Lesbian vs Religion: Being Attacked or Discriminated Based on Religion and Holy Books

162 die. But they still have no legal rights with their partners and they can not inherit their partner’s property if their partner dies.

D. Lesbian vs Religion: Being Attacked or Discriminated Based on Religion and Holy Books

Religion plays a very influential role in determining the acceptance social inclusion or rejection social exclusion of lesbians. Religion forms the standards of behaviour dictated through values, norms and ideas. Whereas most of the world religions like Islam and Christian, explicitly condemn homosexual behavior. They prohibit homosexuality. Thus, lesbians and gays become one of the most marginalised and socially excluded groups. As homosexual people, lesbians often get attacked or discriminated against based on religious doctrines and the holy books. Therefore, several stories are written as the reaction or respond toward the fact of the way people use religious doctrines and the holy books as the basis for attacking and discriminating against lesbians. In English language short stories the issue of attacking lesbianism by using the catholic religion and The Holy Bible is clearly portrayed. Yet, before discussing those stories it is necessary to discuss what The Holy Bible says about homosexuality. It is informed in Holy Books both Bible and Qur’an that the first homosexual history in this world happened during Prophet Lot’s lifetimes. Then the LORD said, ‘Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry which has come to me; and if not, I will know.’ Genesis 18:20-21 163 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening; and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and bowed himself with his face to the earth, and said, ‘My lords, turn aside, I pray you, to your servants house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise up early and go on your way.’ They said, ‘No; we will spend the night in the street.’ But he urged them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house; and they called to Lot, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.’ Lot went out of the door to the men, shut the door after him, and said, ‘I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. Behold, I have two daughters who have not known man; let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please; only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.’ But they said, ‘Stand back’ And they said, ‘This fellow came to sojourn, and he would play the judge Now we will deal worse with you than with them.’ Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door. But the men put forth their hands and brought Lot into the house to them, and shut the door. And they struck with blindness the men who were at the door of the house, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves groping for the door. Genesis 19:1-11, RSV Because those people do not follow the Prophet Lot’s order, as it is narrated in the Bible, God destroys Sodom and Gomorrah because of the people in Lot’s day were evil and committed homosexual practice: “The sun had risen over the land as Lot entered Zoar, and the LORD rained down fire and brimstone from the skies on Sodom and Gomorrah. He overthrew those cities and destroyed all the plain, with everyone living there and everything growing in the growing in the ground.” Genesis 19: 23-25 180 The Holy Bible explicitly condemns the practice of homosexuality. You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.” Leviticus 18:22 180 The Revised English Bible With The Apocrypha, Oxpord University Press and Cambridge University Press, 1989, p. 14. 164 It explains that homoerotic act done by men and women is prohibited. The Holy Bible also mentions the punishment which is conducted to those who commit homoerotic act; If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death, their blood is upon them... Leviticus 20:13 According to the Bible in The Old Testament those who practice homoerotic act must be sentenced to death. In the New Testament there is The Letter of Paul to The Romans which explains about God’s judgment on sin: For this reason God has given them up to shameful passions. Among them women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and the men too, giving up natural relations with women, burn lust for one another; male behave indecently with males, and are paid in their own persons the fitting wage of such perversion. Romans 1:26-27 … “They know well enough the just decree of God, that those who behave like this deserve to die; yet they not only things themselves but approve such conduct in others” Romans 1: 32 The death penalty which is maintained in The Old Testament is strengthening by The Letter of Paul to The Romans in The New Testament: that homosexual people must be punished with death. In The First Letter of Paul to The Corinthians it is explained that those who practice homosexuality will not be able to reach the heaven because the sins