Shifting Paradigms: The Controversy and Complexity of LGBTI Protection in Indonesia as the Biggest Muslim Country

The existence of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersexual (LGBTI) as a legal subject in a religious community like Indonesia is very problematic. When religious values control a community, the members will use their holy books to measure whether any commotion or condition is tolerable. Collisions between the law of religion (such as Sharia Law of Muslims) and national law are sometimes unavoidable. Most conservative religious values may not protect and acknowledge the existence of LGBTI people, while national law must recognise the ratified international conventions, especially regarding human rights. It creates a different treatment between national law and religious law. Protection of the rights of LGBTI in Indonesia is barely reported. This study will be important to share how Indonesia copes with LGBTI legal problems and protections. The method of this study is a juridical normative study, by evaluating Indonesian positive law, the living law ruled by the Indonesian Court Decrees, and any decree or decision made by Indonesian executive and judicative bodies, which become the basis for determining the existence of rights and protections of LGBTI people. Classification of the protection from various sectors of laws will be identified, to conclude the protection level of LGBTI people in Indonesian law. Keywords: LGBTI; Indonesia; Positive law; Religious values.