Bahasa Binan (or bahasa Béncong) is a distinctive
Indonesian speech variety originating from the
gay community. It has several regular patterns of
word formation and is documented in both writing and speech.[1]
One pattern of word formation modifies standard Indonesian roots (normally composed of two syllables) to have e as the first vowel and ong closing the second syllable—hence providing regular
assonance with the standard Indonesian word bencong[ˈbɛntʃɔŋ], a male homosexual,
trans woman, or male crossdresser. Another word formation pattern adds -in-
infixes to other Indonesian roots. The best example is the word binan itself, formed with the word banci, "male transvestite", to which the -in- infix has been added and from which the second syllable -ci has been dropped. Bahasa Binan also uses a range of standard Indonesian words with altered meaning. The standard word for "cat", kucing, is used in Bahasa Binan to denote a male prostitute. Another word with wide currency in Bahasa Binan, but actually typical of standard Indonesian informal word formation, is waria from wanita (woman) + pria (man), meaning "
transvestite".
Offord, Baden and Leon Cantrell (2001). "Homosexual Rights as Human Rights in Indonesia". Pages 233–252 in Gerard Sullivan and Peter A. Jackson (eds). Gay and lesbian Asia: culture, identity, community.
Haworth Press.
ISBN1-56023-146-7