Transgender Community Supports Jokowi to Run for President

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Transgender Forum chairperson, Yulianus Rettoblaut, viewed Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo (Jokowi) deserved to run for president at the 2014 General Election. The reason she gave was because he had different characters than other presidential candidates.

"He is a simple man, and willing to be immediately on the field. Not many people are like him," she said, who is normally called Mama Yulie, when approached by Tempo in Sudirman-Thamrin Street, on Sunday, January 12. "We need a figure that has values and different than most people. That would be Jokowi."

Moreover, she said, he did not give exaggerated promises. As a result, many people come to easily trust him. "Mr. Jokowi's words are charismatic. We should strive for people like him," she said.

Hundreds of transgender people from the Indonesian Transgender Forum gathered at Bundaran HI (Hotel Indonesia Roundabout), Central Jakarta, Sunday Morning, January 12. They marched in a parade and shouted their support for the Jakarta Governor to run for presidency.

In the parade, they wore various make up and walked from the front of Bank Indonesia until Bundaran HI. The crowd was once stopped because there were many people who would like to take pictures with them, especially women.

ISTMAN MP