Men attack trans women in Indonesia after presidential policy deems them a 'threat'
A series of attacks perpetrated by men on trans women in Indonesia has left the community feeling anxious and scared. Activists and experts say the violence did not suddenly emerge.
Ten attacks on transgender women occurred in Bogor, Indonesia, between March 30 and July 15 of this year, according to LGBTQIA+ advocacy group Pelangi Nusantara. The attacks were carried out by groups of men who punched, kicked, threw objects at, and even stripped some of the victim-survivors, leaving them physically injured and traumatized.
Amnesty International Indonesia noted that some attacks were filmed and posted on social media, with perpetrators often filming themselves before committing the assaults. The attacks have caused fear among transgender women, with many refusing to report the incidents to the police due to a lack of follow-up. This wave of attacks, which began in 2025, is attributed to the politicization of LGBTQIA+ issues that intensified from 2016, culminating in a 2025 presidential regulation that classified the spread of LGBTQ culture as a non-military threat.
The regulation, which lists LGBTQ culture alongside terrorism, radicalism, and drug abuse, has been criticized for legitimizing violence against LGBTQIA+ individuals, who are now seen as risks that must be monitored and controlled.
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