Publication Date
Spring 2025
Abstract
In this paper, I attempt to understand Indonesian LGBTQ+ identity. With negative views on LGBTQ+ freedoms prevalent amongst the state, religious institutions, and media, I investigate what degree of visibility and expression can be afforded towards community building and individual expression. I catalogue the historical and legal perspectives which influence the current, lived realities of LGBTQ+ individuals. The concept of an ‘appropriate’ expression of gender and sexuality is learned, dynamic, and entrenched in cultural context. In Indonesia’s case, these understandings are forged through dominant systems of knowledge surrounding gender roles, marriage, and familial structure as connected to a nationalist identity. The prevailing nationalistic ideologies and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric inform and influence the public perception of LGBTQ+ individuals. Despite harassment and threats to human rights, the LGBTQ+ community is as diverse as it is resilient, continuing to seek acceptance and authenticity wherever it can be found.
Disciplines
Arts and Humanities | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Recommended Citation
Morton, Madeline, "Moralitas, Pancasila, & Political Homophobia: The Resilience of the Indonesian LGBTQ+ Community" (2025). Indonesia: Arts, Religion, and Social Change. 6.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/abr2/6