Central Java Governor: LGBTQ Not a Threat Unless Committing Crimes, Only Deviations

Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi has stated that LGBTQ individuals do not pose a threat unless they engage in criminal activity, characterizing their behavior as a deviation rather than a danger. Luthfi's remarks came after the issuance of Presidential Regulation No. 111 of 2025, which designates the spread of LGBTQ as a non-military threat alongside issues like atheism, separatism, radicalism, and terrorism.

"A threat? Not yet. Meaning, as long as they don't commit crimes, it's not a threat. It's just a deviation," Luthfi told reporters on Wednesday (July 8, 2026) at the Central Java DPRD Office. He was responding to questions about LGBTQ's classification as a non-military threat in the new defense policy.

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A threat? Not yet. Meaning, as long as they don't commit crimes, it's not a threat. It's just a deviation.

Luthfi also addressed the Central Java Health Office's report of a changing pattern in HIV transmission within the province, noting an increase among men who have sex with men (MSM). He indicated that the provincial government would direct health agencies to intensify prevention efforts, potentially starting from schools. The governor also highlighted the province's free online psychology service, 'Logis,' as a resource that can assist individuals experiencing bullying or dealing with "deviant behaviors like LGBT."

According to the Health Office head, Zulfachmi Wahab, while overall HIV cases in Central Java have decreased from 2024 to 2025 and into 2026, there has been a noticeable shift in transmission patterns. "The number is actually decreasing. But there's a change in the transmission pattern, from sexual contact previously, it's now shifting to men who have sex with men or MSM," Wahab explained on Friday (June 26, 2026). He added that this trend of increased transmission among MSM has been observed for about five years, contrasting it with earlier trends where transmission often occurred from husbands to housewives.

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The number is actually decreasing. But there's a change in the transmission pattern, from sexual contact previously, it's now shifting to men who have sex with men or MSM.