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International Journal of Indonesian Studies Autumn 2015
and acceptable ( Budiman , 2012 , p 574 ). Having a handsome boy is a source of pride for Warok . Warok will dress his Gemblak with beautiful clothes and powder his face to maintain his good looks . However , their relationship can be stopped because of the maturity of Gemblak . Warok has a stake to find a woman for his Gemblak . When Gemblak marries , then he automatically loses his charm .
Another relation similar to the relation of Warok and Gemblak can be found from the origins of the dance of Rateb Sadati in Aceh . According to Dutch Islamologist , Snouck Hurgronje , the word “ Ratib ” was first introduced in Medina in the 18 th century by Sammam , a mystical teacher . Ratib is basically a prayer or praise to Allah sung by groups of people . Ratib is usually sung in the afternoon , in particular during the Friday prayer ( Hurgronje , 1906 , p . 216 – 219 ). In its development , the tradition of singing Ratib become a dance , called Rateb Sadati .
The dance of Rateb Sadati has an Arab-Malay characteristic . It was performed by 15 to 20 male dancers accompanied by a Syekh , called Ulee Rateb , Pangkay , or Ba ’. At the same time , this dance is required to have two Radat who have the task of repeating what is sung by Syekh . A Syekh sings love poems to Allah in the local language ( Hurgronje , 1906 , p . 221 ). Thus , the word “ Sadati ” itself is derived from the Arabic language and means love poems ( Hurgronje , 1906 , p . 221 ).
Among men who danced this dance , there must be a handsome boy who dresses as a woman . This handsome boy is named “ Dalem ”, “ Aduens ”, or “ Abang ” ( brother ). In principle , historically , the three examples above indicate that ancient Indonesians accepted homosexuality as a fact . The term “ homosexual ( ity )” was identified as emerging in Indonesia in the 1970s through the publication of a book “ Jalan Sempurna ”, found by Ulrich Kratz in the National Library ( Perpustakaan Nasional ) in Jakarta . From the fragments that I will describe , we can see the indication that the “ history ” of homosexuality in Indonesia has already appeared at the beginning of the 1910s . This book tells the journey of life of Sucipto , a Javanese man who lived during the Dutch colonial era ( Boellstroff , 2005 , p . 48 ). Here I show the feeling of Sucipto when he met a man around twenty years old in Situbondo ( East Java ).
I walked by the front of the Regent ’ s residence , intending to keep going past the railway station . But only a fez steps after I passed the Regent ’ s residence , a ypung fellow suddenly stepped out of an alley . He looked to be about twenty years old , but was still in school , judging from the schoolbag that he , like me , was carrying . The second eyes met , my heart started to pound . I felt as if the blood was hissing ( berdesir-desir ) through my body . “ Hey , why is your heart thudding like that ?” I asked myself . Never in my life had it pounded so . And at that moment I lowered my head , puzzling over the beating of my heart . ( Anderson , 2006 , p . 47 )
That day , I could not pay attention in my class . All I could think of was the meeting that had so shaken my heart . “ Where does he come from ? What is his name ?” It was only natural , after all , that I didn ’ t know where he came from , since we had never met before . And besides , when we were walking together , I never learned his name ;