Central Java Governor: LGBT is a Deviation, Not a Threat

The Governor of Central Java, Ahmad Luthfi, has commented on the issuance of Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 111 of 2025 concerning the General Policy on State Defence 2025-2029, which includes the spread of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) as a non-military threat. According to Luthfi, as long as no criminal acts are committed, LGBTQ is only categorised as a deviation, not a threat. “It is not a threat yet. As long as it does not commit a criminal act, it is not a threat. It is just a deviation,” Luthfi said when interviewed by the media at the Central Java Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD) office on Wednesday (8/7/2026).

The statement follows a recent report from the Central Java Health Office (Dinkes) which noted a change in the pattern of HIV transmission in the province, with new cases frequently emerging from men who have sex with men (MSM). Responding to this phenomenon, Luthfi stated, “We will instruct the relevant agencies to truly carry out prevention activities. So prevention must start from an early stage, perhaps beginning from schools.”

Luthfi added that the Central Java Provincial Government currently operates a Free Online Psychology Service (Logis). He suggested that this platform could be used by individuals who are victims of bullying, as well as to address what he described as ‘deviant behaviour’ related to LGBT. “This includes LGBT deviant behaviour; we can also use it for that,” Luthfi said.

The Presidential Regulation Number 111 of 2025 on the General Policy on State Defence 2025-2029 lists the spread of LGBTQ alongside other non-military threats such as the spread of atheism, separatism, radicalism, and terrorism. Regarding the situation in Central Java, the Head of the Provincial Health Office, Zulfachmi Wahab, revealed that there is currently a shift in the pattern of HIV transmission in the province.