Discourses of Home, Gender, and Sexuality

The chapter establishes the context for the specific gender and sexual subjectivities that the Indonesian migrant women in this study found desirable during their stay in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, public attitudes toward LGBT people tend to be accepting. This allows migrant workers to make room for their same-sex intimate behaviors and relationships. The chapter discusses the social changes in Indonesia, including the anti-LGBT sentiment, and the raids on gay and lesbians in the country. The chapter also addresses the changing notions of family and womanhood given the fact that millions of Indonesian women left to work overseas.