Indonesian Bill Would Ban Surrogacy, Require Rehab for LGBTQ People

Lawmakers in Indonesia have drafted a bill that would require LGBTQ people to seek medical treatment.

If passed, the so-called Family Resilience law would require those "suffering" from same-sex attraction -- grouped in the text with "sexual deviations" like sadomasochism and incest -- to report themselves to rehabilitation facilities approved by authorities, reports Reuters.

Additionally, the law would prohibit surrogacy. Arranging births would thus come with a maximum jail sentence of seven years.

The Family Resilience bill also defines families in Indonesia as married couples, married couples with kids, or single parents. Married women, under this new law, would be required to "take care of household-related matters" and "treat the husband and the child well."

A leaked draft of the bill sparked a furor on social media among activists. "It's a very patriarchal bill and it will set back progress in gender equality and women's rights protection," Amnesty International Indonesia's Usman Hamid told Reuters.

While Indonesia does not currently criminalize homosexuality, the Muslim-majority nation has seen a rise in anti-LGBTQ sentiment. The recent arrest of Reynhard Sinaga -- a 36-year-old Indonesian national who was found guilty of over 100 counts of rape in the U.K. -- has added fuel to a conservative backlash.

In January, Mohammad Idris -- the mayor of Depok, south of Jakarta -- directed police to rout out "LGBT behavior" and city agencies to stop the "spread of LGBT." Idris justified the raids by saying they would "strengthen families and ... protect the children." He also vowed to launch a center in Depok to rehabilitate "victims" in the LGBTQ community.

The Family Resilience bill has been prioritized for Parliament's 2020-2024 period. Its passage, however, would depend on the support of President Joko Widodo, who has not yet commented on it.