Indonesia Transsexual Self-expression as They Appear

on Social Media
Abstract:

As we seen on social media nowadays, the appearance of transsexual in Indonesia has become
the highlight of many social media users. The outcome is quite different between where we can
see the the appearance of the transsexual. Many of them has more recognize in the early of 2018.
Their debut on the social media seems not very openly like the other transsexual activist abroad.
Here as transsexual although has not given by the authority to registered the change of their
sexual identity and still struggling using their old id, they use this social media as their medium
to reflect their self-expression and representation to the world. Many of our people will say that
changing their sexual identity is opposed the cultural belief and norm of Indonesian society.
They will outcast by the society and abandoned by their family. Their forward act of revealing
their self have been invading social media war among the internet users, but Indonesian netizen
these days not everyone is disagree with these marginal community. Their debut as well against
the social construct that we already known devided only into men and women. However, this
transsexual issues was not a new topic for academic research and paper. But what we can see
now is how this transsexual using the social media as their media to reach the society and giving
the message that they can’t be erased by the culture, law and norms. They have the right also to
change their identity and embracing their true self within.

ChellaMan is one of the name that inspire me to make this paper. Honestly, I have been very
attracted by the media and gender studies and also LGBTQ+ movement both international and
domestic. ChellaMan is a gender queer and deaf transsexual. He chooses the pronounce of him,
he is still transitioning indeed. But by using the social media and reaching all the people who
have the same struggle he makes me ‘falling in love’ with him by his journey. He inspired many
of young transsexual by making inspirational videos and content using Instagram and youtube.
When he was telling his transitioning journey at TEDtalks, on that time I come to conclusion that
a transsexual person is not having a mental problem like any others said to me, mostly my fellow
people in Indonesia. Chella, also experienced such as body dysphoria, when he was so confused
about his sexuality and having discomfort about born in “wrong” body as many like other
transsexual. He begun hating his body before transitioning, and asking his mother to shop on
boys section when it comes to buying clothes. He always wanted a masculine appearance. The
question is what is body dysphoria or gender dysphoria and does every transsexual experiencing
body dysphoria?

First, transsexual and transgender has a different understand, while transsexual is a term that we
can use for people who undergo medical treatment for hormonal change and undergo surgical
treatment for gender reassignment. The other hands transgender is the term that we should for
people who have not undergo those two categories, they only changing their gender expression (
male dressing up more like female and vice versa ). For my case studies we may find it confused
between transgender and transsexual because of these two example have not openly, yet their
transitioning journey so that people still confused about what categries we should put them in.
But in my view both Millencyrus and Lucinta Luna have been undergo medical treatment for
hormonal change. Second, body dysphoria or gender dysphoria or what medical categorizing it
as “ gender identity disorder “ is uncomfortably feeling of born in the wrong gender body, they
feel that their gender does not matching their biology. This can lead the to severe anxiety,
depression , and dissatisfied or restlessness. They describe it as their inner soul was screaming of
wanting the right body and they live on nightmare feeling trap in the wrong body.

The second question is, does every transsexual experiencing body dysphoria or gender dysphoria
while they are transitioning? According to psychiatri.org on frequently ask and question section
about gender identity disorder is not every transgender or transsexual have experience this such
issues. But it may occur in their late adolescence life, or maybe trough their journey of becoming
transgender or transsexual. Basically, it may occur in anytime of their life. Another factor that
may triggering this gender identity disorder is the side effect of their hormone therapy, since it
will affect their emotional transitioning.

Some are satisfied with taking hormones alone. Some are satisfied with no medical or surgical treatment
but prefer to dress as the felt gender in public. Some people make use of Trans affirming social networks
online and in local supportive communities to cope with gender dysphoria and claim a gender identity and
forms of expression that do not require medical treatments.
What we can see about my background story is, not only a transsexual means only a man
transitioning into a women but also a woman transitioning into a man. In Indonesia when we talk
about transgender we have one typical stereotype, which means transgender is a waria ( a man
dressing and acting to look like woman ) in this is what our society is misleading about this
certain topics. We can not blame this, because as a matter of fact we have a boundaries calls
norms ,cultures ,and religion as common practice. A transsexual here never been accepted both
law and norm. When the majority of the population is muslim, the superior community making a
boundaries between the transsexual community, because what they did was contrary with the
holy Qur’an and their beliefs. I have heard some bad words such as “transsexual people is same
as the animal, they did not belong in our country” or even the worse case is they will said that the
transsexual community is spreading the plague of HIV/AIDS and being killed by the society.
This kind of persecution of choosing the life as transsexual in Indonesia making the majority of
the community can not expressing their identity deliberately. They can not be free and they live
under constant pressure , fear and mental torment for the rest of their life.

But it all change when recently many transsexual making a huge appearance on social media and
making people shock for what they did, a courage that they have been build for a long time and
making their appearance more notify by the public itself. Millen Daru or famously on Instagram
know as millencyrus he/she ( I do not know what pronounce he/she using ) making his
appearance more feminine by wearing woman clothes, using make-up and growing his hair
longer just like any other girl did. But why I can make a point that Millen is one of the
transsexual community despite he is not declaring himself a transsexual, yet and under the
transsexual surgery? It is because he is already famous back then and he is one of the famous
celebrity’s nephew. And I have been noticing his character as more feminine rather than
masculine. He is more likely going around with girls rather than going out with boys. I have been
noticing him wearing liptint and soft make up, and the way he is talking and standing or even
posing in front of the camera is making him more obvious that he does not wants to be a “boy”
and he does not feels right about being a boy. He is also making it more clear when he had an
interview with one of the Youtuber, Karin Novilda and he was clarifying that he is more
confident and more comfortable when he is dressing-up like girls. And one more things that I
have been noticing is about his body changing. He is somehow under the progesterone hormone
therapy injection, we can all see inside his Instagram account that his/her breast is growing. And
it is making the whole Indonesian netizen asking about and making such an vicious comment on
his Instagram. Which is something that he/she should not accept. Although Millen is not yet
declaring himself/herself as transsexual, the public has making an assumption including me. This
controversy phenomena on the other hand is making more transsexual gaining popularity and
begin more notify, such as Lucinta Luna , Dinda Syarif and many more. This is a challenging
side of using media for their self-expression , we may see not all the netizen giving positive
feedback many of the netizen still making such a negative assumption about their courage for
sharing their life journey as transsexual. The message is still the same, they are as transsexual
demanding acceptance and equal right as any other citizen that they have right things to show
their true self and not living under fear anymore for this.

The stereotype of living as transsexual means that they work as prostitute or sexual worker and
the way the dress-up sensually making people to think that they need the media attention and
making money from it. But these transsexual that majority famous now is working as entertainer,
singer , model and remarkably having ton of award outside the country. This is how they have
survived and trying to approach the media as well the public that transsexual nowadays could
make a good image. They can not be erased by any social law, norms or religion belief . they are
all human and they have the same rights as citizen, being approved for changing their identity.
And the question is still the same, is it wrong to choose a different path of life for becoming a
transsexual? Does it harms anyone for being a transsexual? Happy pride month!.

Source :

(n.d.). Expert Q & A: Gender Dysphoria. Retrieved from

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/gender-dysphoria/expert-q-and-a