UNS — Catholic Student Association (KMK) of the Faculty of Law (FH) Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta held a webinar on “Probing into LGBTQ+ under Catholic’s Perspective and Legal System in Indonesia” through Zoom Cloud Meeting, Sunday (17/1/2021).
KMK FH UNS invited three speakers to the webinar. These speakers are Romo Giovanni Mahendra Christi, S.S., M.Fil, MSF (Priest of Keluarga Kudus Missionary Congregation), Hendrika Mayora Victoria, and Lisa Elfena (Human Rights activist).
In his presentation, Romo Giovanni discussed “What’s Wrong with LGBTQ+? In a Catholic Perspective” and opened the discussion with an explanation of the differences between sexual behavior, gender identity, sexual orientation, sex, and gender roles. He explained that sexual behavior includes heterosexualism, homosexualism, bisexuals, and celibacy. Gender identity includes girl/ woman, boy/ man, dan transgender. “Sexual orientation includes lesbian, gay, straight, bi, asexual, and queer. Sexes are female, male, and intersex. While gender roles are feminine and masculine,” Romo Giovanni added.
Regarding the diverse sexual orientation, Romo Giovanni also explained the view from Catholic Church on LGBTQ+. He stated that regardless of their sexual orientation, each person must be respected and received with respect, with full caution to avoid “every form of discrimination”, especially aggression and violence. “Every person who shows homosexual tendency can receive helps they need to fully understand and implement Allah orders in their life,” he stated.
He gave an example that if one of the partners realized a change in sexual orientation in married life, the Catholic church could cancel the marriage after going through Canonic investigation. This investigation can be implemented through the couple’s track record. Canonic is essential for the priest who performs Canonic examination before marriage. The priest will write down his findings in notes. “If in the future and from the start, there is, for example, a tendency of homosexuality, Canonic investigation can provide evidence for the couple to apply for marriage cancellation to the Catholic Church court.”
Adding to the explanation from Romo Giovanni, the Human Rights activist who is also a UNS student, Lisa Elfena, discussing the root of oppression toward LGBTQ+ group in Indonesia. She said that a strong-rooted patriarchal system in the community has caused patriarchy to keep growing and become a regulation. As a result, the condition created a system and ‘correctness’ in the community. To maintain the patriarchy, the patriarch brought the concepts used to oppress; superior gender, binary gender, and heteronormativity.
“LGBTI individuals cannot meet the three standards in the oppressing patriarchy system,” Lisa said. This inability become the basis for oppression, violence, and murder of this community. She added that the acceptance of the differences in human sexuality is based on the Human Rights concept. She stated that the diversity of sexuality should not be used as a reason for violence, stigma, and discrimination. Nobody deserves to be discriminated against, stigmatized, or mistreated on any basis.
“Based on Law Number 39 of 1999 Article 1 Paragraph 1, Human Rights is a set of rights attached to the nature and existence of human being as God’s creation and is God’s blessing that must be respected, upheld, and protected by the rule of law, the government, and everyone for the sake of honor and protection of dignity,” Lisa Elfena concluded. Humas UNS
Reporter: Yefta Christopherus AS
Editor: Dwi Hastuti
