Transvestites Contest 2010 held in Aceh

Transvestites in Aceh joined a ceremony for selecting Aceh Cultural and Social Envoy 2010, an event which was also designed to enable transvestites to hold a get-together in the province that strictly applies sharia law.

“Aside from selecting the cultural and social envoy, the activity is designed to enable transvestites in Aceh to get along with their peers,” Jimmy, head of the committee for the ceremony said as quoted by Antara in Banda Aceh on Sunday.

The contest, which was held at the hall of the state radio station RRI in Banda Aceh on Saturday evening, elected Angga, 19, who hails from Lhokseumawe, as the new Aceh envoy.

Besides strengthening the transvestite community, the activity was expected to wipe out a negative stigma attached, Jimmy said.
 
“This contest shows the public that transvestites have been approved by the Banda Aceh Ulema Consultative Assembly,” he said.

During the contest each participant was asked to wear Acehnese traditional attire from their respective area. The winner will be sent to a national transvestite contest.
 
Zifana said he would try hard to introduce Acehnese culture at the national level and at the same time show that transvestites from a province with strict sharia law could compete with competitors from other provinces.