Indonesia gay sex party arrests Surabaya 2025
Dozens of men arrested and paraded by police for holding ‘gay sex party’ in Indonesia
Indonesian authorities carried out a police raid on a hotel room in Surabaya, East Java, where a private gathering described as a “gay sex party” was allegedly taking place. The operation led to the arrest of 34 men, who were found naked and in the midst of the alleged event according to the police account.
The raid occurred early in the morning after local residents reported suspicion of unusual activity from a hotel room. Officers from the local Metropolitan Police detained the individuals and transported them to the station for questioning and investigation. Contraceptives, electronic devices and other items were also confiscated at the scene.
This action reflects a trend of enforcement by Indonesian police against gatherings of men labelled as “gay parties,” which are often prosecuted under the broad pornography law, despite consensual same-sex relations not being formally prohibited in much of the country. In Jakarta in February 2025, police detained 56 men in a similar raid, of which three were formally named suspects facing prison terms of up to 15 years.
Human rights organisations have criticised such operations, arguing they violate privacy, freedom of assembly and discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. For example, Amnesty International Indonesia described the February arrest as “discriminatory and senseless harassment of LGBTI people” and urged authorities to release all detained individuals.
The recent Surabaya case highlights stringency of moral law enforcement, especially in more conservative provinces of Indonesia where public and private spaces are monitored for activities deemed to contravene community norms. Officials from the regional police in Surabaya stated they would strengthen patrols of hotels and guesthouses to “maintain public order and uphold moral norms.”
