think about this current phenomenon? Whatever your opinion is, make sure to always see this issue from different perspectives before judging each other. Even if there are debates or differences of opinion, it is a normal thing, but let's keep it peaceful!

 

 

 

(kpl/far/gtr)