Merlyn Sopjan - Wo(w)man

2016, Indonesian, Merlyn Sopjan,

Original title: "Wo(W)man: Tuhan Tidak Membuat Rencana yang Tak Sempurna" (Wo(W)man: God Doesn't Make Imperfect Plans) by Merlyn Sopjan.

In her third book, Merlyn Sopjan again invites readers to dialogue about life and existence, which is full of injustice due to sharp divisions. Merlyn tries to make sense of life by thinking beyond the barriers that are still very dominant in our society. It's not easy and without challenges, but Merlyn consistently keeps doing it. And, everything is illustrated through straight words, without further ado.

"Merlyn herself underwent an inner struggle for quite a long time before her family’s acceptance. She began to feel “different” as a child, but she could never define herself because public discourses about gender dysphoria and transwomen were not yet widely held at the time. With the lapse of time, she realized her female mind, but she had been physically born as a male. Merlyn kept this awareness to herself."

"When Merlyn was 21, her father asked Merlyn about her gender identity. She braced herself for an honest confession and was prepared to bear its possible consequence, such as being disowned by the family. Unexpectedly, her father accepted Merlyn’s identity, even offering her a sex-change surgery if so desired. Merlyn declined it for the reason that she already felt happy with whatever condition she was in. Merlyn’s mother had died at the time."

Merlyn Sopjan (born on 16 February 1973) is an activist for equal rights for transgender groups and the winner of the 2006 Indonesian Waria Princess Beauty Contest. She graduated from the National Institute of Technology Malang. She was awarded a Doctorate Honoris Causa (DHC) by Northern California Global University in America as an HIV/AIDS social activist. She was the Chair of the Malang Transgender Association for the 2006-2011 period and was a candidate for the 2012 Saparinah Sadli Award.

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