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Issues: Letters: Against the gay conference
April 3, p
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strong>April 3, p. 3
Currently, people can talk freely about anything, including the voices of gay and lesbian groups. But it does not mean that they can do anything that may spark public inconvenience.
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and Muhammadiyah, the second-largest Islamic organization in this country, have the right to call on the government to prevent chaos and rioting in the country. In the case of the gay conference, I agree with the police action to ban the event in the East Java capital Surabaya.
People outside Indonesia may not know the real situation here in which the people respect local norms, traditions and beliefs. (By Aries Musnandar,
Malang, East Java)
Your comments:
I have nothing against gays. They have the same rights as all of us. Why should we bother them? They never bother me. Leave them alone. Do your own work.
Norm
Kuala Lumpur
Homosexuality is considered
normal.
It’s not only affected by environment, but genetics as well. You can’t possibly do anything to fix someone’s genes.
It’s not fair to discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation. No gay/lesbian wants
to be born homosexual, yet they can’t change.
If you think homosexuals are worse than heterosexuals, you’re wrong. God loves everyone no matter who they are.
Clement
Jakarta
Democracy is the same anywhere in the world. There is no such thing as American democracy or Indonesian democracy.
It means the presence of a guarantee that every individual has their own opinions, choices and the freedom to act on said opinions and choices within the limits of law.
That to me means that every gay and lesbian in this country has the right to feel the way they feel and should not be afraid to gather and have a conference. It also means that every other individual has the right to protest.
Democracy does not, however, extend freedom of opinion to
acts of intimidation, not to mention violence.
To force one’s opinion on others is obviously an antithesis of democracy.
And if you had paid more attention, Aries, you would have found out that those who opposed the conference are by no means the majority in this country.
Shirley Thomas
Jakarta
Human rights applies to individuals. When something comes into the public arena, you have to act appropriately to correspond to “local norms, traditions and beliefs”.
You may find homosexuals in Indonesian TV shows and movie scenes, but it doesn’t mean that they are generally accepted. It is different in their “real life”.
I am dismayed by seeing so many foreigners come to Indonesia and not respect our norms. I’d like to see if Western culture is “localized” only in Bali, as the Balinese there are
so tolerant.
Dani Sugarda
Jakarta
Most of the bigots in Indonesia think that Easterners are holy and Westerners are evil because of a trust issue.
Well, I don’t think the law can rule on the instinct, desire or sexuality of a human being.
When people hear the word “gay” or “lesbian”, they just think it’s perverted or immoral.
A lot of people mock them and
no one cares about their feelings. Why doesn’t God change them to
be normal?
Maybe because God doesn’t see anything wrong with them. Don’t you realize that they have prayed for God to heal them?
I believe that God loves everyone no matter what.
Ronny Luke
Jakarta