of practicing homosexuality: Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. Corinthians 6:9-11 165 Therefore, the law has been maintained in The Old Testament is supported in the New Testament. It can be seen from The First Letter of Paul to The Timothy in the New Testament: Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the glorious gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. Timothy 1:8-11 ESV As a response to the discriminations based on religious doctrines and Holy Books there are some stories which actually functioned to criticize and fight back to this kind of discrimination. In example, “The Blush” by Renee Strider depicts that society especially the church members do “Picketing Night” in LGBT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender night. They call it picketing night because they want to clear their area from LGBT activities. But about a month ago, he and other member s of his church picketed a bar downtown which had a rainbow- coloured poster outside announcing that every Thursday would be LGBT night: “Gay Thursday.” They picketed on that first Thursday. Fortunately, it was a silent vigil, so when Ronnie and I walked by to go in, Suss only looked at us sorrowfully. He has one of those long Dutch-farmer faces and does sorrowful especially well. TB, 11 “Uh-oh is right. ‘You girls might want to stay away from your homo night at the bar next week. We’re picketing again, maybe not so quiet this time,’ he says.” I snorted. “Jerk.” “Yeah,” said Ronnie. “It was weird. He said it kindly, as if he wanted to spare us the unpleasantness. He probably did. I lost it.” “You what?” 166 Suss, the lesbian character’s brother and a very homophobic person, is one of the church member who normally does the “Picketing Night”. In their conversation above, it is shown that he tries to warn his sister about the homo picketing night which would be done that night. And he wants his lesbian sisters to stay away from that homo night. Yet, the warning from Suss, to his sister put them into conflict. Ronnie gets mad because of feeling being cornered by her brother, especially when he starts attacking her with religious dogma specifically from the Bible. “I hit the roof, Lil. I guess I’ve just finally had it with him. He was so shocked that his mouth hung open, making his face even longer.” My cousin giggled, then immediately sobered up. “I yelled’’. I told him we were going anyway and that; ‘‘we didn’t need a bunch of Holy Roller rednecks like him telling us what to do’’. “‘We’re not Holy Rollers,’ he says, ‘but the Bible says—’ “‘I don’t give a Christly fuck what the Bible says,’ I holler. A little teary, to tell the truth. ‘Mind your own goddamn fucking business. When you condemn gays to hell, you’re condemning Lil and me, your own sister You should be ashamed of yourself’ A real rant.” “Holy jeez, Ronnie,” I said, staring at her goggle-eyed. “Yeah, exactly. He didn’t like that at all. Went all white in the face and told me to get out if I was going to take the Lord’s name in vain. He ‘thundered’ it, like you read in books. Very Old- Testament-prophet. He even shook his finger at me.” TB, 12 The dialogues above show the lesbian is trying to defend herself from being attacked by using the Bible. And she tries to make her brother realizes that whenever he condemns gays to the hell actually he condemns his own sisters too. 167 The lesbians in the English language short stories are portrayed as get condemnation to hell based on what the Bible says. This attack is reasonable if it is associated to what is presented in the Bible. Since the first creation of mankind in this world, Adam and Eve, humans were created in opposite sex, man and woman. The Bible says: “God created human beings in his own image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis: 27 In “Sing If You’re Glad” by Rachel Green, through the lesbian characters the author shows the way church treat homosexual people with its catholic beliefs: ‘We don’t get shops turning us away and churches telling us we’ll burn in Hell.’ ‘We don’t go to church on account of its obsolete patriarchal dogma.’ ‘But we could if you wanted’. ... ‘All they’d say would be “Look There’s those two girls who share a house on Bechdel Terrace”. They wouldn’t actually stop the service until we left.’ ‘That didn’t really happen, did it? Not at St Jude’s? ‘No. St. Pity’s.’ ‘Ah Catholics.’ ... ‘We all know what they’re like.’ ‘That doesn’t make it right though. And they can’t be done for discrimination because religions are exempt.’ SIYG,19 This story shows how religion is used to discriminate against lesbians. And those lesbians look very uncomfortable with the way church condemns homosexual people that they will end up burned in the hell because of their homosexual practice. This story also shows religions have influenced the society. Religions which commonly do not support or tolerate homosexuality have made society and religion institution to believe that they have the right to discriminate because it is permitted by the religion. The people even can use religion and the verses in the holy book to corner, against and discriminate the homosexual people. 