Intersectionality And Discrimination Against Black Trans Women with a Criminal Record: The Case of Eisha Love

MONIKA NINGTYAS P, Dewi Haryani Susilastuti, Ph.D.

2022 | Tesis | MAGISTER PENGKAJIAN AMERIKA

Studi ini mendalami perihal diskriminasi terhadap transpuan kulit hitam bernama Eisha Love, sebagai studi kasus. Peneliti menggunakan teori kekerasan dari Galtung dan teori Interseksionalitas oleh Crenshaw untuk menganalisa diskriminasi yang dihadapi oleh Eisha Love, dengan berfokus pada tipe kekerasan yang dia alami dan bagaiman identitas-identitas marginal yang dia miliki memengaruhi penderitaannya. Hasil dari analisa menunjukkan bahwa Eisha Love menghadapi berbagai macam diskriminasi. Dia mengalami kekerasan secara psikologis dan fisik yang termasuk dalam kekerasan langsung. Selain itu, dia juga mengalami kekerasan struktural dalam wujud lingkungan sekolah yang diskriminatif, kesulitan dalam mendapatkan pekerjaan, dan ketidakadilan didalam sistem peradilan. Rekam jejak kriminalnya juga menambah berat diskriminasi yang dia hadapi di level struktural, contohnya peraturan yang menyatakan bahwa mantan narapidana tidak diizinkan untuk merubah nama, ditolak dalam pembelian maupun penyewaan tempat tinggal, dan kesulitan dalam mencari kerja. Identitas-identias marginalnya sebagai transpuan kulit hitam dengan rekam jejak kriminal membuatnya rentan terhadap diskriminsi rasial, diskriminasi gender, serta diskriminasi yang secara spesifik menyerang identitasnya sebagai transpuan berkulit hitam. Diskriminasi-diskiriminasi tersebut, dapat menyerangnya satu-persatu di satu kasus dan menyerangnya secara bersamaan di lain kasus.

This study investigated discrimination against black transgender women with Eisha Love as a case study. The researcher utilized the Violence Theory by Galtung and Intersectional Theory by Crenshaw to analyze Eisha Love’s discrimination by focusing on the types of violence she experienced and how her marginalized identities played in her sufferings. It was found that discrimination against Eisha Love varied. She experienced physical and psychological assault, which was considered direct violence. In addition, her hostile school climate, unable obtaining a regular job, and being incarcerated were found to be violence against her which was hidden in the system, thus, structural violence. Furthermore, her criminal background also adds to her suffering at the structural level, which resulted in her inability to change her name, being denied housing, and being disqualified for a job. Additionally, her marginalized identities as a black transwoman with a criminal record made her vulnerable to race discrimination as part of the black community, sex discrimination as part of transgender/transwoman, ex-prisoner discrimination, and a black transgender woman (not the sum-up of race and sex discrimination). Those discriminations could hit her one at a time in one case and also hit her together in other cases.

Kata Kunci : discrimination, violence, intersectionality, black transgender woman, criminal record