Her lawyer, Erwin Siregar, said that the couple had not broken any laws and that they were just trying to promote Bali, and help people come to the island after coronavirus restrictions were lifted. “I’m being deported because of LGBT,” she said last week. Gray has denied any wrongdoing in relation to her business activities, stating that she had not made money in Indonesian rupiah in Indonesia. Exorcism and conversion therapy continue to be imposed upon people, while the Indonesian Psychiatrists Association (PDSKJI) classifies homosexuality, bisexuality and transsexualism as mental disorders that can be cured through proper treatment.Ī study by Pew Research Center published in 2020 found that only 9% of Indonesians agreed that homosexuality should be accepted by society. Homosexuality is legal in Indonesia, except in Aceh province, but LGBT people lack legal rights and face widespread prejudice. We are the ones who have to deal with the impact if something happened.” But he added: “As tourists they will return to their countries, but we live here, we are staying here. So far in Bali, there has been no action against the community, said Arya. In 2019, a Bali-based LGBT pageant held its crowning ceremony in secret after it was targeted with online criticism. Last year, authorities announced they were investigating a villa that had marketed itself as a destination for gay travellers, with one official stating at the time that “here in Bali we don’t recognise that culture”.
Over recent years, there have been worrying signs of increased hostility. Some fear the publicity generated by Gray’s deportation could prompt the authorities to crackdown on LGBT people in Bali. Her description of the island as a welcoming place for LGBT travellers was among the comments they highlighted.īali, a Hindu-majority island and a tourist destination that attracts gay travellers, is considered more open-minded than other areas of Indonesia, where discrimination against LGBT people is rife. Within days, authorities announced that she would was deported.įor the queer community in Bali, the episode has been especially fraught.Įxplaining their decision to deport Gray, officials not only accused her of operating a business in Bali, but also of having “disseminated information disturbing to the public”. They pointed out that she showed little awareness of huge economic inequality on the island, or of the impact of the pandemic on local people. Her comments, her critics felt, summed up the privileged attitude of foreign tourists who ignore local rules. Her post immediately prompted an online storm among Bali residents. It also gave advice on getting into Bali during the Covid-19 pandemic – despite an entry ban for foreign visitors, which was put in place to stop the spread of the virus. Arya, Gaya Dewata FoundationĪfter sharing her experience, she posted a link to an ebook she had created, which she said contained visa tips. Not everyone here can express themselves that freely.