“One in every of our star visitors this 12 months is Kai Mata.”
Bali-based singer Kai Mata, who identifies as each queer and lesbian, stated she was excited and honoured to have been invited to carry out on the parade.
“It’s my first Mardi Gras expertise and I can’t wait.”
Ozak stated Kai deserved to be celebrated for all she had accomplished to additional LGBTQ consciousness again dwelling in Indonesia.
“Our float theme this 12 months is ‘Be Courageous’; [Kai] is proof of that. To develop into an brazenly lesbian musician and activist in Indonesia on the identical time is tough.”
Bandung-born Ozak was a contestant within the 2014 Mr Homosexual World representing Indonesia and moved to Australia in 2011, the place he’s now a citizen.
“Coming from a creating nation like Indonesia, transferring abroad just isn’t as straightforward as pack-and-go. Let’s say I needed to go away every little thing behind and began my life from zero,” he stated.
Ozak relinquished his Indonesian nationality and previously served within the Royal Australian Navy, however says he nonetheless feels hooked up to his nation of delivery.
“I’m nonetheless happy with my identification as an Indonesian as a result of that half is everlasting and can’t be erased,” stated Ozak, whose new memoir I Am That Unicorn: Memoir of an Indonesian Queer particulars his journey as an immigrant homosexual man in Australia.
Sydney-based Selina Clara stated she would march as a part of the Selamat Datang float for the primary time this 12 months.
“I got here to phrases with my sexuality [as a bisexual] seven years in the past and it appears like one other milestone in my journey of self-acceptance,” stated Selina, who’s initially from Menado, South Sulawesi.
However not all within the Indonesian LGBTQ diaspora in Australia can be marching in Mardi Gras this 12 months. Sadhewa Widjaja is considered one of them.
“I first marched greater than 10 years in the past and can now let the younger ones take my place,” stated the 53-year-old native of Surabaya.
He stated he might keep in mind his personal incredulity at having the ability to proclaim his sexuality as a homosexual man so brazenly in a parade when he first marched.
“It was the other of what was potential in Indonesia.”
Indonesian host’s discrimination provides to anxieties of LGBTQ people forward of ballot
Indonesian host’s discrimination provides to anxieties of LGBTQ people forward of ballot
Sadhewa first moved to Australia in 2007 to be along with his then Australian accomplice. Now a senior cashier at a division retailer, he stated he was a witness to the watershed second in LGBTQ rights in Australia when marriage equality was enacted in 2017.
“I’m grateful I get to stay my life in a rustic which acknowledges my rights as a part of a sexual minority,” he stated, however added that it saddened him to see LGBTQ rights in his native Indonesia “going from unhealthy to worse”.
Ozak echoed the identical sentiment.
“There’s a model of Indonesia that I knew earlier than I left in 2010. I nonetheless do not forget that even conventional cross-dressing dancers didn’t increase eyebrows,” Ozak stated.
In accordance with Kai, the choice to be brazenly queer in Indonesia has meant experiencing intolerance and stigma first-hand.
“Somebody instructed me I’d find yourself in jail for my queer activism a couple of years in the past. Whereas I hope it wasn’t prophetic, I’m down for any eventuality,” she stated.
Kai turned a public sensation in Jakarta in 2020 when she protested in opposition to a proposed invoice in parliament which might make conversion remedy obligatory for LGBTQ Indonesians. Her public discography has now reached over 4 million on-line streams.
“However I obtained a number of demise threats because of this from homophobes and nonetheless do occasionally, particularly on social media the place cyber mobs goal me,” she stated.
Regardless of the venom directed at her, the 25-year-old stated she had lengthy made up her thoughts her activism can be her “sacrifice” to additional Indonesia’s journey in direction of equality for LGBTQ individuals.
“There’s the vitriol, the demise threats, but additionally some unbelievably stunning moments that nourish the soul.”
Kai then associated encounters she had with LGBTQ individuals, who would inform her after her performances how a lot her songs had lifted them up or helped them get via troublesome occasions.
“They assist gasoline my dedication to go on preventing and creating,” she stated.
Misplaced tolerance
Kai claimed indigenous cultures which had existed for millennia throughout the Indonesian archipelago have been “much more enlightened” about sexual identification.
“Indonesian conventional cultures weren’t ignorant or primitive people who many generally think about them to be.”
Her fervent want, she stated, is for Indonesians to begin trying into their previous to rediscover the misplaced tolerance and acceptance of sexual and gender range inherent within the archipelago’s indigenous cultures.
Commenting on Indonesia’s latest presidential and legislative elections, Kai stated the present and new leaderships have been “removed from encouraging”.
Safety threats in Muslim-majority Indonesia pressure LGBTQ occasion to be moved
Safety threats in Muslim-majority Indonesia pressure LGBTQ occasion to be moved
Sadhewa stated he had voted for Prabowo, including he knew his alternative would possibly shock and even offend different LGBTQ individuals.
“However I actually don’t see him being a worse candidate than the opposite two, who even have flaws of their very own. Who doesn’t?”
Sadhewa stated he admired Prabowo’s “character improvement”, having noticed the previous common for years and witnessed the 72-year-old “mature right into a wiser man who confirmed no grudges in opposition to his rivals”.
“I don’t understand how LGBTQ rights would fare underneath Prabowo, however would his political opponents be extra sympathetic in direction of sexual minority teams?”
22:02
From fiery populist to TikTok virality, how Indonesia’s Prabowo rebranded for Gen Z voters
From fiery populist to TikTok virality, how Indonesia’s Prabowo rebranded for Gen Z voters
Selina, 27, stated she didn’t vote this 12 months as she “critically couldn’t make up my thoughts who to vote for”.
Within the lead-up to the poll day, she stated, she had watched with anguish how girls’s points got scant consideration within the presidential debates.
“No point out was fabricated from LGBTQ rights, both,” she famous.
Kai admitted, as issues stand, Indonesian LGBTQs might not have a lot to have a good time.
“However at Mardi Gras, have a good time we’ll as a result of celebrating our queerness is our insurrection.”
