Negotiation, Discourse, and Belonging of Lived Religion: The Case of Muslim and Catholic Waria

Khanis Suvianita, Prof. Dr. Wening Udasmoro, S.S., M.Hum., DEA dan Robert Setio Ph.D

2023 | Disertasi | S3 INTER-RELIGIOUS STUDIES

This thesis is a comparative study of waria practice and religion in the reformasi era in two regions representing Islam and Catholicism in Eastern Indonesia: Gorontalo and Maumere. This study explores how waria practice and religion negotiate and interaction with social forces around waria to position waria subjectivities. It analyzes how religious teaching and religious politics negotiate with gender, belief, and social political power in different location arenas and times define and position waria and how this position and definition can involve waria in religious rituals in daily life. It also explores how is in contemporary Indonesia, religious groups, society, and family define and accept waria existence waria subjectivities. In focus on these levels of analysis, this thesis presents the practices, voices, and activism of locality, the result describes religion as a source of guidance to reject and accept becomes a social/religious support, and keeps emotional strength. 

The results show that waria practices change following socio-political and religious politics, culture, and waria's world dynamics. The waria practices in the two regions differ from each other. In Gorontalo, religious politics also defines body and gender, embodied in regional policies by developing Islamic narratives in daily life, impacting the position of waria. Nowadays discourses and actions are starting against them. However, waria still try to fight through religious and cultural discourses.

In contrast, in Maumere, the attitude of rejection has shifted to be more accepted and they even actively participate in various church and community services. In both areas, religion is used to accept and reject waria. Locality and encounter experience is used as a basis for recognizing and accepting the existence of waria.

This research is based on an 11-month fieldwork conducted in 2018 and 2019, in Gorontalo and Maumere. This research uses in depth interviews to waria, family members, parents, religious leaders, activists and significant others. Then, participants' observations in religious, family and community events. This study provides a critical account of voices of waria, family, and the religious leaders that are also examined with the interaction of gender, sexuality, and religion historical context. 

This thesis is a comparative study of waria practice and religion in the reformasi era in two regions representing Islam and Catholicism in Eastern Indonesia: Gorontalo and Maumere. This study explores how waria practice and religion negotiate and interaction with social forces around waria to position waria subjectivities. It analyzes how religious teaching and religious politics negotiate with gender, belief, and social political power in different location arenas and times define and position waria and how this position and definition can involve waria in religious rituals in daily life. It also explores how is in contemporary Indonesia, religious groups, society, and family define and accept waria existence waria subjectivities. In focus on these levels of analysis, this thesis presents the practices, voices, and activism of locality, the result describes religion as a source of guidance to reject and accept becomes a social/religious support, and keeps emotional strength. 

The results show that waria practices change following socio-political and religious politics, culture, and waria's world dynamics. The waria practices in the two regions differ from each other. In Gorontalo, religious politics also defines body and gender, embodied in regional policies by developing Islamic narratives in daily life, impacting the position of waria. Nowadays discourses and actions are starting against them. However, waria still try to fight through religious and cultural discourses.

In contrast, in Maumere, the attitude of rejection has shifted to be more accepted and they even actively participate in various church and community services. In both areas, religion is used to accept and reject waria. Locality and encounter experience is used as a basis for recognizing and accepting the existence of waria.

This research is based on an 11-month fieldwork conducted in 2018 and 2019, in Gorontalo and Maumere. This research uses in depth interviews to waria, family members, parents, religious leaders, activists and significant others. Then, participants' observations in religious, family and community events. This study provides a critical account of voices of waria, family, and the religious leaders that are also examined with the interaction of gender, sexuality, and religion historical context

Kata Kunci : Waria, Religion, Negotiation, Practice, Islam and Catholic