Indonesian singer/presenter/comedian Dorce Gamalama, one of the country’s modern pioneers for trans visibility, recently expressed her intention to be buried as a woman to the dismay of Islamic authorities in the country.
The celebrated entertainer (who may have gained more detractors amid Indonesia’s rising conservatism in recent years), a transwoman, opened up about her wishes for after she passes away in a recent interview with basketball player-turned-podcaster Denny Sumargo. Dorce, who is affectionately known as Bunda (mother) and is now confined to a wheelchair after bouts of illnesses, told Denny that she has made preparations for her funeral at the mosque near her house.
“Bunda, when you pass away, what would you want to die as?” Denny asked Dorce.
“As I am now. Because after my [sex reassignment] surgery, I have a female genitalia, so women should bathe me, bathe me as a woman,” Dorce answered.
Dorce’s response became a topic of discussion in Indonesia, where there is still a long way to go for LGBTQ+ acceptance. Among those who voiced their opinion was the Indonesia Ulema Council (MUI), the highest Islamic clerical body in the nation.
“[For funeral rites,] the body of a transgender should be taken care of according to their assigned gender at birth. Changing gender is not recognized in Islam, so they’re legally still following the first gender. A male who transitions to female is called mukhannats, and a female who transitions to male is mutarajjil,” MUI Chairman Cholil Nafis wrote in a tweet.
Both mukhannats and mutarajjil in general mean people who “imitate the expression of their opposite sex or gender,” though the former is widely translated as “effeminate.” Other religious figures, such as popular cleric Gus Miftah, have also more or less echoed Cholil’s statement.
Dorce, who’s 58 years old, responded to those who would like to see her wish denied.
“To the clerics who have explained about the state of me in my death, who should bathe me, who should bury me, just let my family take care of it,” Dorce said in the video.
“It doesn’t matter if my shroud will be seven layers, or eight layers, I’d hand it over to the people who take care [of my dead body]. Men are allowed, women are allowed, men and women are allowed [to take care of me]. So anyone can bathe me.”