168 For example, a verse in The Holy Bible says; just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise acted immorally and indulged in unnatural lust, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. Jude 1:7 RSV In “Driving Philosophy” by Anne Azel, a lesbian named Anna, a police, and her friend, a cleric, named Carol are having a conversation about the religion when they are driving back from a family’s house whose daughter got lost in the forest and died because of animal attack: ‘You know what bugs me about religion?’ ‘Everything?’ “No. I have a great respect for the philosophy behind faiths. It’s just that organized religions don’t really seek a philosophical understanding. They preach dogma instead of guiding individuals towards enlightenment. So they get bogged down on the Bible saying the world is flat, or the centre of the universe, or that gays are going to rot in hell, instead of trying to understand the spiritual message behind the text. Do you know what I mean?” “Yes, I do. And to some extent I agree. But I also realize that enlightenment is not something we are all capable of achieving. The Church acts as a foundation in our lives, giving us stability. Sure , it can seem archaic at times. It’s easy to find fault, but the Church gives a framework for people to live by. And on a day like this, when two young parents are going to learn that their child is dead, it provides a deep, meaningful, spiritual comfort. Jesus’s love heals, guides and gives us hope even in the darkest of times.” DP, 85 The lesbian shows her opinion that people should use the Bible to enlighten human life not to preach the religious dogma that only brings judgment if they oppose this religious dogmatic view. For example, people use it to condemn 169 homosexual people by telling them they are going to rot in the hell. This lesbian tries to criticize the way people are treating the religion and the holy book. An interesting one from this story is the character that is used to eventually speak against this religious dogma. She is a person who has power in the church and an influential person in her congregation. Carol is a priest reverend for United Church Manse. She has married her two lesbian friends: Carol married Brenda and me quietly in our home. I would have just as well gone to a justice of the peace, but Bren wanted a minister. We didn’t go to Carol’s church even though the United Church has been pretty progressive in supporting gay rights. Church doctrine is one thing; the beliefs and attitudes of a congregation are quite another. Carol couldn’t let us use the church because her congregation had forbidden her from doing so. They had chosen to ignore the church’s policies and the law of Canada because of their own traditional religious beliefs. Carol took chance even performing a marriage ceremony for us. If her congregation had found out, she could have been asked to leave. DP, 83 Carol is the one who married Anna and Brenda secretly in their home. She does not marry her friend in her church because of the strict rules applied by her congregation and fear of the risk which can rise if she does it. The author uses this character as an icon to fight the church and its doctrines, by conducting marriage for her lesbian friends. A similar situation is found in the previous story “The Blush”. Suss, a very homophobic brother, who uses verses in the Bible to attack his lesbian sisters, finally has to stop participating in the Gay Picketing Night which is normally conducted by the church, after his latest quarrel with his sister. The presence of the character Suss and his decision to quit from the picketing night because his own family members are homosexuals: his sister, 170 cousin, and even his daughter are lesbians, can be interpreted as the author efforts to use this character as the agent to fight against the discrimination against lesbians based on holy book. According to Islamic law and principles homosexuality is clearly a sin. Homosexual act is a prohibited. It is considered as a mistake because humans are not homosexuals by nature. No matter what are the causal factors and the reasons behind being a lesbian; environmental factors, traumatic experience with men, choice, etc, all those reasons do not make it the right thing to do, nor does it prevent these things from being regarded as sinful. According to Qur’an, the main religious book of Muslims, and Hadits of Prophet Muhammad, homosexuality is completely unacceptable. In Qur’an Surah verse Al A’raf, Qur’an shares a history which is meant to teach humans a valuable lesson. A story of the people of Lot which is destroyed by God because their homosexual practices in that time: We also sent Lut: He said to his people: “Do you commit lewdness such as no people in creation ever committed before