A beauty pageant for transgender women was discreetly held in Jakarta, to avoid anti-LGBT trouble in the largely conservative Muslim country.
Qienabh Tappii, a 28-year-old representing Jakarta beat 30 other contestants to be crowned Miss Waria Indonesia 2016. Waria is the Indonesian word for transgender.
About 200 people defied increasing hostility against the LGBT community in Indonesia to attend the competition in the nation’s capital Jakarta.
The event was kept secret with journalists only told hours ahead of time and attendees told not to post on social media until after the event.
"I'm very happy, I feel like I want to cry," said Tappii, according to AFP. “Tonight is the beginning of my struggle for my rights as a waria," she said. "I want waria to be accepted, appreciated and understood in our society, and to be equal with other Indonesians. I will work really hard to achieve it."
The successful staging of the pageant was an important morale boost and self-affirmation for a community that is increasingly under siege, said AFP.
“If the public knew in advance that there will be such an event, those who use religion as their mask could attack us. That's why we kept it secret until the last minute," pageant organizer Nancy Iskandar told AFP.
"The radicals are very arrogant. I'm afraid that it could erupt into physical confrontation," Iskandar said. "We don't want them to step on us forever. What's in it for them anyway? We're not doing any harm."
Qienabh Tappii, a 28-year-old representing Jakarta beat 30 other contestants to be crowned Miss Waria Indonesia 2016. Waria is the Indonesian word for transgender.
About 200 people defied increasing hostility against the LGBT community in Indonesia to attend the competition in the nation’s capital Jakarta.
The event was kept secret with journalists only told hours ahead of time and attendees told not to post on social media until after the event.
"I'm very happy, I feel like I want to cry," said Tappii, according to AFP. “Tonight is the beginning of my struggle for my rights as a waria," she said.
"I want waria to be accepted, appreciated and understood in our society, and to be equal with other Indonesians. I will work really hard to achieve it.
"The successful staging of the pageant was an important morale boost and self-affirmation for a community that is increasingly under siege, said AFP.
"If the public knew in advance that there will be such an event, those who use religion as their mask could attack us. That's why we kept it secret until the last minute," pageant organizer Nancy Iskandar told AFP.
"The radicals are very arrogant. I'm afraid that it could erupt into physical confrontation," Iskandar said. "We don't want them to step on us forever. What's in it for them anyway? We're not doing any harm."
