About this event
Abstract
The concept of intersectional stigma has been used to describe the convergence of various stigmatised identities within a person or group, and to explore their joint impact on health and wellbeing. Using the Indonesian island of Java as my study site, this presentation explores the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Muslims living with HIV to illustrate the emergence of multiple intersecting stigmas. Drawing upon existing scholarship and data gathered through semi-structured in-depth interviews and participant observations in Indonesia, I will explore the effects of the family, education, religion, and media on LGBT and HIV-related stigma. This will demonstrate that dominant discourses on the ‘oppressive’ role of religion do not always align with the experiences of Muslim sexual minorities in the archipelago, who often perceive their faith and spirituality as sources of agentic power. In a context of increasing religious and political homo- and transphobia, Indonesian LGBT Muslims organise and empower themselves by using religion in creative ways.
Biography
As a member of BSMS, Diego is currently working on the PEDAL Study, which aims to evaluate patients’ perceptions and experiences on the safety, effectiveness, tolerability, and unmet needs of the dolutegravir/lamivudine dual-drug regimen focusing on people living with HIV who receive care at the HIV Department of the University Hospitals Sussex.
Diego holds a PhD in Gender and Sexuality Studies (UCL), a MSc in Asian Studies (Lund University/NUS) and a BA in Journalism (University Complutense of Madrid, University of Tampere and Korea University). Since 2011, he has lived and worked in Finland, South Korea, Sweden, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. His PhD examined the everyday religion of Indonesian LGBTIQ+ Muslims, many of whom lived with HIV. Some of the grants he has received include the Erasmus Scholarship, the Complutense Exchange Scholarship, the Lund University Exchange Scholarship, the NIAS SUPRA scholarship (University of Copenhagen), the Annette Lawson Charitable Trust scholarship, and the UBEL DTP ESRC PhD grant.
Between 2020 and 2021, Diego worked as a Senior Researcher for a social justice consultancy company for international NGOs, local authorities, academic institutions and government bodies. He has organised panels and conferences on LGBTIQ+-related issues at institutions such as SOAS University of London. Diego is currently co-editing a special edition of the journal Indonesia and the Malay World on LGBT moral panics in Indonesia.
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