Long-sought IDs give trans Indonesians the right to vote
At 53, Mak Luké, a transgender woman, will go to the polls for the first time when Indonesia holds an election on Feb. 14 after finally obtaining a government identity card.
Like many trans Indonesians, Mak Luké left her family as a teenager and ended up living on the streets, making it difficult for her to apply for an ID card.
That meant she could not access public services, open a bank account – or vote. Even going to the doctor was “very difficult” without the document, known as the KTP, Mak Luké told Openly.
She finally got her KTP in 2021 with support from Jakarta-based LGBTQIA+ rights group Suara Kita, which has helped obtain ID cards for hundreds of trans women – who tend to face more stigma and marginalisation than trans men or other LGBTQIA+ Indonesians.
