- About
- Topics
- Picks
- Audio
- Story
- In-Depth
- Opinion
- News
- Donate
-
Signup for our newsletterOur Editors' Best Picks.Send
Read, Debate: Engage.
| topic: | LGBT Rights |
|---|---|
| located: | Indonesia |
| editor: | Leo Galuh |
Trans people are disproportionately affected by climate change, and in Jakarta, Indonesia's capital, the trans community is taking matters into its own hands.
Sanggar Teater Seroja (Seroja Theater Studio) is an arts organisation comprised primarily of trans women. Founded in 2016 in Tambora in West Jakarta, they often stage cultural events such as traditional and contemporary dance, monologues, and theatre and poetry readings. Through creative, active engagement with local communities, they educate people locally on topics like gender and climate.
The Trans Superhero Climate Change Carnival has been hosted by the group in collaboration with the Generate Project at the University of Leeds since 2022.
Victoria Sintara, a theatre group member, tells FairPlanet that the 2022 carnival involved the creation of four transgender climate superhero characters. Each character wore a costume made from recycled materials, plastic waste, used plastic cutlery, leftover bubble wrap, and other items. They held a carnival in Kampung Duri, West Jakarta, and visited some neighbourhood units.
Indonesia is well-known for having the largest population of climate deniers globally, and the carnival is a significant movement demonstrated by a grassroots minority group in the country to subtly introduce the climate crisis subject. This year, the growing theatre group will put on another Trans Superhero Carnival, this time showcasing 15 transgender climate superheroes in recycled costumes. The carnival will occur on 17 December in the region's bustling market.
These trans women's ability to act can instil in the public an urgency to tackle climate change or - at the very least - take a small step by collecting and recycling plastic waste. Furthermore, by holding such an event, the group normalises trans involvement in the local community, thereby increasing acceptance and removing the negative stigma associated with the transgender community.
Sentara says most of the trans women in the theatre group work on the street, busking or doing sex work. They risk their lives in uncertain weather conditions, and some suffered heat stroke in Jakarta a few months ago due to climate change.
The initiative taken by Sanggar Teater Seroja may offer new perspectives on how to raise awareness about sensitive topics without being critical of the Indonesian people's economic and educational status. Specifically, it could help address issues related to climate change denial and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community - a lighthearted and entertaining way to teach the two subjects, which remain challenging for some Indonesians to accept.
Sanggar Teater Seroja introduced four Trans Superheroes last year, which included the Fundraising Superhero, the Restorer Superhero, the Cleaning Superhero, and the Advocacy Superhero. This year, with the introduction of 15 more Trans Superheroes, we can expect more of them to contribute towards tackling the adverse effects of the climate crisis, bringing hope that their efforts inspire Indonesia to take positive steps towards saving our planet.
