INDONESIA DRAFTS ANTI-LGBT EDUCATION MATERIAL FOR SCHOOLS

Indonesia's Ministry of Religious Affairs is drafting educational content designed to discourage what government officials describe as the spread of "LGBT culture". The material follows a presidential regulation issued in 2025 that listed such spread among the country's non-military security threats, alongside separatism, terrorism and online gambling. Romo Muhammad Syafi'i, vice-minister of religion, confirmed the drafting was a follow-up to that regulation. Officials stated the content remains under discussion and could be incorporated into religious education in schools, Islamic institutions, Friday prayer sermons, family development programmes and other religious events.

The government has stated the presidential regulation is not intended as a basis for criminalising any group. However, experts and queer activists have raised concerns that introducing such material into classrooms risks deepening social stigma around sexual orientation. These critics argue there is no scientific evidence that anti-LGBT education can alter a person's sexual orientation, and warn that such teaching may damage children's mental health. Same-sex relations are not criminalised at the national level in Indonesia, though LGBT people experience significant social stigma; Aceh province, which has special autonomy to enforce sharia law, does criminalise same-sex conduct.

The initiative reflects broader pressure within Indonesian society regarding LGBT issues. Activists and experts have flagged that the educational push could produce unintended consequences for young people. The government's framing of LGBT matters as a security concern has drawn international attention to Indonesia's approach to rights and freedoms.