you? For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds.” Qur’an, Al-A’raf:80-81 181 The people reject Lot’s advises and deny his warning. In response, God destroys them with stones from the sky as punishment for their transgressions and disobedience. The people of Lut rejected the messengers. Behold, their brother Lut said to them: “Will ye fear not fear Allah? I am to you a messenger worthy of all trust. So fear Allah and obey me. No 181 Yusuf Ali, Al-Qur’an Terjemahan Paralel Indonesia-Inggris, Solo: Qomari, 2009 171 reward do I ask of you for it: my reward is only from the lord of the Worlds. Of all the creatures in the world, will ye approach males. And leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your mates? Nay, ye are a people transgressing all limits” They said: “If thou desist not, O Lut Thou wilt assuredly be cast out” He said: “I do detest your doings. O my Lord Deliver me and my family from such things as they do” So We delivered him and his family all. Except an old woman who lingered behind. Then the rest We destroy utterly. We rained down on them a shower of brimstone: and evil was the shower on those who were admonished but heeded not Verily in this is a Sign: but most of them do not believe. And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might Most Merciful Qur’an, 26: 160-175 Even though in the Qur’an there is no statement or explicit explanation about what kinds of punishments should be conducted to homosexual people. One of Prophet Muhammad’s hadist is maintained how to treat the people who do a homoerotic act. Narrated by Abdullah Ibn Abbas, Rasulullah SAW said: If you find anyone doing as Lots people did Liwath, kill the one who does it, and the one to whom it is done the partner. 182 Narrated by Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi and al-Nasai Therefore, based on one of hadits above the punishment of homosexuality is maintained. According to this hadits those who do homosexual practice must be killed or in other word get death penalty. However, this hadist specifies the law for those who do liwath anal sex between men. There are reasons why this homosexual act is categorized as criminal act in Islam. As explained by Abi al- Dunya, so early at the beginning of Lot lifetime, the men did sex through a woman’s anus then they change their sex style. They went to men and did it in a 182 “Siapa yang menemukan pelaku perbuatan kaum Luth liwath atau homoseksual, maka bunuhlah si pelaku dan yang diperlakukan pasangannya.” HR. Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidzi dan al- Nasa’i 172 men’s anus to satisfy their sexual lust. Thus, this homoerotic act was finally categorized as a criminal act and it is certainly punishable: According to a history of Abi al-Dunya, at first the people of Prophet Lut did sex in female anus, then move performed sex on male anus or sexual lust with men. In this case, all scholars agree on the prohibition of homosexual acts, the perpetrators strongly condemned by Islam and are one of the major sins. Even this act, can be classified as a criminal offense of Jarimah. 183 And there are other two laws conducted that require the death penalty. Those are Hadd law adultery law and Ta’zir law law maintained by government or court. 184 Hadd law is also applicable to punish those who do homoerotic act as it is based on a hadist: If a man approaches another man homosexual, it means that both of them have done adultery. Abu Dawid, al-Tarmizi and al-Nasai 185 Hadd law is the same law which is done toward people who do adultery. The law is for Mushan married people is 100 times of whiplashes and than stoned to death. And for Ghairu Muhsan unmarried people is 100 times of whiplashes then are alienated for 1 year 186 . The last law is Ta’zir law or the laws that are maintained by the government or the court. According to Hanifa and Syi’ah sodomy is big and heinous crime but not like adultery, thus the punishment is also not the same as adultery. It uses tadzir law, where the levels of 183 Sayyid Sabiq, Fiqh al-Sunnah, Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 1982, p. 129. Menurut riwayat Abi al-Dunya, mula-mula kaum Nabi Luth menggauli anus wanita, kemudian pindah dilakukan pada anus laki-laki atau melampiaskan nafsu seksnya dengan laki-laki. Dalam hal ini, seluruh ulama sepakat mengenai keharaman perbuatan homosexual, pelakunya sangat dikutuk oleh agama Islam dan termasuk salah satu dosa besar. Bahkan perbuatan ini, dapat di golongkan sebagai tindak pidana Jarimah 184 A. Khumedi Ja’far, “Pandangan Hukum Terhadap Penyimpangan Sexual”, Al-Adalah Jurnal Kajian Hukum, Vol. 7 No. 1, June 2008: 41. 185 “ Jika seorang laki-laki mendatangi laki-laki lain homoseks, maka berarti keduanya telah melakukan zina”. HR. Abu Dawud, al-Tarmizi dan al-Nasa’i 186 A. Khumedi Ja’far, “Pandangan Hukum Terhadap Penyimpangan Sexual”: 41. 173 punishment is not determined by the Qur’an or Hadith but it is mantained by the courtruler. 