Indonesia clerics warn men over Independence Day dresses

Indonesia's top Islamic clerical body has warned men not to wear women's clothing during Independence Day festivities, despite a long-standing tradition in some communities of men wearing dresses for football games and parades.

The Indonesian Ulema Council, known as MUI, said in a statement that such behaviour was haram, or forbidden. Its Fatwa Commission said the warning also applied to women dressing as men.

The council said its intervention was intended to prevent what it called a covert campaign by the “LGSP” movement, an acronym it promotes instead of LGBT.

Indonesians mark the country's declaration of independence from colonisation on August 17, 1945, with games, parades and community contests, including tug of war, sack races and climbing greased poles. In some places, men wear dresses and hijabs to play football, a practice widely seen as comic rather than a statement on gender identity. Men also sometimes dress up for independence parades.

Dede Oetomo, founder of the GAYa Nusantara rights group, said men playing football or parading in traditionally women's clothing was “a long-time custom” in many communities. He said the MUI's warning was part of a move to “Islamise” many areas of daily life and would further marginalise trans women.

The latest warning came amid rising anti-LGBTQ sentiment in Muslim-majority Indonesia, after physical attacks on gay people and a presidential regulation classifying “LGBTQ culture” as a security threat.