IDAHO, the international day against homophobia, is fast becoming more important in the global campaign for the end of discrimination against LGBT persons. In Indonesia, more and more groups in many cities are now taking up that day [17 May] to combat homophobia. This year there was a genuine effort to coordinate and encourage other cities to take part. The participating organizations were Arus Pelangi (Jakarta), Ardhanary Institute (Jakarta), People Like Us-Satu Hati (Yogyakarta), Komunitas Sehati (Makassar) and Us Community (Surabaya). The common theme for this year was "IDAHO: the Unfinished Story". The photo & art exhibition with an LGBT theme was held at the premises of the prestigious Indonesian Human Rights Commission. At the opening ceremony, the Commissioner Kabul Supriyadhie cut the ribbons. We got a lot of visitors since the Commission is a busy place. The commission itself is an active promoter of LGBT rights.

A radio talkshow was held at the VHR [Voice of Human Rights] radio station, with R.R. Agustine from Ardhanary Institute (women LBT) and Yuli Rustinawati from Arus Pelangi as speakers; they talked about sexual orientation, sexual behavior and gender identity, which are often confused by ordinary people. A few listeners reacted and commented via Yahoo! Messenger. The public discussion could not be held at the Trisakti University [not available] but instead at Darmint Café on May 15. Around 50 people came to attend the program. The theme was 'Sexual Orientation and Heteronormativity' with speakers: Agustine from Ardhanary (women LBT) Institute, Rev. Esther Marianiga from the Feminist Theological Association, Agung Putri for ELSAM (research institute).

This was held in the very heart of Jakarta on May 17. Unfortunately that date coincided with many other demonstrations: oil price hike, the impeding ban of the Ahmadiyah sect, 10 years after the fall of Suharto, and the 100th anniversary of the National Awakening Day. Only 50 people showed up at the demonstration; not only LGBT organizations but also supportive organizations like National Women's Coalition (KPI). Despite the limited numbers, distributing flowers and leaflets to passers-by created a positive image. The action was very lively and got a lot of media coverage by TV and newspapers.

Although the activities In Yogyakarta took place in just three days, the string of activities undertaken by People Like Us-Satu Hati [PLUSH] was impressive. Indeed, the coordination suffered somewhat along the way but the enthusiasm was enormous. The photo and art exhibition was held at the Jogja National Museum for two weeks. The opening session was enlivened with poetry reading and the release of rainbow balloons. The meaning of IDAHO was explained to the audience. For three days several gay & lesbian films were screened in the same room as the public discussion so that the atmosphere was sometimes not conducive The public discussion was also held in the same place; the theme was 'Homophobia, the Yogyakata Principles and Hate crimes". There were 60 participants and the discussion was lively. Now, in the very birthplace of the Yogyakarta Principles, ordinary people there are slowly getting to know of it.

A street action with the theme "1000 Flowers to Fight Homophobia" was held on May 17th in the heart of the city; flowers were distributed to passers-by. The action went well except for the fact there were other demonstrations at the same time. In the same evening a group of trans-people staged a lip-sync singing performance; a lot of people came to watch and it became the culmination of the activities. To close the series of activities PLUSH organized a charity action to a poverty-stricken isolated village in the south coast, Pantai Sundak. The group went there together with a medical clinic team while distributing rice, milk powder, second-hand clothes and school supplies. They staged a playback show and even screened the film "Iron Ladies" as an educational tool. The villagers were delighted and became sensitized of LGBT issues along the way. This activity was covered by the Jakarta Post, the national English newspaper.

This social gathering drew more than 50 people; it was entertained by a lip-synch show and the Sexy Boys Dance group. The idea of IDAHO was explained to the public. Like in other cities going to the streets is a major goal; the local group took to the streets and distributed flowers and leaflets to passers-by. Their response was definitely appreciative and positive Again, in Surabaya, taking to the street and distributing flowers and leaflets was a major event for Us Community. It went without a glitch. Less successful was the photo exhibition at the "Togamas" bookstore; the two-day event was unilaterally shortened by the bookstore management after complaints from a few customers. The fact that the management pulled down the photos without consulting the organizers was quite disappointing. On the other hand, there was nobody from the organizers present to watch over the reaction of customers.

The objective of creating a greater visibility of the LGBT people was achieved. The role of the mass media has been crucial; newspapers and almost all TV stations in Jakarta covered the various events. Even the events in Yogyakarta was covered by the Jakarta Post (English) as well as other, local newspapers. The activities had a wide range of creative and educational values; it was also a valuable learning experience for most of the organizers. For the first time, lesbians took part in street actions in large numbers. Before, only gays and transgender people had enough courage to come out in public. The reaction of the public had been generally positive.