187 According to Ta’zir law the people who do homoerotic act cannot be punished with adultery law because it is a different case. Therefore, the laws cannot be based on Qur’an and Hadits. Their punishment must be decided by government or court. Even though the laws above do not specifically discuss about lesbianism and its law, lesbian homoerotic is also forbidden in Islam. It is based on the hadist of Prophet Muhammad. Narrated by Abu Said al-Khudri, The Prophet said: A man should not look at the private parts of another man, and a woman should not look at the private parts of another woman. A man should not lie with another man without wearing lower garment under one cover; and a woman should not be lie with another woman without wearing lower garment under one cover. 188 Al Tarmidzi and Abu Dawud Another hadist about the prohibition to men and women to sleep together without covering their private genital body part is narrated by AbuHurayrah, The Prophet said: A man should not lie with another man and a woman should not lie with another woman without covering their private parts except a child or a father. He also mentioned a third thing which I forgot. Abu Dawud 187 A. Khumedi Ja’far, “Pandangan Hukum Terhadap Penyimpangan Sexual”: 41. Menurut ulama Hanifah dan Syi’ah sodomi adalah kejahatan besar dan keji tetapi tidak seperti zina, maka hukumannya juga tidak sama dengan hukuman zina, hukumannya dengan hukuman ta’dzir, dimana kadar hukumannya tidak ditentukan oleh Alqur’anHadist tetapi diserahkan pada pengadilanpenguasa 188 “Janganlah seorang laki-laki melihat aurat laki-laki yang lain, dan janganlah seorang perempuan melihat aurat perempuan yang lain, dan janganlah seorang laki-laki berkumpul dengan laki-laki lain dalam satu kain dan janganlah seorang perempuan berkumpul dengan perempuan lain dalam satu kain.” HR. Al Tarmidzi and Abu Dawud 174 These hadists explain that it is forbidden to either men and men or women and women to show and see one another genitals. They are not allowed to expose it even to the same sex. And it is not allowed for either men and men or women and women to be covered together in one blanket. This hadist seems to indicate that actually there is a hidden desire of all humans to the same-sex which can appear, if two or more same-sex people stay too close physically. Thus, showing and seeing genitals toward one another are forbidden in Islam. Ja’far defines lesbian as follows: The word lesbian in terms of fiqh Islamic jurisprudence is known as al-sihaq, a sexual intercourse among women with certain techniques, so that each other do mutual stimulations to reach climaxorgasm. 189 Thus, he continues to explain that indeed lesbian is forbidden act in Islam but the law is not the same with those who are gays: Lesbian is a prohibited act, but the law is not as the same as gay. Lesbian relationships are just asyik masyuk mubasyarat actions which are categorized as for having fun or for pleasure, and then the punishment handed to the authorities. Even Masfuk Zuhdi found the punishment for lesbian is lighter compare to the gay, because of the risks are lighter than gay and it is just touches without entering genitals. 190 The punishments applied toward lesbians are not those as strict as gays. The laws are based on what the government, state, or the court decides. It is necessary to 189 A. Khumedi Ja’far, “Pandangan Hukum Terhadap Penyimpangan Sexual”: 41. “ Kata lesbian dalam istilah fiqh dikenal dengan istilah al-sihaq, yaitu hubungan seksual sesama perempuan dengan teknik tertentu, sehingga satu sama lain melakukan rangsangan sampai mencapai puncak kenikmatan”. 190 Masfuk Zuhdi, Masailul Fiqhiyah, Jakarta: CV. Haji Mas Agung, 1989, p. 18. Lesbian merupakan perbuatan yang dilarang, tetapi hukumannya tidak sama dengan homoseks. Lesbian hanyalah hubungan asyik masyuk mubasyarat, maka hukumannya diserahkan pada penguasa. Bahkan Masfuk Zuhdi berpendapat bahwa hukuman lesbian lebih ringan dibandingkan dengan homoseks, karena resiko lesbian lebih ringan dari homoseks dan karena lesbian hanya sekedar sentuhan tanpa memasukkan alat kelamin. 175 know that according to Islamic law lesbians will not be punished by the death penalty or get 100 times of whiplashes, nor be alienated for 1 year, nor stone to death. But, they will be punished according to the valid laws based on the state constitutions which are maintained by government or the court. The Qur’an describes that everything has been created in pairs as complement one another. Pairing of male and female is thus part of human nature and the natural order. In Islam, marriage and family are the accepted ways for a person’s emotional, pshychological, sexual and physical needs to be met. A person who feels homosexual desires is expected to be able to control or repress their desires. In Islam, there is no legal judgment against people who feel homosexual impulses but do not act upon them. What is forbidden in Islam is the homosexual act on the emotional feeling or the sexual desire. As long as one can control this homosexual desires to not become an action or can avoid engaged in homosexual acts, it is tolerable. As Amir Syarifuddin from Majelis Ulama Indonesia MUI=Indonesia Ulema Council explains that Islam as merciful and blessing religion for the entire universe accepts LGBT as part of the universe, but it does not accept homosexual behavior because it is contrary to human nature. Thus, he emphazises that people need to really concern on the meaning of LGBT, otherwise it would be difficult to determine a proper attitudes. In example, homosexual; if it is more refering to the sexual act, Islam has already maintained clear and strict position in opposing 176 toward homosexual act, but it does not against the homosexual people. 