Same-sex wedding confuses Indonesian town residents

By: 9 years ago

Celebrating love: Ratu Airin Karla and Dumani from Boyolali, Central Java, celebrate their union as a couple at a reception held in Cluntang village, Musuk, on Saturday.(Kompas.com/M.Wismabrata)

A wedding reception of a same-sex couple has confused residents of Cluntang village, Musuk, Boyolali regency, Central Java. Last Saturday’s wedding reception had reportedly been opposed by relatives of one of the marrying pair, kompas.com reported.

Just like other wedding couples, Ratu Airin Karla aka DRN and Dumani aka DMN wore wedding outfits. Karla (not her real name) wore a Javanese wedding dress and had her hair styled in a sanggul (knot), decorated with jasmine flowers. Dumani wore a beskap (traditional Javanese shirt). The bridal couple was seated on a stage to welcome guests. A banner emblazoned with the message “the celebration of the union of Ratu Airin Karla and Dumani. Give us your blessings”, was the backdrop of the stage.

Just like other wedding couples, DRN and DMN participated in a string of wedding rituals. One thing that made it different from other wedding parties was that both DRN and DMN are male.

One of DRN’s friends, who identified himself only as Ratno, said the event was simply to celebrate the couple’s union.

“It’s just to express thanks to God. But about their marriage, I don’t know how to explain it,” he said.

Meanwhile, a Cluntang village official, Suryati, said the couple had not applied for a marriage permit. She said it would have been impossible for village officials to issue a permit as the union violated both state regulations and religious norms.

“It would be impossible to permit such a marriage. If permitted, it would mean that we legalized same sex marriage,” she said in Boyolali on Saturday.

Suryati claimed that guests at the reception were acquainted with each other and the event was simply to celebrate their gratitude; that it was not a wedding reception.

Indonesia does not recognize same-sex marriage. However, in September, an American and Balinese gay couple was reported to have married in Bali. Footage of their wedding ceremony went viral on social media and YouTube, sparking a national outcry.