Government Has Not Discussed Specific LGBTQ Regulations, Says Coordinating Minister Yusril

Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra has stressed that Presidential Regulation No. 111 of 2025 on the General Defence Policy for 2025–2029 should be understood as a defence policy guideline, not as a regulation specifically addressing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) issues. Yusril explained that the regulation, which implements Law No. 3 of 2002 on National Defence, categorises threats to national resilience into military, non-military, and hybrid threats. He noted that LGBTQ is mentioned merely as one element that could potentially constitute a non-military threat to the nation’s existence. The scope of non-military threats is very broad, encompassing not only social and cultural issues but also natural disasters, disease outbreaks, global warming, and the spread of atheism or other ideologies deemed contrary to the state philosophy of Pancasila. He urged the public not to interpret the regulation narrowly by focusing on a single issue, explaining that national defence policy also concerns ideological, cultural, and social resilience. Yusril clarified that the government does not take issue with individuals who identify as LGBTQ, acknowledging their existence as a long-recognised social reality. He stated that individuals are not the threat; rather, the threat lies in the widespread dissemination of ideologies or cultures that could potentially affect national resilience. The government aims to anticipate the spread of propaganda through various media channels to protect the nation’s cultural values, Pancasila philosophy, and its character as a religious and pluralistic society. However, he firmly stated that the regulation must not be used as a basis for persecution, threats, violence, or discrimination, and that the human rights of all citizens are guaranteed by the 1945 Constitution. Yusril also claimed that the government has no plans to draft a specific law on LGBTQ, and no such discussions are underway in the government or the House of Representatives. He added that the new Criminal Code does not criminalise sexual orientation, but rather criminalises specific acts such as rape, obscenity, and sexual violence.