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House agrees to total ban on LGBT content
Equality for all: Hundreds of women participate in the Women’s March 2017 on Jl
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span class="inline inline-center">Equality for all: Hundreds of women participate in the Women’s March 2017 on Jl. Merdeka Barat, Jakarta, March 4. The rally was held to commemorate International Women’s Day that was celebrated on March 8 and to promote equal rights for women and transgender people.(JP/Seto Wardhana)
The broadcasting bill is arguably the most contentious bill currently being deliberated by the House of Representatives, with lawmakers having spent more than four years debating crucial provisions that will affect large businesses, mainly those in the broadcasting and tobacco industry.
As of today, the House’s Legislative Body (Baleg) and Commission I that oversees broadcasting have yet to agree on a single version of the draft bill that they could use as reference for deliberation, given the stakes involved.
The lawmakers, however, have had no reservation when considering a proposal to rid the public space of anything related to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
Article 61 Point 2 of the latest bill, a copy of which was obtained by The Jakarta Post, stipulates that the Broadcasting Program Standard (SPS) bans 12 criteria of broadcasting content, including programs containing “LGBT behavior.”
All LGBT campaigns, LGBT documentaries and comedy shows featuring men or women behaving like the opposite gender will not be allowed on screen, the bill says. Programs promoting or starring members of the LGBT community will also be banned.
“I am sure there are still more creative ways to entertain people [instead of showing LGBT behavior],” the House’s Commission I deputy chairman Hanafi Rais of the National Mandate Party (PAN) told the Post on Wednesday.
Article 140 of the bill stipulates that all movies, drama series and advertisements broadcast on TV must be screened by the censorship agency that would ensure the SPS rules on LGBT content are enforced.
Most factions at the House argue that the LGBT community are immoral and dangerous and thus the ban is needed to protect the younger generation, particularly children.
“We can’t allow LGBT behavior on TV. It is against our culture. We have to ban it early before it becomes a lifestyle. It’s dangerous and can ruin the morality of the younger generation,” said Supiadin Aries Saputra of the NasDem Party.
The House claims that the decision follows the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission’s (KPI) statement last year that discouraged broadcasters, television and radio stations from running programs that promote the activities of the LGBT community.
The Broadcasting bill, the deliberation of which has been ongoing since the House’s previous period, also elaborates a provision that will not allow members of the LGBT community to participate as members of the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI), with Article 39 emphasizing that to be a KPI member, one must not have a deviant sexual orientation.
“If people personally want to have a different sexual orientation, it’s up to them. But they should not make it into a formal statement or organization,” Supiadin added.
Golkar Party lawmaker Bobby Adhityo Rizaldi told the Post that all factions had agreed with the provision, given public input which considers the LGBT community as “unhealthy.”
“Indeed, the president said there should be no discrimination against minorities, but he [President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo] also said Indonesia had norms and ethical values. In general, people disagree with the [promotion of the] LGBT community. We can’t ignore such input from the public,” Bobby said.
The LGBT community in Indonesia has been under pressure in recent years amid rising conservatism, which analysts say has been exploited by politicians to advance their interests.
The situation has escalated since last year, when high-ranking government officials supported calls for a ban on LGBT activities on campuses and television and radio programs.
Last year, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) called for legislation to ban homosexuality in Indonesia and demanded that homosexuals be criminally charged for their “deviant” sexual orientation.
The LGBT community is concerned with the House’s move to restrict their freedom.
“Is homosexuality such a crime that they have to ban it?” said Yuli Rustinawati, head of LGBT rights group Arus Pelangi.
Yuli said the broadcasting bill, if enacted, could even restrict the freedom of straight people, because there was no clear limitation on their behavior. Not all masculine women or feminine men are homosexuals, she said.
With the ban, Yuli said, people would no longer have access to information to know what the real definition of LGBT is, or to other related information regarding sexual health such as HIV and AIDS.
“Indeed, we have to screen the information. But if there is no access to the information, how can we screen it? When there are many reports of violations against LGBT people, is it not important to be informed?” Yuli said.
