Medan, Indonesia – Iwan is transgender, and a “micro-minority” in Indonesia.
Before COVID-19, he employed four other transgender people as hairdressers and makeup artists at his Anna Sui Salon in Medan in North Sumatra, but now he can afford to hire only one.
“We used to have 10 to 15 customers a day, now we haven’t had a customer in over a week,” Iwan said. “Maybe we get one customer every two weeks now. It’s been that way since the pandemic started in March.”
Salon work and the wedding industry are two of only a few sectors in Indonesia that offer employment opportunities to those who are openly transgender.