Religious leaders in Indonesia have called on the government to resist recognising LGBTIQA+ people or their relationships following advancement of gay rights in other Asian nations.

Last week Singapore announced it would decriminalise homosexuality, albeit while simultaneously strengthening laws that defines marriage as only being between a man and a woman.

Vietnam also took a major step forward for LGBTIQA+ rights when it instructed medical professionals across the country to stop treating homosexuality as an illness.

The developments prompted religious leader in Indonesia to speak out. The Bangkok Post reported that Jeje Zainudin, one of the chairmen at Indonesian Ulema Council or MUI, told conservative-leaning publication Republica that the LGBT community was “condemned” by all six state-recognised religions.

“We, as Indonesians, who have a different constitution from Vietnam and Singapore, of course, should not imitate [them] by legalising LGBT behaviour, which is condemned in the view of all religions adopted in Indonesia” Zainudin said on Monday.

The MUI called on the government to closely monitor the development of LGBT lifestyles in the country and work within religious organisations to promote moral values such as heterosexuality and no sex before marriage.

Homosexuality is not illegal in Indonesia, except in the Aceh region which adopts a strict Islamic law.  LGBTIQA+ people however face widespread discrimination and police harassment.  A variety of laws are used to target members of the LGBTIQA+ communities, including an anti-pornography law which has been used to arrest same-sex couples.

This week Indonesian police were accused of transphobia and violence in the death of transgender man Rodrigo Ventosilla from Peru who was visiting Bali. Police have denied the accusations.

OIP Staff

You can support our work by subscribing to our Patreon
or contributing to our GoFundMe campaign.