191 Islam places a strong emphasis on individual efforts to not committing prohibited act like homosexual act. The presence of homosexual feelings or desire within individual probably indeed beyond one’s control, but acting upon homosexual feelings is a matter of choice, which is under one’s control. It means if they act upon this felling and commit a homosexual act then they are categorized as committing a sin. In Islam it is clear that a sin is a sin, it cannot be compromised. The question is whether people choose to avoid sinning or answering the calling to do the sin or not, it is all based on their own choice. The English language short stories directly mention the Bible or one recalls the verses in the Bible to attack lesbians. The lesbian characters even explicitly show how church members discriminate against them. Here, the authors use characters that are religiously fanatic to fight against discrimination to the lesbians based on religions and its institutions. Such as man character who is a homophobe, fanatically religious, active in Gay Picketing Night have to stop his activity because the fact that his sister, cousin and daughter are lesbians. And an influential and respected cleric in her church and congregation who is actually has homosexual desire within herself married her lesbians friends quietly. This does 191 ”Islam sebagai agama yang merupakan rahmatan lil alamin atau rahmat terhadap seluruh isi alam, menerima kaum lesbian, gay, biseksual, transeksual dan transgenital LGBT sebagai salah satu penghuni alam, namun tidak menerima perilaku homoseksual karena itu bertentangan dengan fitrah manusia, masyarakat harus kembali pada makna yang disepakati tentang LGBT, contohnya homoseksual. Jika tidak, akan kesulitan untuk menentukan sikap dengan tepat. “Kalau homoseksual lebih merujuk kepada makna perbuatan seksnya, saya katakan Islam sudah memiliki sikap yang jelas dan keras terhadap perbuatan homoseksual tapi tidak terhadap orang-orang homonya sendiri” http:kompas.co.idread.php?cnt=.xml.2008.03.28.0004428channel=1mn=20idx=2 177 not happen in the Indonesian language stories, the authors use religious institutions to fight back for the discrimination shown to the lesbians. The religious institution depicted in the Indonesian language short story “Bilik Religious”, which Dila herself calls “Bilik Religious” Religious Chamber which concludes that religious teaching alone cannot change someone’s personal choice, especially in regard to sexual orientation. “Dila inwardly thinking, religious throngs are incapable to change the choice of four teenagers”. Lez Moslem, BR: p. 41 192 This story seems to criticize society’s view that homosexuality can be ‘cured’ through a religious institution. This story, instead gives the impression that religious institution gives more opportunity for same-sex relations. People instead become freer because the same sex people will be placed in the same room there, thus making homosexuality easier to practice. Participants who share the same experiences in a religious institution can give more space and opportunity for the same sex relationships because it is easier for them to be connected to each other. “Religious quarantine chamber will prison her for one year ahead, not letting her eyes see the world outside. Her eyes were filled with tears every night. Sometimes during her crying, she heard strange voices shouted from the vocal cords of women. It makes Dila wondering inside her heart. What are those weird voices? Bewildered was she, were not the similar voices usually sounded when she was with her woman? To her it’s unbelievable. But every night, it ensures her to the understanding of the meaning of those sounds”. BR, 35 193 192 Dalam hatinya Dila berfikir, jejalan reliji tak mampu mengubah pilihan empat orang remaja yang terlahir sebagai manusia biasa. 