Aceh autonomy hits LGBT lifestyles
- 9 years ago
Life in Indonesia's Aceh province has never been easy if you're gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.
This transgender rights campaigner won't give her name for fear of arrest.
New sharia laws punishing gay sex with 100 lashes are about to make life tougher still for those who fail to follow their tough strictures.
(SOUNDBITE)(Bahasa Indonesia) UNIDENTIFIED TRANSGENDER PERSON SAYING:
"I have the support of my family, especially my parents. They're the ones who give me courage to face the difficulties so me and my friends have decided to go invisible and hang out only among people from our own community."
Aceh's estimated LGBT community of about 1, 000 has been feeling the pinch since the province was given the right to use Islamic sharia law.
The new anti-gay laws are pending final approval but Tono Permana of Indonesia's national gay rights group fears Aceh could be the thin end of the wedge.
(SOUNDBITE)(English) TONO PERMANA, CO-ORDINATOR OF
This transgender rights campaigner won't give her name for fear of arrest.
New sharia laws punishing gay sex with 100 lashes are about to make life tougher still for those who fail to follow their tough strictures.
(SOUNDBITE)(Bahasa Indonesia) UNIDENTIFIED TRANSGENDER PERSON SAYING:
"I have the support of my family, especially my parents. They're the ones who give me courage to face the difficulties so me and my friends have decided to go invisible and hang out only among people from our own community."
Aceh's estimated LGBT community of about 1, 000 has been feeling the pinch since the province was given the right to use Islamic sharia law.
The new anti-gay laws are pending final approval but Tono Permana of Indonesia's national gay rights group fears Aceh could be the thin end of the wedge.
(SOUNDBITE)(English) TONO PERMANA, CO-ORDINATOR OF