TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - LGBT rights group Suara Kita Head Hartoyo said transgenders had so far found difficulties in accessing public services because they did not own identity cards or E-KTP. Thus, he appreciated the Directorate General of Population and Civil Registration for issuing a policy on identity cards for transgenders.

“ID card is a fundamental right for every citizen. Suara Kita really appreciates the breakthrough made by the DG in facilitating the recording and making of ID cards for trans women groups,” said Hartoyo in a statement, Thursday, June 3.

He explained that based on a study by the Indonesian Puzzle Community in Bandung in 2020, 84.2 percent of respondents had bad experiences and were hampered in accessing public services due to a lack of ID cards. It was also noted that most of the obstacles were caused by the discomfort in applying for an identity card.

Thus, Suara Kita approached the Director-General of Population and Civil Registration to provide the facility. Through the online data collection conducted by this group, it was recorded that 297 transgender women throughout the archipelago will be facilitated. Of the number, only 54 transgender people owned a citizenship identity number (NIK).

Hartono hoped his rights group could help facilitate all transgender women throughout the country to get their right to identity. Hartono and his team also planned to take a similar approach to the Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) and the Health Ministry so that trans women could be registered as members and get the Covid-19 vaccine.

Read More: LGBT Discrimination in Military and Police

FRISKI RIANA