Survey: Over 80 Percent of Indonesians View LGBT as a Threat

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) Media Director Ade Armando said that the majority of Indonesian public is against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.

This was revealed in an SMRC poll that was held on March 2016, September and December of 2017, which involved 1,220 respondents. The margin of error is said to be more or less 3.1 percent.

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The poll shows that the majority of Indonesians consider LGBT as a threat. As 87.6 percent agree to this notion, meanwhile 10.8 percent think otherwise, while the rest did not answer.

Another of their findings is when issues of LGBT are linked to religious teachings. 81.5 percent of Indonesians view that LGBT tendencies are prohibited by their religion, while 8.6 percent think otherwise.

“This applies to all religion,” said Ade in a discussion regarding LGBT at the SMRC headquarters in Cikini, North Jakarta, on Thursday, January 25.

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The majority of people also reject any LGBT activities in their neighborhood and if it involves being a leader. “Around 80 percent object if their neighbor is an LGBT, and 90 percent of them would not accept it if a person of LGBT becomes a regent, governor, or president,” said Ade.

However, 45.9 percent of respondents would be willing to accept it if a family member turned out to be gay, while 53.3 percent would reject the person. Other findings show that 57.7 percent of respondents believe that people in the LGBT community have the right to live in Indonesia.

AHMAD FAIZ IBNU SANI