World Talks # Mario Prajna Pratama
Mario is a young transgender man who has just completed his service as chairperson of PLUSH (People Like Us- Satu Hati), a community-based LGBTI Organisation in Yogyakarta, which made him the first trans man to lead an Indonesian LGBTI organisation. He is well known for mainstreaming both trans and gender identity issues among the LGBTIQ movement in Indonesia, ensuring affirmative actions for the trans communities. Advocacy work is Mario’s passion.
Spending days with trans women living in slum areas in Yogyakarta made him realize how privileged he actually is. This encouraged Mario to serve the LGBTI movement through his writing and advocacy skills: from arranging public statements to compiling national shadow reports, handling violence cases to reviewing discriminatory policies, facing police officers and extremist groups in streets to lobbying diplomats in United Nation Headquarters.
As an effort of increasing the visibility of transgender men, Mario initiated Transmen Camp which led to the establishment of Transmen Indonesia, the first trans man organization in Indonesia.
His persistency in advocacy works has put his name in extremists' and police's black list for persecution. However, living under threats has not and will not stop him from pursuing his dream of a just and equal world.
"No pride for some of us without liberation of all of us!"
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