Homosexuality and the law in Indonesia

Abstract

The situation for Indonesian lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people has become increasingly perilous over the last few years. Homosexuality has never been illegal at the national level in Indonesia. However, with the granting of special autonomy in Aceh, homosexual acts have now been criminalised in Aceh and discriminatory laws have been passed in a number of other regions. Indonesian LGBT people now also face the possibility of imprisonment under different national laws, such as the 2008 Pornography Law, and discussions are underway about whether homosexuality should be included as a crime in the Criminal Code (Kitab Undang-undang Hukum Pidana or KUHP).