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LGBT people face systemic homophobia
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JP/Ni Nyoman Wira
Participants of the march hold posters showing the percentage of LGBT people who have tried to commit suicide, the number of rape and domestic violence victims per year and the percentage of LGBT people who have experienced violence. (JP/Ni Nyoman Wira)
M
ay 17 is celebrated globally as the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT). While other parts of the world held parades and events to raise awareness of discrimination and violence against the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community, no similar celebration was held in Indonesia.
On the contrary, two incidents related to LGBT discrimination took place near the day, which commemorated the decision by the World Health Organization (WHO) to remove homosexuality from its list of psychiatric disorders on May 17, 1990. In Jakarta, North Jakarta Police raided a gym in Kelapa Gading on Sunday night where they rounded up 141 men for alleged involvement in a gay sex party. Meanwhile, some 2,500 kilometers from the capital city, two gay men were publicly caned in Aceh on Tuesday after being declared guilty by a Sharia court of committing homosexual sex.
Minority rights and legal aid groups condemned the incidents as violations of privacy and discrimination against the LGBT community. The incidents again highlighted rising homophobia in the country following the prevalence of nationwide anti-LGBT sentiment last year, which was kick-started by a comment from Research, Technology and Higher Education Minister Muhammad Nasir who said in January that year that LGBT people should be banned from university campuses.
The situation was very difficult for the LGBT community following homophobic sentiment, which, sadly, was spread by government officials, LGBT rights group Arus Pelangi chair Yuli Rustinawati said. Homophobic sentiments, she said, had materialized in several discriminatory regulations such as the Qanun Jinayat in Aceh and 2008 Pornography law.
“The existing discriminative regulations against LGBT people have further hampered their ability to lead a decent life,” she told The Jakarta Post.
Such sentiments were instilled in Setya Hartade Hutagalung, a 25-year old private company employee who claims to respect LGBT people and wants to befriend them “as long as there is no physical touching.”
Setya said the restrictions he made with his gay friends and clients derived from views instilled in him since his youth that homosexuality was deviant from the norm.