193 “Bilik karantina religious akan mengurungnya selama satu tahun ke depan, tak akan membiarkan matanya melihat dunia luar. Matanya berkaca-kacca setiap malam. Kadang disela- sela tangisnya, ia kadang mendengar suara-suara aneh bersahutan dari pita suara perempuan. Membuat Dila selalu bertanya-tanya dalam hati. Suara aneh apa itu? Membuatnya bingung, karena suara serupa itu bukankah juga terdengar ketika ia bersama perempuannya? Tak percaya namun setiap malam semakin membuatnya yakin mengerti arti suara-suara itu.” 178 A similar situation can also be found in “Putus”, where Sarah, the lesbian character points out how homosexual practice happens even in religious institutions like ‘pesantren’ Islamic Dormitory. She reveals that there are many people like her there. She informs that generally a lesbian couple often tends to ‘stay in the closet’, in other words they hide their identity from the public. But in the religious institution that Sarah attends, the couples are brave enough to show up in public. They even dare to kiss on lips before their friends which is normally considered taboo in Indonesian society: “In Islamic boarding school there seems to be many lesbians like her, Even more reckless. Some students are dating and darely showing affection in front of their friends. Sarah knows well that they did not mean to boast the kisses. Things they are doing are just the same with what Sarah and Eva doing. They don’t care if there’s anyone feels disgusting”. P, 126 194 Dila in “Bilik Religius, who is expected by her parents to be able to change her sexual orientation after being quarantined in a religious institution, has failed. She even meets a new girlfriend there. This new girl stays in the same room with her and soon they become lovers. Every night they sink into deep loving, without worrying that anybody will catch them doing sex. Nobody will suspect them because they both are in religious quarantine and because they are indeed supposed to sleep in the same room as roommates. “Every day the meaning of Dila’s life increasingly grows by the love she had with the sharp nose woman. Nobody knows about their relationship, only two of them. Dila is no longer curious about the strange noises in quiet nights she often heard. Every 194 “Di pesantren banyak lesbian sepertinya. Bahkan lebih nekat. Sesama santri ada yang berpacaran dan di depan teman-teman mereka dengan berani menujukkan kemesraan. Sarah pun tahu mereka sama sekali bukan pamer ciuman. Apa yang mereka lakukan sama dengan kelakuan Sarah dan Eva. Mereka tidak peduli jika ada yang merasa jijik. 179 night, her sharp nose woman sounds such noises while she is with her. Now, she has understood what the women around the chambers are doing with those strange voices. Unexpectedly, but she does it too.” BR, 40 195 In this religious institution, Dila finds out that she is not the only homosexual there. She finds other lesbians and gays who live inside this institutional building. As illustrated in this quotation below, homosexual practice is portrayed as developing rapidly inside of religious institutions. Walking in the isles of quarantine chambers. The chambers are engraved by calligraphy scripts. So artistic. Dila’s look focused on two men in hats sitting behind a chamber. The two men were talking while staringat each other. Affectionate gaze. They talked hand in hand. 196 Both of them took of their hand when Dila passed them. Dila held back her laugh and rushed her steps. Actually they do not need to turn the symbolic intimacy off. She understands. Same-sex lovers got trapped in a religious quarantine chamber. With aim to be able to change the extrinsic and look good in front of other people. BR, 37 197 195 “Setiap hari makin terasa arti hidup Dila dengan kasih yang ia miliki bersama perempuan hidung bangir itu. Tak adda yang mengetahuinya, hanya mereka berdua. Dila tak lagi penasaran dengan suara-suara aneh di sepi malam yang sering ia dengar. Setiap malam perempuan hidung bangir mengeluarkan suara-suara itu saat berduaan dengannya. Mengertilah ia sekarang apa yang sedang dilakukan sosok-sosok hawa di sekeliling bilik itu dengan suara-suara anehnya. Tak disangka tapi ia melakukannya.” 196 “Berjalan pada lorong-lorong bilik karantina. Di sekeliling dinding bilik itu bertuliskan aksara kaligrafi. Sungguh bernilai seni. Pandangan Dila tertuju pada dua orang laki-laki berpeci yang duduk di belakang salah satu bilik. Kedua laki-laki itu berbicara dengan saling menatap. Tatapan itu mesra menurutnya. Kedua tangan mereka saling bergengaman di sela obrolan.” 197 Dila melewati kedua laki-laki itu seketika kedua laki-laki itu melepaskan gengaman tangan mereka. Dila menahan tawa dan terburu-buru melangkahkan kaki-nya. Sebenarnya mereka tidak perlu melepaskan simbolik kemesraan itu di hadapannya. Karena ia pun akan memakluminya. Pecinta sesama jenis terkurung dalam bilik karantina religius. Dengan harapan mampu mengubah lahiriah dan terlihat baik di hadapan orang lain.” 180 From the quotation above it shows, through its lesbian character Dila, this story clearly protests that actually such religious institutions or dormitories just function to prison homosexual people and their desire. A place which is hoped to change the same sex lovers to be good people. But, it has failed to cure those who have indeed chosen to live as homosexual people.

E. Lesbian vs Country and Legal Law Protection: How Lesbians are Treated Before Law