Police in Surabaya have confirmed that two men have been arrested for running a popular gay Facebook page.
Gay Surabaya has over 4,500 members and is a popular online community for gay and bisexual men in East Java.
Two men, identified by the Tanjung Perak Port Police only via their initials have been taken into custody. Police allege MFK, 24, GR, 36, were the organisers of the group.
At a press conference on Monday Police Chief Wahyu Hidayat said the group allowed members to share content related to same-sex attraction, including photos and videos, with the intent of arranging physical meetings.
Homosexuality has never been illegal in Indonesia but the LGBTIQA+ community is often targeted by police using the country’s vaguely worded laws against pornography. In previous cases shirtless photos of two men have been declared pornographic.
The only area in Indonesia where homosexuality is banned is the province of Aceh where Sharia Law is followed. Since 2014 at least six men have been publicly caned for having gay sex.
Local media have reported that Chief Wahyu said police had investigated the Facebook group after they received complaints from local community members.
“Our team conducted profiling and identified the individuals behind the group, which promotes same-sex interactions between men,” Wahyu said.
The two men now face a prison sentence of up to 12 years and fines of one billion rupiah (AUD$94,150).
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