Abstract: This chapter sets the context for the gender subjectivities expressed by tombois and their girlfriends in Indonesia, with particular emphasis on what sorts of desires are incited or imagined by gender and sexual discourses. It considers the historical shifts in gender discourses from the precolonial period to the present, and specifically the era of the New Order, the regime of General Suharto (1966–1998). It examines the discourses produced in state policies, clerical pronouncements, and media reports regarding women and lesbians, along with their impact on literature and performing arts. It also analyzes what, if any, shifts have occurred in the normative constructions of gender and sexuality during in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In discussing the gender and sexual discourses circulating in Indonesia, the chapter follows Michel Foucault's ideas about the importance of discursive practices in the construction of sexual subjects. Finally, it explores proliferating discourses on homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and transgender practices in Indonesia.
Publication Year: 2010
Publication Date: 2010-09-13
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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