Earlier this year, we’ve received some disturbing news of police raids on villas that “cater to gay people”. Bali has long been known as a tolerant place for everyone, even the gay communities. Does this mean that Bali will be closing its doors soon, putting an unwelcoming face to homosexuals?
In this article, we will assure you that anti-LGBTQ sentiments are nowhere near Bali despite the unfair action of the local police.
Bali is safe and the laws are fair
The so-called “sexist, oppressive, homophobic” bill that was passed in 2019 was actually a bill that (in theory) was meant to reduce broken homes, protect women, and encourage community action against infidelity.
This means that there is no explicit law against LGBTQs. There are strong local customs against any extramarital sexual relationship in many parts of Indonesia, but these are only found in certain parts of Bali. Popular tourist areas like our neighbourhood in Seminyak is not one of these.
Despite the anti-LGBTQ sentiments from major religious fundamentalists, the current President Joko Widodo had spoken out in support of LGBTQ rights.
Be assured that you can still enjoy your holiday in Bali without having to worry about unfair treatment against LGBTQs.
Stay in Seminyak where it’s safe and welcome for the gay community
The Colony Hotel can be your first choice in search of an open, inclusive, and friendly holiday home. Our principle is to provide people with the privacy and security needed to spend quality time with their significant other.
The Colony Hotel has been a favourite among honeymooners for a long time. Our policy to only accept people older than 16 years old is to prevent any unnecessary disturbances. We are strongly against letting children inside our hotel, because an adult-only hotel won’t be an appropriate place for them.
If you are planning a romantic getaway, then our hotel is reserved just for you.
How we assure that our hotel will remain a safe stay for the gay community
According to the news, the targets for these so-called raids were villas. There are thousands of villas in Bali, and not all of them are located in gay-friendly neighbourhoods such as The Colony Hotel Seminyak. It is possible that anti-LGBTQ groups drove members of the neighbourhood to make allegations, and hired corrupt police officers to perform the raid.
Secondly, many people believe that these raids were not warranted since there was no official declaration from authorities that clearly states subletting villas to gay tourists is prohibited. As mentioned earlier, there is no explicit law that specifically targets LGBTQs.
Thirdly, our hotel business is well known in Seminyak, and it would be difficult for anti-LGBTQ groups to target us the same way as these villas.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your safety in Bali, give us a call – our number can be found on the top right corner of the homepage.
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