An Islamic court in Indonesia’s conservative Aceh province — which enforces Sharia law — sentenced two men to 80 lashes each for hugging and kissing, acts the court deemed “sexual.” The closed-door trial at the Islamic Shariah District Court in Banda Aceh was opened to the public only for the verdict.
The two defendants, ages 20 and 21, were arrested in April after residents saw them enter the same bathrooms at Taman Sari city park and alerted police. Officers broke into the stall and saw the men kissing and hugging, reports the Associated Press.
Lead Judge Rokhmadi M. Hum said the two college students were “legally and convincingly” proven to have violated Islamic law by committing acts leading to same-sex sexual relations. Neither man was publicly identified, though both will be caned in public under the court’s penalty.
Prosecutors had sought 85 strokes for each man, but the three-judge panel decided for a more “lenient” punishment of 84 strokes because the men were outstanding students who were polite in court, cooperated with authorities, and had no previous convictions. The judges then deducted one lash for each month spent in police custody, lowering the total to 80 for each man.
Lead prosecutor Alfian, who uses only one name, told the Associated Press he was not satisfied with the lighter sentence but would not appeal the ruling.
Indonesia, a majority-Muslim country, does not explicitly criminalize homosexuality, though police often raid suspected LGBTQ gatherings and use other laws on “pornography” or “indecency” to prosecute LGBTQ people.
Aceh province enforces a strict version of Sharia law under a 2006 peace deal that ended a separatist war. Initially applied only to Muslims, the law was extended in 2015 to cover non-Muslims, who make up about 1% of the province’s population.
Under Aceh’s version of Sharia law, people can receive up to 100 lashes for morality offenses, including same-sex relations, adultery, gambling, drinking, skipping Friday prayers, or, for women, dressing immodestly. Human rights advocates say the law violates international treaties Indonesia has signed to protect minority rights.
The August 11 verdict marks the fifth time Aceh has ordered public caning for homosexuality since implementing Sharia law in 2006. In February, the same court sentenced two men, ages 24 and 18, to 85 and 81 lashes, respectively, for engaging in same-sex relations.
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Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has subpoenaed records from the Kilted Mermaid, a popular Vero Beach restaurant, as part of an investigation into a June 29 "Pride Tea Dance" featuring music, dancing, and drag shows.
Uthmeier's office claims the restaurant allowed "adult, sexualized performers in front of children," allegedly violating Florida's blocked law banning drag shows and other "adult live performances."
Announcing the probe on X, Uthmeier wrote, "In Florida, we don't sacrifice the innocence of children for the perversions of some demented adults." He said his office had subpoenaed Kilted Mermaid owner and Vero Beach Vice Mayor Linda Moore to testify and provide documents related to the event.
On July 29, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court struck down two sections of St. Lucia's criminal code that banned "buggery" and "gross indecency," ruling the laws unconstitutional. The court found that criminalizing private, consensual acts violated fundamental rights to privacy, equality, and liberty guaranteed by St. Lucia's constitution.
Although rarely enforced, the laws carried penalties of up to 10 years in prison. Civil rights advocates argued that their continued existence endangered the LGBTQ community, leaving members vulnerable to harassment, abuse, and violence.
Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón, a Republican and member of the New Progressive Party, has signed what is now the strictest law in the United States prohibiting doctors from providing gender-affirming care to anyone under the age of 21, with steep penalties for violations.
The law imposes a $50,000 fine and up to 15 years in prison for each violation by health care professionals who provide gender-affirming care to minors and young adults. Offenders would also lose their medical licenses and permits and would be permanently barred from practicing medicine in Puerto Rico, reports The Hill.
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