Paper short abstract:

What has caused the unprecedented wave of violence towards LGBT in Indonesia and why has the state been not only reluctant to suppress this violence but allowed politicians and religious leaders to espouse homophobia at local, regional and national levels? This paper explores these questions.

Paper long abstract:

If successful societies are those that embrace diversity, promote inclusion and uphold equality what then can we say of Indonesia with its current wave of anti-LGBT violence? If were are to find a single event that has incited this violence we might settle upon a Minister's affront at LGBT becoming visible in solidarity. Having been advised of a university-based LGBT support group, Indonesia's Research, Technology and Higher Education Minister Muhammad Nasir publicly stated in January 2016 that universities must uphold standards of 'values and morals' and therefore should not support organisations that promote LGBT activities. Nasir's supposed evidence of this support was the existence of the Support Group and Resource Center on Sexuality Studies (SGRC) based at the University of Indonesia - it missed Nasir's attention that SGRC was not an LGBT organisation and that the LGBT Peer Support group under its auspice was not trying to convert people but provide information to students on such things as sexual health. The ensuing backlash saw unprecedented media attention given to LGBT and a wave of pro- and anti- LGBT demonstrations across the country that have continued to grow. This paper explores what is behind the intensity of the unrest and analyses the current situation for LGBT in Indonesia with a view of relating this to notions of citizenship.