We don’t have a new episode for you this week, so we are repeating one of our most popular episodes last year — our conversation with Rocky Intan on LGBTQ identity, Pride, and true progress.
In this episode, Stephanie is still out, so Swedian talks to a longtime friend and supporter of Dialogika, Rocky Intan, who is currently getting his Masters in Public Policy at Columbia University. This conversation was originally planned for June, as it was Pride Month, and we talk about Rocky’s experience as an out gay man living in America right now, comparing it to the situation back home in Indonesia. We talk about the power & importance of Pride, not just as a celebration of one’s identity but also as a way of making visible the marginalized LGBTQ community. Rocky shares the nuances of his coming out experience, including the financial, social, and relational implications. From there we talk about how we cannot take for granted that liberals and progressives are necessarily as open-minded about the LGBTQ community as we think they are, and that if we are true progressives we need to fight for a society that is equal, open, and just for all — not just for the heteronormative.
Thanks for listening!
For those interested in learning more about the topic, we’ve provided links to resources as well as other recommended readings.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month in America — courtesy of the U.S. Library of Congress
The Origins Of Pride Month: What You Should Know About Its History — courtesy of Bustle
‘Never seen anything like this’: Inside Indonesia’s LGBT crackdown — courtesy of CNN
LGBT Rights in Indonesia — it’s not looking great back home
The Coming Out Cycle — Why we need to recognize the cyclical nature of the coming out process
The Coming Out Cycle — Why we need to recognize the cyclical nature of the coming out process
Why Heteronormativity Is Harmful — courtesy of Teaching Tolerance
Why Heteronormativity Is a Bad Thing — courtesy of Teen Vogue
MUSIC CREDITS:
SOUL HIGH by RYAN LITTLE
MONTMARTRE by JAHZAAR
NIGHT OWL and THE GREAT by BROKE FOR FREE