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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Culture & Society

Indonesia Designates LGBTQ Culture a Nonmilitary Threat in Defense Policy

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Indonesia's Defense Ministry has classified the spread of LGBTQ culture as a nonmilitary threat in a new presidential regulation.
  • The ministry stated the classification stems from the belief that LGBTQ culture is incompatible with Indonesia's state ideology, Pancasila, and could weaken social cohesion.
  • The regulation, derived from a 2002 state defense law, was drafted internally but involved other government institutions.

Indonesia's Defense Ministry has officially classified the spread of LGBTQ culture as a nonmilitary threat, a designation included in Presidential Regulation No. 111/2025 on the General State Defense Policy for 2025-2029. This classification, initially discussed in 2023, has recently drawn public attention due to its inclusion in the regulation's threat assessment section.

The ministry, through Brig. Gen. Rico Ricardo Sirait of the Defense Information Bureau, explained that the regulation is based on Law No. 3/2002 on State Defense. While drafted internally, the process involved collaboration with institutions such as the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Defense Council, and the Home Affairs Ministry.

Sirait stated that LGBTQ issues were incorporated because the government perceives the phenomenon as incompatible with Indonesia's state ideology, Pancasila. A key concern is the potential influence on younger generations, which the ministry believes could "weaken cultural resilience and social cohesion."

It has the potential to weaken cultural resilience and social cohesion.

— Brig. Gen. Rico Ricardo SiraitChief of the Defense Information Bureau at the Defense Ministry, explaining the rationale behind including LGBTQ issues in the regulation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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