Fridae

Weighing in on an already controversial issue, the Indonesian Ulema Council on Thursday has called on the national censorship board to ban any movie that promotes homosexuality and demanded the government ban the ongoing film festival.

In a quiet alley in the ancient Javanese city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Mariyani, a 50-year-old transgender hairdresser, has turned part of her salon into an Islamic school.

Although homosexuality is not punishable by law in Indonesia, many gay Indonesians experience personal conflict and face condemnation from religious leaders. Hera Diani writes in The Jakarta Globe.