President Jokowi's Family Member Declared Anti-LGBT City

Liputan6.com, Medan - Mayor of Medan, Bobby Nasution, declared his city as an anti-LGBT city. He is the son-in-law of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

Mayor Bobby's rhetoric is notably more discriminatory compared to President Joko Widodo's calm and moderate political tone. 

Bobby expressed his anti-LGBT rhetoric during a new year event in Medan, the capital of North Sumatera Province. He gave that remark after seeing a boy with another boy on his way to the event. 

"I saw, along the way from the mayor office to this place, I saw a boy with another boy," said Bobby Nasution on December 31. He then expressed a wish for the young people to get married, and that there is no LGBT in his city.

"For the singles, I pray to immediately get married in 2023," said Bobby. "Medan city does not have LGBT. We are anti-LGBT."

Bobby Nasution does not issue any local regulations against homosexuality which is not illegal in Indonesia. The controversial new criminal code does not criminalize homosexuality, although sex outside marriage could be punishable if reported by family members.

Widodo's government insists the new criminal code respects the human rights, but the actual human rights expert Andreas Harsono said otherwise. 

"In one fell swoop, Indonesia’s human rights situation has taken a drastic turn for the worse, with potentially millions of people in Indonesia subject to criminal prosecution under this deeply flawed law,” said Andreas Harsono on the Human Rights Watch report.

Bobby Nasution married President Widodo's daughter in 2017. And then he entered politics and became the mayor of Medan in 2021. 

Besides Bobby, President Jokowi's eldest son, Gibran, also entered politics and was elected as the mayor of Solo in Middle Java Province. Both Bobby (31) and Gibran (35) were elected at much younger age than their immediate predecessors.

Meanwhile, the president's youngest son, Kaesang (28), also builds his reputation as a famous businessman and investor.

In early December 2022, US Special Envoy for LGBT rights also cancelled her visit after rejections from the conservatives.

Jessica Stern, Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI+), initially planned to come and meet local activists. The US Embassy in Jakarta quickly announced the cancellation of her visit after the protests. 

The influential Islamic Council of Indonesia firmly rejected her visit. The conservative Prosperous Justice Party also voiced out against the visit. 

"After discussions with our counterparts in the Indonesian government, we have decided to cancel Special Envoy Stern’s visit to Indonesia," said the U.S. Ambassador for Indonesia, Sung Kim. 

Just a few hours before the cancellation, the official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave an analogy that as a friend one should bring what the friend needed.

"As good friends, of course, we don't bring anything that is not pleasing," said Teuku Faizasyah, the spokesman of the ministry.

The spokesman of the US Embassy refused to reveal who asked for the cancellation to the embassy.