DPR Hopes LGBTQ Bill Will Not Only Focus on Law Enforcement

Deputy Chairman of House Commission VIII, Singgih Januratmiko, has voiced support for the Indonesian Ulema Council’s (MUI) proposal to draft an academic text for a bill on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ) individuals. The MUI has proposed that the bill include criminal provisions as stipulated in MUI Fatwa Number 57 of 2014. The recommendation urges the House and the government to impose severe sanctions on LGBTQ behaviour and other deviant sexual activities to provide a deterrent effect and mitigate social threats.

Regarding the discourse on criminal provisions, House Commission VIII stressed the importance of maintaining harmony between Pancasila values, religious norms, and the strengthening of the family institution in Indonesia. The Golkar Party politician also cautioned that the drafting of the academic text should use a rational and just religious and social approach. This would ensure the resulting regulation does not solely focus on law enforcement or deterrence. ‘The approach used must include prevention, education, and social guidance efforts,’ he added.

Singgih revealed that the House has not yet received the official academic draft from the MUI. However, if the draft is submitted and Commission VIII is appointed as the council’s working committee to deliberate it, he guarantees the discussion process will be transparent, participatory, and accountable. As representatives of the people, the House is open to receiving input from various parties, including religious leaders, academics, legal practitioners, and LGBTQ groups. This dialogue space is opened so that the resulting regulation is objective, just, and brings benefit to society. ‘Most importantly, every legal content must be comprehensively reviewed to uphold the principles of legal certainty, Eastern values, and prevailing religious norms,’ he said.

He concluded that criminal provisions related to LGBTQ are a crucial issue. This is because current legal instruments, such as the Sexual Violence Law and the Criminal Code, are still general in nature and do not specifically address LGBTQ behaviour in public spaces. Therefore, a specific regulation is needed to make the legal framework for enforcement and education more decisive and targeted. The push for criminal sanctions against LGBTQ groups resurfaced after President Prabowo Subianto signed Presidential Regulation Number 111 of 2025 on the General Policy for State Defence for 2025–2029, which includes the spread of LGBTQ culture as a non-military threat to national defence. MUI Deputy Chairman Muhammad Cholil Nafis explained that the current positive law does not yet specifically regulate criminal sanctions for LGBTQ individuals who engage in deviant behaviour in public spaces. He noted a tendency for same-sex couples to be less reluctant to display affection in public, necessitating firm legal rules to create a deterrent effect and prevent the spread of such behaviour.