Nugroho Nafika Kassa, Makassar – This year the government of the South Sulawesi provincial capital of Makassar will begin deliberating a draft bylaw (Ranperda) on deviant sexual behaviour, including among this Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT).

LGBT – which will later be referred to as a deviant gender grouping – will no longer be allowed to campaign in public in Makassar. At the same time, the bylaw will affirm that Makassar is anti-LGBT.

Makassar Mayor Mohammad Ramdhan Pomanto said that the regulation would be preventative and used to protect the younger generation in his area.

Moreover at the moment, he said that LGBT campaigns in Makassar have become more widespread, especially because of the frequency that they speak out and their preparedness to appear in public.

"In order to protect [the young] generation, I fully support this. So we will use this Ranperda to protected against and prevent LGBT [people] from campaigning in Makassar", said Danny Pomanto, as the Makassar Mayor is known, on Thursday January 5.

Earlier, the chairperson of the Makassar Municipal Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) Commission D, Andi Hadi Ibrahim Baso, said that several regions in Indonesia already have similar regulations and that aside from this there are also national level regulations that can be used as an example in promoting this regulation.

So, according to Baso, it is very possible to apply such a regulation in Makassar. Nevertheless, the regulation will go through a public test by involving all parties including ulama (Islamic leaders), the Health Office and related stakeholders.

"This is truthfully very worrying, and is not in accordance with our traditions", he asserted.

Commission D member Saharuddin Said meanwhile said that the birth of this regulation is felt to be important in order that there will be no place that accepts these kinds of practices.

"This must be eradicated, practices like as this in public. Although we are a democracy we will still base ourselves on customs and traditions", he said.

[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Makassar Segera Godok Peraturan Anti LGBT".]

Source: https://sulawesi.bisnis.com/read/20230105/539/1615499/makassar-segera-godok-peraturan-anti-lgbt