Indonesian President Labels LGBT Culture a 'National Threat', Prompting a Rise in Violence

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has issued a 70-page presidential regulation on national defense policy, classifying the “promotion of LGBT culture” as a non-military threat to state sovereignty and public safety. This list also includes terrorism, drug trafficking, and online gambling. The document mandates ministries and regional administrations to take measures to counter these threats.

According to PinkNews , the new regulations have created a legal basis for increased discrimination at the local level. The Legal Aid Institute for the People stated that the regulation provides regional authorities with legitimate grounds to penalize LGBT individuals simply because of their identity.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) reports a surge in harassment and attacks on queer students at Indonesian universities. At least 10 public universities have recently adopted discriminatory regulations that restrict discussions on gender and sexual diversity.

Furthermore, the advocacy group Pelangi Nusantara documented a series of attacks on transgender women in the city of Bogor, Java. Reports indicate that at least 15 people have been targeted; attackers subjected them to beatings, doused them in urine, and stripped them naked.

Amidst these events, the conservative Indonesian Ulema Council has called for “sexual deviation” to be subject to criminal penalties more severe than those for adultery.

At the federal level in Indonesia, same-sex relations are not criminalized. However, they are banned under Shariah law in the province of Aceh, where offenders can face up to 1.5 years in prison. Indirect discrimination against LGBT people remains embedded in several national laws, including the Pornography Law, the Marriage Law, and the Criminal Code.