Indonesia

Same-sex relations between consensual adults are not criminalized at the national level in Indonesia. However, several provinces, such as Aceh, which operates under Shariah, criminalize same-sex intimacy with punishments that include public floggings, imprisonment, hefty fines, and conversion practices. 

In 2022, Indonesia’s parliament passed a new criminal code that will criminalize consensual sex outside of marriage with one year in prison. It will take effect at the beginning of 2026. While it also applies to different-sex couples, it will disproportionately target same-sex couples, who cannot legally marry. Only legal spouses, parents, or children can file complaints under this law.

The vaguely worded 2016 National Pornography Act has also been used to target LGBTIQ people, with authorities and internet service providers blocking online LGBTIQ content, leading some LGBTIQ individuals to resort to self-censorship. Locally, a growing number of regions and cities have issued anti-LGBTIQ bylaws, which purport to protect the definition of traditional family and so-called Indonesian values of morality.

Many Indonesians believe that being LGBTIQ and accepting LGBTIQ individuals go against religious norms and societal values. Negative media coverage and anti-LGBTIQ rhetoric, including calls for the criminalization of same-sex intimacy by religious leaders, have exacerbated negative public opinion. Outright’s research in 2025 indicates that lesbian, bisexual, and queer women are subjected to online gender-based violence in Indonesia, and the restrictive legal situation leaves victim-survivors without rescourse to the law. Acceptance is slightly higher for transgender individuals, mainly because of the historical social role of the waria people, a third-gender community in Indonesia.

*Outright research indicates that the bodily autonomy of intersex people is not respected and protected in this country.