September 16, 2016 | Sex & Society

Indonesia clamps down on gay life online

Indonesia, a Muslim nation of 250 million, is taking further steps to oppress its gay minority by blocking access to gay hookup apps and LGBT websites. One reason given is an allegation that child porn and prostitution was being facilitated via these online tools.

In March, the Ministry of Communication had announced it intended to ban LGBT “propaganda.” The highest court in the land is also considering a petition that would make homosexuality a crime in Indonesia for the first time.

Indonesia intends to ask Apple and Google to remove Grindr, Blued and BoyAhoy from their stores when accessed from the country.

Indonesia is 90% Muslim but is no where near as repressive as Middle Eastern countries when it comes to sexual minorities. Still, conservative forces have had more influence on government policy in recent years and the internet is seen by some as a source of evil foreign influences.

In August, Said Aqil Siradj, chairman of the world’s largest Muslim organization, described the internet as anti-Islam. “All news and information is dominated by Westerners, by outsiders -- they intentionally aim to influence our mind, our way of thinking,” he said, so that “our next generation might not recognize anymore” fundamental aspects of their faith “because their thought have been shaped by Facebook, Twitter, social media, YouTube.”

Yuli Rustinawati, chair of the LGBT group Arus Pelangi, said police should be focusing on the child sexual abuse allegations and not use them as a pretense to attack the entire online LGBT community.

If it's gays today, who (or what ideas) will it be tomorrow?

Hundreds of millions of people may soon be blocked from using Grindr [Buzz Feed]