Is LGBT a Destiny or a Life Choice?
By:
*Masduki Duryat*
(Rector of the Al-Amin Islamic Studies Institute in Indramayu and Postgraduate Lecturer at the Syekh Nurjati Cirebon State Islamic University)
Indramayu, July 17, 2026
The LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) movement is making a resurgence, and it’s very worrying. Its movement is becoming more organized and massive, even militant. It’s beginning to dominate the entertainment world, borrowing the help of secular and liberal groups, and infiltrating political parties and state institutions.
The goal is clear: the community wants to be legitimized by the state, including same-sex marriage, in the name of Human Rights (HAM).
Research Results
Many studies and research have been conducted. The first category of studies, for example, is the book written by Kartini Kartono, “Abnormal Psychology and Sexual Abnormality.”
As a book on abnormal psychology, this book discusses various categories of sexual deviation from a psychological perspective.
The second category is Endah Sulistyowati’s research on transvestite prostitution in Jakarta, entitled “Transvestites: Existence in Shackles.”
This research focuses on the ins and outs of the lives of transvestite prostitutes who operate in Jakarta’s Jatinegara Park.
One book that cannot be overlooked is a book written by one of Indonesia’s leading homosexual figures, Dede Oetomo, “Giving Voice to the Mute.”
This book is very interesting because it not only defends the existence of Indonesian homosexuals based on the latest scientific findings, but also through a historical exploration of our own Nusantara traditions.
As befits a book containing a collection of loose writings, it provides a lot of information, but not truly detailed. Transvestites are only one of many topics covered in the book. The story of transvestite resistance itself is only revealed in one chapter.
Life Choice or Destiny?
What is interesting is the statement of Dr. (H.C.) K.H. Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, former Minister of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia in the United Indonesia Cabinet II (2014) and the Working Cabinet (2014-2019), stated that homosexuality is a choice. “People who engage in such behavior have only two choices: either it’s their choice or it’s God’s destiny. I personally believe it’s a choice, because God doesn’t predestinate, as far as I’m concerned.”
An undeniable reality is that this community is a major contributor to the growing prevalence of HIV/AIDS. According to Dr. Iim Bahtiar, homosexuality and lesbianism are a significant contributor to HIV/AIDS cases in Indramayu alone.
He cited an interesting case, for example, of a high school student who, fearful, ended up going to Bhayangkara Hospital in Indramayu for a test, only to find out the results were positive. Accompanied by his mother to the RSBI (Indonesian Hospital for Biological Disability), his mother burst into tears upon hearing the doctor’s explanation and the results.
Based on the team’s investigation, it turned out the student was “playing” with his male friends in his bedroom. His mother assumed her son was just playing normally like other schoolchildren. It turned out he was playing with men who liked other men in his bedroom, and many of his friends were also doing the same thing.
The Kuningan-Jakarta bus driver and his conductor, male friends and their playmates, celebrities, and even public officials, especially considering the lack of strict regulations, are fueling this abnormal behavior.
Nowadays, there is a growing concern that it’s not just about girls’ social interactions. Boys are now also being monitored for their social interactions. A phenomenon that is both frightening and sad.
Will we say this is a lifestyle choice?(*)
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