Jakarta – Homosexuality is not a disease but a social reality that the public should learn to respect, the executive director of the Women's Journal Foundation (YJP), Mariana Amiruddin, said at a discussion Friday.
The event was held in conjunction with International Day Against Homophobia, which falls on May 17.
Mariana said Indonesian society attached a stigma to homosexuality, which is often viewed as unnatural. She urged people to stop discriminating against homosexuals and accept that they have a fundamental right to express their sexuality.
Mariana cited a 1991 statement from the World Health Organization that homosexuality is not a disease or mental illness.
"Homosexuals, including lesbians, are also people who need to be respected and accepted in society. We should believe in diversity," she said at the launch of the latest edition of Jurnal Perempuan (Women's Journal), which deals with issues affecting lesbians.
The event Friday also introduced a collection of poems and short stories by young Indonesian lesbians, Pelangi Perempuan.
"The idea that they are abnormal leads many people to avoid mingling with homosexuals... these kind of people are homophobic. They have no reason for spreading hatred of homosexuals," Mariana said.
Gayatri of ChandraKirana, a lesbian organization, said homosexuality is often mistakenly regarded as a product of Western influence, even though it has long been part of Indonesian culture. She cited communities such as the Warok-Gemblak community in Ponorogo, East Java, and the Bissu community in Sulawesi.
"Javanese and Sundanese culture also recognize homosexuality in their traditional wayang stories. For example, the heroine Srikandi who changes her sexuality to marry the princess Dewi Durniti," the psychologist said.
Mohammad Guntur Romli of Jurnal Perempuan suggested that people should seek out more information about homosexuality. He said people tend to hate homosexuals "because they have no idea what homosexuality actually is".
Members of the Women's Rainbow Institute said people needed to stop judging gay people. "They should get more information about homosexuality and respect our sexuality. We would have more confidence and feel more comfortable if they accepted us just like everyone else," said Rai, an institute member.
Protestant preacher Ester Mariani said homosexuality "is not a sin" if the relationship between two homosexuals is "truthful, genuine and full of responsibility. Only if one of them exploits or hurts his or her partner should we question that relationship", Ester said.
"Religions based on a patriarchal system recognize only heterosexuality and only consider men's interests. So such religions would never accept homosexuality," she said. (trw)