An-Nisa’ Journal of Gender Studies
Vol. 17 No. 1 (2024): An-Nisa Journal of Gender Studies

Cross-dressing between gender identity and recreation: Gender performativity and managed visibility in an Indonesian Facebook community

Lalu Pradipta Jaya Bahari (Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia)
Joseph Lere Omiwole (Osun State University, Ipetu Ijesa Campus, Nigeria)



Article Info

Publish Date
19 Jun 2024

Abstract

The rise of social media has expanded spaces for gender expression while generating debate about the relationships among clothing, self-expression, and gender identity. This study examines the meanings of cross-dressing and the management of visibility within the Indonesian CrossDressers (IMC) digital community. It used a descriptive qualitative approach and qualitative content analysis of interviews and Facebook content. Data were collected through unstructured interviews with two participants and digital observation and documentation of the IMC group profile, features, rules, and one member's post. The data were organized, reduced, categorized, and interpreted using Judith Butler’s perspective on gender performativity. Credibility was established through source and methodological triangulation. Two findings emerged. (1) Cross-dressing was understood either as a means of articulating and affirming gender identity, potentially leading to gender transition, or as a recreational and situational activity without changes to everyday gender identity. (2) IMC constituted a digital space characterized by managed visibility: the group was publicly discoverable, but its membership and posts were accessible only to members. A post requesting advice on makeup illustrated the exchange of practical knowledge about gendered appearance, while the prohibition of pornographic content demonstrated internal regulation. From a Butlerian perspective, digital gender expression is shaped through interactions among individual agency, repeated practices, peer learning, social norms, and community rules. This study extends discussions of gender performativity into digital contexts. However, its findings remain context-specific because they are based on two participants and a limited observation of a single Facebook community.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

annisa

Publisher

Subject

Religion Social Sciences

Description

An-Nisa’ Journal of Gender Studies focuses on contemporary issues in the field of gender studies within Muslim societies and global contexts, which specified as follows: - Gender, Violence, and Social Justice - Gender in Islamic Education and Religious Discourse - Gender, Culture, and Ecofeminism ...