The government heavily panders to religious extremists and in the ultra-conservative province of Aceh, homosexuality is punishable with up to 100 public lashes with a rattan cane, which also applies to foreigners! On the one hand, when it comes to LGBTQ rights in Indonesia, there are none. “OMG you two: careful you don’t get caned for being gay!”Ī rather extreme reaction by some of our friends when we told them we're going to Indonesia, but one we understand. Our friend Joko from Java tells us what gay life in Indonesia is like and the practical realities of the Indonesian LGBTQ community.
