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The major flaw behind #UninstallGojek
In the blink of an eye, the #UninstallGojek movement went viral on social media, featuring screenshots of users uninstalling the Go-Jek app, which has come to dominate Indonesia’s app-based ride-hailing and delivery services.
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Green helmet with Go-Jek logo. (Shutterstock.com/findracadabra )
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n the blink of an eye, the #UninstallGojek movement went viral on social media, featuring screenshots of users uninstalling the Go-Jek app, which has come to dominate Indonesia’s app-based ride-hailing and delivery services. The movement was triggered by a Facebook post written by Go-Jek vice president of operations and business development Brata Santoso regarding the company’s internal campaign. The post was written on his personal Facebook account in light of the celebration of National Coming Out Day, which falls on Oct. 11 in the United States. Santoso briefly elaborated on the company’s non-discrimination policy, which includes support for their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) employees.
Setting aside the endless debate on whether or not LGBT is a socially or morally acceptable identity in Indonesia, the #UninstallGojek movement seems to base itself on flawed arguments.
Those who chose to uninstall the app have stated the same argument that as an app and company that operates in Indonesia, Go-Jek is obliged to follow Indonesian law, which they assume criminalizes LGBT communities and any related support for the groups. However, what seems to be missing in this argument are two things — firstly, that social norms are different from law. Most Indonesian citizens may think that a certain act is illegal, but that does not automatically translate into illegality in the eyes of the law.
And second, unlike other Southeast Asian countries, such as Malaysia, which specifically has a law against sodomy, homosexuality is not illegal in Indonesia. Despite the rise of anti-LGBT rhetoric, the Criminal Code does not prohibit private, non-commercial homosexual relations between consenting adults. If anything, the Constitution does not explicitly address sexual orientation or gender identity. It does guarantee all citizens various legal rights, including equality before the law, equal opportunity, humane treatment in the workplace, religious freedom, freedom of opinion, peaceful assembly and freedom of association.
