Gay sex to be banned in Indonesia – but it’s ‘not discriminatory,’ say lawmakers

Gay sex is set to be made illegal in Indonesia.

The country’s new criminal code, which includes a prohibition on homosexual acts, is currently being discussed in the House of Representatives, with a goal of passing it into law later this year.

Arsul Sani, a member of the People’s Representative Council which is forming the new code, said that the controversial ban would go into effect, but would somehow not be discriminatory.

(CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN/AFP/Getty)

Sani, who is also secretary-general of the United Development Party, said: “This article will not be deleted, but the formula will be improved so that there is no perception of discrimination.”

Aceh is the only part of the Muslim-majority country where gay sex is already illegal, as the region has Sharia law, having won this concession from the government as part of a 2005 autonomy deal.

The ban – which could make gay sex punishable by up to five years in prison – was set to come into effect in February, but was delayed.

Gay men in Indonesia being led to be lashed 83 times (Ulet Ifansasti/Getty)

The Indonesian Supreme Court narrowly blocked a similar measure from passing last year, but it seems that was only a temporary reprieve.

Sani said that his United Development Party and other Islamic parties would strongly oppose the removal of the gay sex ban from the proposed code, which could be in effect from August.

In January, Indonesian police arrested 12 transgender women in Aceh and shaved their heads in an effort “to turn them into men”.

(YouTube/LOE TUBE)

The raid on salons was called “operasi penyakit masyarakat,” which translates as “community sickness operation”.