Lesbian Indonesian singer bats away messages of hate to pen songs about acceptance of LGBT minority and respect for all

She had no one to turn to when she realised she was a lesbian, so Kai Mata uses her platform as a singer to serve as a voice for the country’s LGBT community

Amid rising hostility towards gay and lesbian Indonesians, she takes solace in messages telling her how much it means to have a queer musician to listen to

Reading Time:5 minutes

Kai Mata, a lesbian singer in Indonesia, deflects the daily hate messages she receives, and takes succour in others from Indonesians of all ages telling her how much it means to them to have a queer musician to listen to.

Published: 5:00am, 26 Apr 2020Updated: 5:16am, 26 Apr 2020

Indonesian singer and songwriter Kai Mata realised, as a teenager in Jakarta, she liked women more than men – but her realisation was quickly followed by disillusionment.

“There seemed to be no support networks in place, and no one I knew in Indonesia was openly gay, bisexual – or anything but straight,” she recalls. “It felt so isolating and frightening. I grew to recognise the importance of visibility for minorities, and I have become a visible part of the LGBTQ+ community.”

Using her platform as a musician, Kai – who now lives in Bali – sings pride anthems and incorporates gay revelations in her mostly acoustic, folksy songs, inspired by the work of US country singer Kacey Musgraves, who is known for her progressive stance on gay issues.

Kai’s latest single, So Hard, is a plea for the acceptance of same-sex relationships, delivered in a synth-pop style and with witty lyrics: “No this isn’t just a phase/Doesn’t even work that way/You think you can turn me straight?/Well, maybe I can turn you gay/Oh, did I just cross a line?/Because you’ve been overstepping mine/It seems your masculinity/Suffers insecurity.”

Kai Mata performing at the APJI Art Food Festival in Bali.

Moving to Bali was a deliberate decision for the young musician – the predominantly Hindu island is known to be one of the most tolerant and open-minded places in Indonesia.

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