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Pride and prejudice: Indonesia summons UK ambassador over LGBT flag ‘incident’
“Sometimes it is important to take a stand for what you think is right, even if disagreement between friends can be uncomfortable,” read a British Embassy Instagram caption.
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A rainbow flag representing the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community is waved in this file photo. A 2020 survey by the United States-based Pew Research Center found that 80 percent of Indonesians believed homosexuality “should not be accepted by society”. (Unsplash/Raphael Renter)
T
he government appears to have caved in to public pressure after the British Embassy in Jakarta raised a rainbow flag in honor of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community last week, eliciting backlash in conservative-leaning Indonesia.
The Foreign Ministry summoned British Ambassador to Indonesia Owen Jenkins on Monday to express its disapproval of the embassy’s decision to fly the flag at its Jakarta compound, a spokesman confirmed on Tuesday, even as some experts insist the embassy had not violated any regulations.
The flag was flown on May 17 to commemorate the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT). The embassy also held an event involving local LGBT groups that day.
A photo of the flag was posted on the British Embassy’s Instagram account and garnered nearly 10,000 comments, predominantly of disapproval.
The photo’s caption reads: “Sometimes it is important to take a stand for what you think is right, even if disagreement between friends can be uncomfortable”.
The ensuing backlash came not only from Indonesia’s infamous netizens but also from grassroots Islamic organizations and members of the House of Representatives.
On Monday, the ministry announced it had summoned Jenkins to express its “concern and disappointment” over the matter.
