Same-sex intimacies in Syariffudin's Mairil and the queering of authenticity

ABSTRACT

The rise in LGBT-themed novels in Indonesia over the last decade demonstrates the sea-change in social attitudes and the public presence of sexual and gender minorities in Indonesia. The genre emerges from the popularity of sexually-charged novels by female authors such as Ayu Utami and Djenar Maesa Ayu. However, many novels were criticised for the supposed westernisation of Indonesian culture that threatens the national identity and moral disposition of its readers. This article explores the underlying themes of these criticisms—nationhood, cultural authenticity, and morality—and juxtaposes them with the claims of cultural authenticity and legitimacy made by gay and lesbi Indonesians. Representations of “traditional” homoeroticisms in the novel Mairil by Syarifuddin bring these lines of arguments together and synthesise a discursive space where cultural and national authenticities are “queered.” It is my contention that religious and traditional elements that foster same-sex practices offer a key to queer legitimacy for Indonesian sexual minorities.

KEYWORDS:

• contemporary Indonesian fiction
• homosexuality
• representations of Islamic boarding schools.

Acknowledgements

The author is deeply grateful to the two anonymous reviewers for their insightful contributions to this article.

Notes

1. The term lesbi is a “cognate” of the English word lesbian but does not necessarily share the same meaning and connotation as its English counterpart (Blackwood 2008, 484).

2. Sorban yang Terluka (The Tattered Turban) by Abdul Wahid, published in 2009, also features homosexuality in the pesantren.

3. The bissu is a priestly class of female transgressive ritual specialists native to South Sulawesi. Their practices include the combination of feminine and masculine elements in rituals, which is regarded as essential to the survival of the noble classes.

4. Waria is the amalgamation of the terms “wanita” (woman) and “pria” (man), adopted mainly by male-to-female transgender Indonesians.

5. Hampir semua santri dan mantan santri menolak jika perbuatan nyempet atau mairil disamakan dengan perilaku homoseksual. Hal ini dikarenakan orang-orang yang pernah nyempet atau memiliki mairil saat hidup di pesantren dulu, setelah keluar dan menjadi alumni, kehidupan seksualnya normal dan tidak pernah ditemukan kasus mereka menjadi homo. Mereka semuanya berkeluarga dan mempunyai anak. Perilaku nyempet di dunia pesantren lebih karena sekedar melepaskan hasrat seksual sesaat dan umumnya juga hanya perbuatan iseng, sedang mairil lebih ke pelampiasan kasih sayang kepada orang yang dipandang cocok menerimanya.

6. Pemakluman terhadap perilaku nyempet dan memiliki mairil dianggap suatu hal yang wajar, karena di bawah sadar ada pelepasan hasrat naluriah yang dimiliki santri.

7. Modern and traditional pesantren tend to reflect their historical origins, broad political orientations, and regionality rather than a reflection of their brand of “modern” or “traditional” versions of Islam or Islamic teachings. The two types of pesantren tend to be located in different kinds of areas, with the traditional pesantren in the village and the modern pesantren in urban areas.

8. Literally, “mutual intentions and desire.”

Additional information

Author's biography

Alicia Izharuddin is a PhD candidate in Gender Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. She is also a writer and columnist of articles on politics and gender in Malaysia.