PONTIANAK, thekabarnews.com—Pontianak City Council (DPRD) members and residents have renewed calls for a local regulation addressing LGBT-related conduct and advocacy, prompting questions about the proposal’s scope, legal basis and possible impact on health and nondiscrimination rights.

Dozens of residents signed a document described by organizers as a joint “anti-LGBT commitment” during a focus group discussion (FGD) at the Pontianak Kota district office on Monday, August 3.

Organizers held the forum under the theme “Ketahanan Keluarga dan Lingkungan Pendidikan dalam Pencegahan LGBT di Kalangan Remaja.”

Deputy Council Speaker Bebby Nailufa said approximately 100 people attended, reflecting strong public interest in youth development.

“We are grateful that this FGD attracted a larger audience, with approximately 100 people attending,” Bebby said.

“We hope all parties will provide support, particularly in maximizing the implementation of the existing Family Resilience Bylaw,” she added.

Pontianak already has Regional Regulation No. 11/2021 on Family Resilience Development.

The regulation covers family planning, institutional cooperation, public participation and support services, but the source material did not identify a provision specifically regulating LGBT people.

Council member Husin said the proposed policy should combine regulation with education and psychological support. He also urged residents not to isolate or judge LGBT people.

“We are not only advocating a bylaw but also changes in LGBT behavior. We must not judge LGBT people,” Husin said.

“Many LGBT people have been excluded from society. We do not want that. Hopefully, through a bylaw, education and psychologists, they can return to normal,” he added.

Husin’s final assertion conflicts with established international medical guidance. The World Health Organization stopped classifying homosexuality as a mental disorder in 1990.

It says practices intended to change sexual orientation lack medical justification and evidence and can threaten mental and physical well-being.

WHO has also moved transgender-related identities out of the mental-disorders chapter of its current disease classification, as quoted by WHO, WHO guidance on conversion practices.

Psychological services can support young people experiencing distress, bullying or family conflict, but reputable health guidance does not support treating an LGBT identity itself as an illness.

The council has discussed LGBT-related regulation in earlier forums. In July, Bebby said a proposed bylaw would need to enter Pontianak’s regional legislative program and comply with higher national laws.

She also acknowledged that local governments face legal limitations without specific national legislation, according to the previous Pontianak policy discussion.

The material supplied for this report did not include draft provisions, definitions, proposed sanctions or an implementation timetable. It also did not include responses from LGBT residents, medical associations or human rights organizations.

Any regulation involving schools and adolescents would need to reconcile family-policy objectives with child-protection principles.

Pontianak’s administration has separately committed to ensuring children can grow and study in environments free from violence and discrimination.