The idea that homosexuality is alien to Indonesian culture has been dashed by research Dede conducted into the warok-gemblakan tradition in the East Java town of Ponorogo.dresses

Here, older men called warok , who take a leading role in Black Prom Dresses on Sale Reyog Ponorogo dance, have sex with young boys ( gemblakan ) in their bid for prowess.dresses

The dance requires the warok , usually played by local strongmen, to wear a huge headdress of a tiger mask surrounded by a mane of peacock feathers.dresses

Dede said he planned to review his research soon. Although the men's behavior would be classified as homosexual, it would be wrong to say that there was a homosexual community in the town, as the men may also be married. The tradition has an economic component, for the men Blue Prom Dresses on Sale compensate the boys' parents with significant and costly gifts.dresses

In South Sulawesi there's the bissu , a male or female court official who cross-dresses and has same-sex relationships. There's also evidence that in the past, people who practiced alternative sex were considered healers with special powers -- a tradition that is being Green Prom Dresses on Sale as the gay community is a leader in promoting safe sex.dresses

Situated some 70 kilometers from Padang, Pariaman was a thriving merchant town in the 16th century. When the Kingdom of Aceh reigned over Sumatra's western coast, Pariaman was frequented by foreign ships from China, Britain, Spain and the Netherlands.

This town later became an arena of conflict between nations, which ended with the victory of the Dutch East Indies Trading Company (VOC) in the 1670s. Pariaman was then a major trading town -- before Padang was conquered and developed by the Dutch.

As Padang made headway with its large port of Teluk Bayur, Pariaman was outpaced. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the town has seen no more merchant ships for the absence of a suitable port. With its port and commerce now only a nostalgic history, the municipal administration has turned to tourism.

Tourism highlights

The Pariaman railway station and its surrounding buildings, as well as the structures close to the Short Prom Dresses market nearby, are part of the town's landscape of Dutch colonial heritage. Pariaman station continues to provide services for tourists along the Padang-Pariaman route on Sundays.

Tabuik , bersyafar , Naras embroidery and sala lauak are Homecoming Dresses cultural icons of Pariaman widely known across Indonesia. They represent not only the unique cultural features of West Sumatra's the western coastal townspeople, but also the town's major tourist attractions.