Bali is the island of the Gods, famous for its beautiful beaches and also famous for its beautiful wedding places. Recently, a gay couple (an American and an Indonesian man) held a Hindu wedding ceremony in Ubud, after they were legally married in the United States.
In Indonesia gay marriage is not yet legalized and when photographs of the wedding — which showed what appeared to be a Hindu holy man in attendance and two young women dressed in traditional Balinese attire — were circulated on Facebook, the couple reportedly faced threats amid a national outcry.
Bali’s Hindu leaders plus Governor Made Pastika have criticized the wedding, saying that Hinduism forbids same sex marriage and that the ceremony had disgraced Bali.
What was supposed to be a beautiful and memorable day in this couple's life –and in that of their proud families- now has turned into controversy, with the government even considering to take legal action.
This is extremely sad news for our LGBT friends in Indonesia. In our opinion love is love, no matter what. And love is our religion!
