Calls To Ban 18 Gay Dating Apps In Indonesia After Wave Of Anti-LGBT Sentiment

Gay dating apps could face being blocked in Indonesia after the arrests of three men who were accused by police of using Grindr to groom teenage boys for a paedophile ring.

The arrests & allegations come after a wave of anti-LGBT sentiment in the country, with the government and activists clashing over controversial legislature and comments from officials.

In addition to proposed legislature seeking to ban online gay propaganda, a defence minister also recently called the LGBT community more dangerous than nuclear warfare.

And last week, after three men were arrested and accused of using apps to groom teenage boys, there are now calls to ban a host of gay dating apps.

Agung Setya, the police’s director of economic and special crimes, is asking for the Communications Ministry to ban 18 dating apps, saying the police hope that with the authority the Communications Ministry has, it will make the right decision and impose a ban.”

The apps said to be under investigation include Grindr, Jack’d, Hornet, BoyAhoy, Blued, Romeo, VGL, GROWLr, GayPark, Adam4Adam, Guyz, Scruff, Gay Dating, Surge, Gaydar, Krave, Gay Times, Gay Cities and Maleforce.

The fate of these dating apps will be decided in a Communications Ministry meeting set to happen this week.

Back in February, the Indonesian government ruled that some instant messaging apps must remove same-sex emoticons.

In addition to this, a top court in Indonesia recently considered a case put forward by Islamic activists to rule gay sex a crime.

Before this, a spokesperson for the president said that there was no room in Indonesia for the proliferation of the LGBT movement.