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ndonesian gay-rights promoter Dede Oetomo and transgendered campaigner Yulianus “Mami Yuli” Rettoblaut are still in the running for the commissioner post at the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).

However, it remains to be seen whether they will endure the upcoming sessions in the House of Representatives’ Commission III overseeing legal affairs, as some lawmakers say most Indonesians still consider lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) people alien.

Aboebakar Alhabsyi, a Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) lawmaker, has expressed his doubts on the competency of LGBT people to lead the Indonesian human rights body. He said he doubts that Dede or Yuli could even pass the selection process, adding there were dozens of other eligible candidates.

“We haven’t heard about any activities that the two candidates [Dede and Yuli] have done for human rights issues. On the other hand, our society has yet to accept the existence of the LGBT community. The political authority of Komnas HAM could be put in jeopardy if members of this community are selected for the commissioner post,” Aboebakar told The Jakarta Post.

United Development Party (PPP) lawmaker Ahmad Yani admitted that many supporters of the Islamic parties would be uncomfortable with a gay or transgendered commissioner and said his faction would take the views from the party’s supporters into consideration.

“In reality, members of Islamic communities still have a problem in accepting the LGBTs. However, we will try to be as objective as we can,” Yani said.

Other politicians apparently welcomed the inclusion of Dede and Yuli in the short list of candidates.

Lawmaker Eva Kusuma Sundari of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) urged commission members to remain objective when considering the two activists.

“The politicians still have this stereotyping problem. I urge them to focus on the competency of the candidates instead,” Eva said.

Born in Pasuruan, East Java, in 1953, Dede earned his PhD at the prestigious Cornell University in New York. He is a former lecturer at the Social and Political Science Department of Airlangga University in Surabaya, East Java, and he founded human rights group GAYa Nusantara in 1987.

Commenting on the criticism, Dede called on lawmakers to be objective in the selection process.

“These lawmakers will taint their own reputation if they play around with their authority,” he said

Yuli, a member of Indonesia Transgender Communication Forum, said that lawmakers must respect the LGBT community as a legitimate part of society.

“We [transgendered people] are citizens too. We always pay our taxes just like the others,” Yuli said in a text message sent to the Post.

Yuli applied for the same position five years ago, but failed to pass the administrative test because she did not have the proper educational background. She now holds a law degree, which she hopes to use to help solve the problems of transgendered people.

On Wednesday, selection committee chief Jimly Asshiddiqie said that Dede and Yuli were qualified to be in the running, despite the negative comments that the committee has received.

But Jimly expressed concern that the pair would not survive the House’s fit-and-proper test sessions.

“There will be too many political considerations, which will be in the majority’s favor. I don’t think Dede and Yuli will make it through the tests,” Jimly told the Post on Wednesday.

“However, the public should be aware of the existence of that community.”