Sumedang Regent Responds to Viral Gay Community Social Media Groups

The Sumedang Regency Government in West Java is investigating and following up on the existence of social media groups allegedly containing deviant content related to an LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) community that has gone viral. Netizens were previously stirred by the viral spread of a Sumedang gay community on Facebook, which has thousands of members. The community has several similar groups bearing the names of areas in Sumedang, such as Gay Sumedang, Wado, Cimungkal, Gay Buahdua, Conggeang, Ujung Jaya, and others. Sumedang Regent Dony Ahmad Munir stated in Sumedang on Wednesday that the local government will coordinate with relevant authorities to verify the truth of the information before taking further handling measures. “The government will also follow up and check the circulating information, including coordination with the Sumedang Police cyber unit and the Communication and Information Office,” he said. If the investigation proves there are violations or deviations, the local government will take steps in accordance with applicable regulations. Regent Dony also mentioned that this phenomenon needs to be a shared concern and must not be allowed to develop in the digital space because it has the potential to affect the social environment of the community, especially the younger generation. He also stressed the importance of strengthening moral and religious education starting from the family as the main foundation in shaping the character of society. “We need to strengthen the morals, faith, and piety of the community, starting from the family as the main foundation,” he said. According to him, the local government is also intensifying programme strengthening from the family level and involving various elements such as the police, relevant agencies, the community, academics, the business world, communities, and the media in social supervision. “Supervision must also be tightened by involving the police, relevant agencies, the community, and academics. Do not let this matter spread widely. Moral and religious education must continue to be improved,” he said. He added that collaboration between the local government, law enforcement officials, educational institutions, and the community is necessary to prevent the spread of content deemed deviant in the digital space.