"I’m Strong Enough to Face It": The Lived Experiences of Discriminated Muslim Trans Women

Dhio Amirul Muqsith Fajriyan; Shabrina Putri Syahradini; Daveisha Pavita Kirana; Rikza Setiaji; Zata Yumni Adania Tarisa Iskandar; Pradytia Putri Pertiwi

doi:10.26740/jptt.v17n02.p131-143

Authors

Dhio Amirul Muqsith Fajriyan Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9106-3098
Shabrina Putri Syahradini Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada
Daveisha Pavita Kirana Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada
Rikza Setiaji Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada
Zata Yumni Adania Tarisa Iskandar Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada
Pradytia Putri Pertiwi Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26740/jptt.v17n02.p131-143

Keywords:

Discrimination, interpretative phenomenology, muslim transgender, trans woman

Abstract

Background: Trans women are one of the groups that are vulnerable to gender discrimination which causes internal pressure within individuals. Objective: This qualitative study was conducted with the aim of exploring the meaning of gender discrimination experiences among trans women at Pondok Pesantren Waria Al-Fatah. Method: Four participants who had experienced gender discrimination were recruited through snowball and purposive sampling techniques, data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews of up to 90 minutes conducted at the Pondok Pesantren Waria Al-Fatah, and the resulting data were analyzed using an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Results: There are three themes produced, namely (1) the dynamics of interaction with the environment, (2) the path to inner peace, and (3) the efforts to blend in with society. Conclusion: Discrimination is not only a form of social suffering but also a transformative process that shapes resilience and self-formation in trans women. Through these experiences, they adapt, strengthen their faith, and strive to challenge stigma by contributing positively to society. The findings enrich psychological theory on resilience and meaning-making among marginalized groups.

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