LOVE IS A RAINBOW

When I heard that Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Jakarta (Jakarta Theological Seminary - STT Jakarta) was having its annual Lesbian Gay Bi-sexual Trans-sexual Inter-sex Queer (LGBTIQ) Week in November 2012, I immediately contacted Rev Miak Siew, Pastor of Free Community Church. We both without any hesitation decided that we must attend to express our solidarity with the seminary. This is the first Asian seminary that is courageous enough to have such a significant public event.

I recall that when the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), organized an Asian Conference in Surabaya, Indonesia in March 2010, it was cancelled even when the 150 delegates  representing 100 organizations from 16 Asian countries were scheduled to attend.

Gaya Nusantara, one of the oldest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) organizations in Indonesia, based in Surabaya was the local sponsor.  The National Human Rights Commission gave their full support.

Seven radical Muslim groups led by Islamic Defenders Front (FPI)  joined forces and protested, demonstrated and even threatened violence against the delegates. The irony is that Surabaya is an open city.  Surabaya’s residents are used to seeing gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people.

Grace Poore from Malaysia, the Regional Co-ordinator for Asia, filed this report:
"Indonesian police ordered the cancellation of the conference in response to pressure from Islamist fundamentalist groups. The conference hotel refused to permit the conference to proceed.  ILGA Asia found alternate venue, but fundamentalists tracked them there.  One of the groups occupied the hotel lobby for several days. After threats of violence and hours of negotiation, Indonesian activists were forced to leave the hotel and foreign attendees forced to disperse until they could leave Indonesia."

Rev Dr Joas Adiprasetya, President of STT Jakarta, warmly welcomed us and in his letter of appreciation when we left wrote: "We started the program with faith and dream and your gift is helping us believe in the future of this initiative. We understand that to initiate such a program in the Indonesian context is very risky; however we realize that we do not walk alone."

STT Jakarta  was founded as early as 1934. It is the oldest seminary and established to train pastors to serve the Christian churches in Indonesia. It is especially significant that an old established seminary had been moving with the times and had the vision to address the LGBTIQ issue and train the Christian leadership to support the movement.

LGBTIQ Week was organized by a committee of students whose sexual orientation was not identified nor regarded relevant. It was apparent that some of students and the public who attended are members of the LBGTIQ community. The faculty members officially supported the event and Rev Stephen Suleeman, from its Sociology/Communications Department represented the faculty. He has his first degree from Trinity Theological College in Singapore in the seventies. At that time I was working with his father who was on the faculty of STT Jakarta in the ecumenical work in Indonesia.

Rev Miak and I were asked to share about the historical development of Free Community Church (FCC) and its mission and ministry in Singapore. In a second session Rev Miak gave a lecture on Queer Theology which was well-received. We brought as a gift  about 70 books relating to the studies of the LGBTIQ issue and they were appreciative.

The other sessions conducted included presentations by a panel of gays, lesbians, and trans-sexuals.   
A recent woman graduate pastor shared her programme of pastoral care to the LGBTIQ members in the congregation and in the community. It was important to see that secular groups supporting them were present and contributed financially to the event. In each daily session there were around 100 participants. Some of them came out to the audience and shared their personal stories.

The worship service was an impressive one with a fusion of songs and dances of religious music accompanied by musicians which included traditional drums and gongs. The liturgists danced as a processional bearing the cross, bible, candles, and bamboo trays of local bread. They were in line with local cultural elements in the act of worship. The worship center setting had rainbow drapes hanging from the ceiling, flanked by rainbow flags and a local painting of the crucified Christ in front. It was indeed a meaningful experience.

Rev Miak and I returned inspired and enriched by our participation in the LGBTIQ Week. In spite of the difficult context the LGBTIQ people are in within the church and the community in their country, they were able to witness to the truth and the necessity to form a Church which is truly inclusive regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation and economic status.

The special tee shirt has a bright rainbow emblem with the words Love is a Rainbow.

To God be the glory.

Yap Kim Hao


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When we lose the right to be different in diversity,
we lose the privilege to be free in captivity.