In Indonesia, LGBT is still considered as taboo which leads them to hide their identities and not to reveal themselves in society. This became a problem in prison, because sources said that LGBT is contagious between inmates and there’s an increase in number of LGBT in prison, especially lesbian inmates in women’s prison. Based on this phenomenon, this exploratory study was designed to uncover the self-disclosure of lesbian inmates, especially in Women Prison Banten. Self-Disclosure is measured by the quantity, valency, accuracy and honesty, purpose and objective, also depths of how lesbian inmates reveal themselves in society. An exploratory study is used in this research with interview and triangulation as a method to collect the data. Using modified grounded theory, this study was able to expose several recurring themes in the data, including the reality of being lesbian inmates and the relationship between lesbian inmates in women prison. This study also found the difficulties of revealing their identity as a lesbian in prison.

1. Self-Disclosure among
Lesbian Inmates
A Qualitative Study of Self-Disclosure
among Lesbian Inmates of Women’s Prison
in Banten, Indonesia

2. W E L C O M E
1st Author
RETNO RYANI KUSUMAWATI
Lecturer of STIE Banten, Indonesia
retno.rk@gmail.com
+62 819 1911 1919

3. W E L C O M E
2nd Author
RETIKA NAJMAMULAT ASIH
Clinical Psychologist of Ministry of Law and Human Rights Indonesia
retikanajma@hotmail.com
+62 816 461 8877

4. C O N C E P T
Lesbian
Inmates
Self-
Disclosure
How?
Why?
Self-Disclosure
How they disclose
themselves in society?
How?
How life in prison
with homosexual
relationship?
Why?
Why inmates choose
being a lesbian?

5. O B J E C T I V E S
1
2
3
4
5
6
Research
Background
Theoretical
Explanations
Methodology
Findings
Discussion
THANK YOU

6. Clark, 1995; Leger, 1987; Propper, 1982
“Homosexual relationships are a significant
component of the subculture of women’s
prisons”
R E S E A R C H B A C K G R O U N D

7. W H A T T H E Y S A Y ?
“You will never be
a lesbian, never!”
”Shush, don’t you
even dare
talking about
homosexuals!”
”Homosexuals
are contagious”

8. Self-Disclosure
is a process of communication by which one
person reveals information about themselves to
another
T H E O R E T I C A L E X P L A N A T I O N S
Emmi & Kokkonen (2007)

9. S E L F - D I S C L O S U R E D I M E N S I O N S
Breadth
Range of topics to discuss
01
Depth
The Intimacy Level
02
Frequency
How often does the
disclosure occurs?
03
Duration
Length of interaction
04
Valence
If positive, it’ll give warm
feelings, happy memories; if
negative, it’ll leave hostile
feelings, fears, and anger
05
Veracity
The Truthfulness
06
Devito (1986)

10. 4
STEPSTEP
3
STEP
2
STEP
1
POPULATION
Inmates of
Women’s
Prison in
Banten
SAMPLE
6 women who
were most
likely to
engage in
homosexual
relationships
INTERVIEWS
Ranged 60-
90 minutes,
took place
on the prison
grounds
SECONDARY
DATA
Taken from
Inmate’s
Archives and
Interviews with
The Chief and
Officers of
Women’s Prison
Banten
M E T H O D O L O G Y

11. An interview guide was used to lead the right
response regarding the general topic of prison life and
focusing more on sexual relationships in prison and
how they disclose their relationships in prison.
Questions were framed to elicit the personal
experiences of the lesbian inmates.
M E T H O D O L O G Y

12. This research analyzes the disclosure of lesbian
inmates, but it’s not just the fact of their
disclosure, this research also found the fact
about how they became a lesbian and how
homosexual life in prison.
F I N D I N G S

13. ”I feel locked out here and it’s no fun. I see my
friends everyday and I think being with them is
comforting and I like them. I feel safe, comfort,
especially with my girlfriend.”
By being with women most of their time, they
found comfort in some people and that leads
them to have a sexual relationship more than
just friendship.
F I N D I N G S

14. ”It’s just a short-term relationship and only to
fulfill sexual needs for another, but I think
curiosity play a big part in it. Since I was
bored, sex is a way to pass the time with
pleasure and emotion.”
Lesbian Relationships are a result of
boredom, as just a way to pass the time.
F I N D I N G S

15. ”I feel like I want to be the man that she
needs while she’s down. I want to protect her
from being hurt.”
An inmates also has the desire to protect
others, especially to women who were being
abandoned
F I N D I N G S

16. The statements then followed by her mate as
follows :
“She gave me the protection I need, she
hugged me when I needed to be hugged the
most, she comforts me, and I love her that
way.”
F I N D I N G S

17. Given how taboo being a lesbian in Indonesia
had lead them to cover their relationships to
society. An inmate’s view on the issue is as
follows :
”In our culture, being a lesbian isn’t normal for
people, they think of it as taboo, so I don’t want
anybody to know, they’ll judge me and I don’t
like that.”
F I N D I N G S

18. When asked what the benefits of this type of relationship
were and why would they stay in relationship knowing
how hard it is to cover their identity, two inmates
answered as follows :
“You know, it’s more than just sexual or material things.
It’s more like having a best friend who genuinely care for
you, and I do feel that way too, and I’m giving her more
than just material, I give her emotional support.”
F I N D I N G S

19. • Self-disclosure among Lesbian Inmates are
not easy. Knowing how society often sees
them as a pathological behavior.
• Some of them, the homosexual behavior is
formed after they’ve been put in prison. A
homophobic society may have support this
conditions and this leads to being a lesbian
only situationally.
D I S C U S S I O N S

20. T H A N K Y O U