5 May 2017

Indonesian University Refuses LGBT Students

Institution claims that as a state university it should reject LGBT on religious grounds.

The Universitas Andalas (Unand) in Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia stood by its application procedure that required students to sign a form saying they are not LGBT this week, according to Tempo.

Last week, Unand’s application requirement went viral and was promptly removed from the institution’s website.

Unand’s chancellor Tafdil Husni, however, Tuesday confirmed that the anti-LGBT stance was official university policy.

“We removed [the form] because it was incomplete. We will complete the requirements, and then make it as a guide for new students,” Tafdil told Tempo on Tuesday. “If they don’t sign the form, then they can’t enter Unand.”

He said that as Unand was a state university it refused the right to accept LGBT students on religious grounds.

LGBT and human rights activists have pointed out that Unand’s LGBT ban is unconstitutional and that sanctions could be filed against the state university.