This week, Indonesia banned sex before marriage. When the new laws go into effect, anyone caught can be jailed — up to a year for sex, 6 months for living together. Including foreigners. The new criminal code also makes it illegal to: renounce religion. Speak out against the state. Or speak ill of the President. Oh, or get an abortion.
Through interviews with four Indonesians hailing from three different islands, this episode explores the sexual landscape of Indonesia, including the consequences of a complete lack of sex ed — rampant HIV, a high rate of teen pregnancies, and a hostile environment for queer people.
Sex in… Indonesia highlights the recent case of two Peruvian trans men (a Harvard grad student & his husband) who were honeymooning in Bali and detained by authorities. Rodrigo died in custody. His husband Sebastian, eventually released, made a statement about the torture he endured.
To conclude with some hope, PS! points to resources for sex education in Bahasa, a clinic for STI testing on Bali, and the Queer Indonesian Archive.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.