LGBT rights in Indonesia have been a hotly debated issue lately following the government’s prohibition of the existence of LGBT peer support groups in universities.
Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama yesterday weighed in on the matter by saying, very sensibly, that no one has the right to determine people’s sexual orientations.
“[LGBT people] have been around since the era of the prophets, from the story of Lot,” Ahok said, as quoted by Tempo.
We’d argue further by saying that homosexuality existed even before then, but it’s refreshing to hear that an Indonesian government official has the right idea about LGBT issues.
Ahok added that sexual orientation cannot be changed in the same way that people can be deterred from stealing, committing adultery or committing graft, amongst many other vices, with laws to punish them.
The government, according to Ahok, should instead focus on the more pressing matter of the spread of HIV/AIDS, which is a critical issue affecting LGBT communities and the rest of Indonesia.
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