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ndividuals perceived and known as homosexuals have been the targets of social ridicule and discrimination for many years in many countries. Many people who are gay were thought to have a mental disorder and were given medical attention under the assumption that it could and should be cured.

It was only in 1973 that the US removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders, and Indonesia followed suit in 1983 and again in 1993. Our Health Ministry has stated that homosexuals, heterosexuals and bisexuals should not be seen as people with a mental disorder.

However, many still believe that lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders(LGBTs) are committing sinful acts.

In 2008, a man and his alleged boyfriend were severely beaten and verbally abused by a crowd because their neighbors suspected they were a gay couple. They were again viciously beaten, verbally abused, stripped down to their underwear and forced to perform oral sex by police officers.

Today the bullying of gays, fear and misunderstanding persist to such an extent that homosexuality is considered a communicable disease.

The US recently passed a bill allowing same-sex marriage, which generated mixed feelings around the world.

In March, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued a fatwa (edict) stating that homosexuality is punishable by caning, and in some instances, death. The MUI has asked the government to set up a rehabilitation center for LGBTs to eventually '€œeradicate such people'€.

An Indonesian celebrity seen in a gay parade in the US made headlines and felt the need to clarify that he was only a spectator, and that his presence did not necessarily mean that he supported the cause.

Often, how we perceive people outside society'€™s norms really depends on how we were taught since an early age.

Nevertheless, regardless of one'€™s opinion of people who live different lifestyles from theirs, it is not their right to judge or punish them. Homosexuals have the same right to protection as other citizens.

Asyifa Putri
Jakarta