Indonesia trans school helps LGBTQ acceptance

SHOTLIST:RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Yogyakarta, Indonesia - 6 November 20221. Tilt down from Arabic word to Shinta Ratri (wearing black head scarf) looking at computer screen2. Arabic word saying "Allah" hanging on the wall3 .Ratri learning to read the Holy Qur'an ON SCREEN TEXT: On the outskirts of Indonesia, a majority Muslim country, a boarding school for transgender women exists as a rare oasis of acceptance.4. Learning activities at the boarding school5. Mid of Ratri learning to read the Holy Qur'an++SOT PARTIALLY COVERED++6. SOUNDBITE (Bahasa Indonesia) Shinta Ratri, Founder of the Al-Fatah Islamic School:"Just imagine, when I graduated high school in 1981, I was floating around the questions in myself that I am being sinful just because I am a trans woman."7. Ratri's hands8. Picture of Ratri hanging on the wall++SOT PARTIALLY COVERED9. SOUNDBITE; (Bahasa Indonesia) Shinta Ratri, Founder of the Al-Fatah Islamic School:"Learning about religion is important. Humans who are born will feel that they are created beings. It means that this religiosity is something that is important to anyone, including for transgender women. Spiritual needs are really needed especially for transgender friends when in acceptance they are far from spiritual touch."10. Close of the Holy Qur'an learning book11. Unidentified transgender learning to read the Holy Qur'an12. Hands taking Holy Qur'an learning book13. Transgender participating in learning to read the Holy Qur'an14. Close of the Holy Qur'an learning book15. Unidentified transgender learning to read the Holy Qur'an++SOT PARTIALLY COVERED++16. SOUNDBITE (Bahasa Indonesia) Y.S Al Buchory, Student at Al-Fatah Islamic School for transgender:"Because of what I have experienced, when I did Friday prayers and I didn't dress up as a woman, I became a spectacle for children, which made me uncomfortable. When I am doing activities at this transgender Islamic boarding school, I can still do congregational prayers in a comfortable way." 17. Y. S. Al Buchory, (her nick name is actually Y.S.) wearing black, learning how to read the Holy Qur'an18. Fingers pointing to the Arabic alphabet 19. Close of Buchory20. Back shot of Buchory learning to read the Holy Qur'an with another unidentified transgender learning on the background 21. SOUNDBITE (Bahasa Indonesia) Y.S Al Buchory, Student at Al-Tatah Islamic School for transgender: "Hopefully there will be mutual respect, mutual tolerance. Like a rainbow, if there are red, yellow, green colors combined, it becomes more beautiful. Rather that only black and white. Life is full of color, we must be able to respect each other, tolerate, not interfere with each other." 22. Various of students and lecturer at Al-Fatah Islamic Boarding school performing evening prayer STORYLINE: On the outskirts of Indonesia, a majority Muslim country, a boarding school for transgender women exists as a rare oasis of acceptance."Just imagine, when I graduated high school in 1981, I was floating around the questions in myself that I am being sinful just because I am a trans woman," said Shinta Ratri, founder of the Al-Fatah Islamic School in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.In most Muslim nations, gay and lesbian sex is criminalize, including World Cup host Qatar. LGBTQ people are routinely rejected by their families, denounced by Islamic authorities, hounded by security forces, and limited to clandestine social lives. Ratri started this school 14 years ago to combat her own self doubts and to create a place of safety and spirituality for women like her. "Learning about religion is important. Humans who are born will feel that they are created beings. It means that this religiosity is something that is important to anyone, including for transgender women," said Ratri. "Spiritual needs are really needed especially for transgender friends when in acceptance they are far from spiritual touch."Initially the school had 20 students, and now there are about 60 – many of them middle-aged.Among them is Y.S. Al Buchory, 55, who struggled for years to cope with lack of acceptance by people around her."Because of what I have experienced, when I did Friday prayers and I didn't dress up as a woman, I became a spectacle for children, which made me uncomfortable," said Buchory.But she now feels at home at the school and hopes tolerance spreads through her country."Hopefully there will be mutual respect, mutual tolerance. Like a rainbow, if there are red, yellow, green colors combined, it becomes more beautiful. Rather that only black and white. Life is full of color, we must be able to respect each other, tolerate, not interfere with each other," said Buchory.===========================================================Clients are reminded: (i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service (iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.