BEM KM of IPB Invited Students to be Aware on LGBT Issues
Ministry of National and Regional Policies, of Student Executive Board of the Student Family (BEM KM) of Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) organized the general discussion on "LGBT: Permasalahan Hukum di Indonesia (Its Legal Issues in Indonesia)" at Auditorium Mandiri, IPB Campus, Dramaga, Bogor, on 6 January 2018. Resource person invited for this special event was Prof. Dr. Euis Sunarti. She is one of the Professor Chair Holders of IPB on the family resilience, the popular academician who proposed aspects of legislation related to punishment for adulterers, rape and homosexual, but her proposal was rejected by the Constitutional Court (MK). Hundreds of students from IPB, Universitas Indonesia and Universitas Airlangga came to attend their interested topic.
On this current occasion, Prof. Euis presented the hot issues related to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT), starting from the history of LGBT development in Indonesia, increasing sexual harassment, to legal measures taken to minimize wider negative impacts of them.
"Since two years ago, we have struggled with 11 other colleagues from various backgrounds and disciplines and supported by the Aliansi Cinta Keluarga (AILA Family Love Alliance) filed a draft regulation related to the clarity of the articles of adultery, rape and similar relationships. After a complicated 22-session trial, this submission was rejected and declared defeated. Despite the disappointment, for us it was the right momentum to make people aware that this issue can’t be considered by one-single eye," she said.
She added, together with the Penggiat Keluarga Indonesia (GIGA Indonesian Family Activist) she has conducted retrieval data, organized discussions and presented LGBT related studies. She understands that adultery is a universal human occurrence. It threatens the core of family life and the stability of the institution of marriage and potentially creates uncertainty about the paternity of the marital offspring. This is the reason why GIGA has launched three petitions to Komnas HAM and DPR, namely the petitions for the prevention of LGBT legalization efforts, the protection petition of seven public officials sued by the LGBT organizations, and the petition for the establishment of the National Commission on Human Liability. In fact one of the petitions submitted was signed by more than 169 thousand signatures of the public at large.
Prof. Euis expected that the general discussion, will increase the awareness of IPB students and their sensitivity on the LGBT issues. Students should be more understand about LGBT life and be aware the friends around that lead to LGBT, and should participate in supporting the existence of legal clarity related to this illicit behaviour.
Special guests attended this special event among other were the Director of Student Affairs of IPB, Dr. Sugeng Santoso, and Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs of the Faculty of Economics and Management of Bogor Agricultural University (FEM IPB), Dr. Lukman Mohammad Baga. (Wied)
