ETNOGRAFI KOMUNIKASI KOMUNITAS GAY DI JAKARTA

Abstract

The existence of gay community in Indonesia where people tend to be religious, is difficult to gain acceptance from various parties. The prevailing culture is eastern culture where people uphold strongly religious values, norms, morals, and customs. Community rejection of the existence of gay community makes gay very careful in expressing their sexual orientation
publicly. It is of interest therefore to study gay community, especially gay coming out as this community has unique characteristic underlying their communication patterns and lifestyles, different significantly with the heterosexual community groups. Symbols of communication they use in interacting with other people feature its distinct characteristics of the gay community.The purpose of this study is to find out the activities,communication patterns, and the formation of self-identity after coming out. Theories that are relevant in this study are: (i) Symbolic Interactionism theory, (ii) Identity theory, and (iii) Self-Presentation theory. The research paradigm used is subjective while the Ethnography of Communication methods adopted in analyzing this phenomenon are conducting in-depth interviews, observation, focus group discussions, and document analysis. Data Analysis is performed using Miles & Huberman Interactive Model  The results show the communication activities are carried out in every situation, events, and acts of communication. Unconsciously, members of the community use communication patterns that at the end of the day becomes a habit. Against the backdrop of their day to day communication activities they would create communiation patterns along
with communication competency reflecting various stages of relationships. It starts from just simple friendship all the way to a more intimate ones. Event of communication can be divided into three events, namely,  with fellow members, with other institution and with society. Openness in the families, communities, and society by coming out is preceded by the process of coming in, a revelation of himself as a gay followed by self-identification and self-concept. Gay specific communication styles serve as a way out for gay communtiy to overcome gayphobia such as negative stigma, bullying, and discrimination in the society.