Tempo used keyword searches “LGBT” and “LGBTQ” on the CIA website, analyzing the results manually and with Perplexity AI. The result showed no CIA articles or reports mentioning LGBT or LGBTQ population figures globally, including in Indonesia. Reports published by the CIA mostly focus on personnel policies, recruitment, and the historical presence of homosexual employees within the agency.
A search using the query "lgbtq in site: https://www.cia.gov/" produced three types of reports: internal CIA policy studies, historical narratives on the “Lavender Scare” and discrimination against homosexual employees, and analyses of security risks and manipulation involving homosexual individuals in intelligence contexts.
On February 20, 2026, the CIA withdrew 19 intelligence assessments from the past decade deemed politically biased, including one related to LGBT issues, as they did not meet the high standards of impartiality upheld by the agency.
Statistics on Populations Identifying as LGBT
World Population Review (WPR) estimates that around 8 percent of the global population identifies as homosexual, bisexual, or pansexual. In data updated through 2021, heterosexual individuals make up 80 percent, while the remaining 12 percent chose not to disclose their sexual identity.
Brazil, Canada, Sweden, the United States, and Germany are among the countries with the largest identified LGBTQ+ populations. However, World Population Review notes that not all LGBT individuals in many countries openly identify themselves. In many places, acknowledging LGBTQ+ orientation can jeopardize employment, social acceptance, eligibility for certain social assistance programs, and even personal safety.
This lack of openness creates a crisis of accurate data. Even in the most tolerant countries, official statistics struggle to fully capture reality due to the persistent risk of discrimination faced by individuals.
False Statistics Fuel ‘Minority Stress’ Among Indonesia’s LGBT Community
Narratives about LGBT populations in digital spaces are often used to fuel moral panic. The issue is frequently linked to health concerns such as HIV/AIDS, triggering digital attacks against LGBTIQA+ individuals because of their gender expression.
An activist from Pelangi Nusantara, Arisdo Gonzalez, said the spread of such narratives increases psychological pressure, or minority stress—a condition in which minority groups constantly feel monitored and framed as a social problem. As a result, many choose to distance themselves from social media for fear of becoming targets of harassment.
“Many LGBTIQA+ individuals end up feeling afraid, stressed, and even reluctant to open social media,” he told Tempo on Thursday, April 16, 2026.
Arisdo believes the media plays a major role in amplifying anti-LGBTIQA+ narratives through sensational headlines aimed at driving engagement. Issues of sexual diversity are often commodified for clicks and public outrage, while other pressing issues are sidelined. At the regional level, he also pointed to the emergence of regulations targeting queer groups under the pretext of public order or anti-vice rules.
CONCLUSION
Based on Tempo’s findings, the claim that Indonesia ranks fifth among countries with the largest LGBT communities in the world is false.
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