REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, DENPASAR -- Responding to critics from netizens, Karma Group canceled Mardi Gras party and carnivals which was scheduled on February 10 in Karma Beach, Ungasan, Bali. The event was to be enlivened by world famous Disc Jockey (DJ), such as Thomson, Andy Bexter, and Jo Mills.

Karma Group public relations representative Joseph Ong explained the decision came after internal meeting of the company management. His company also apologized to people who feel inconvenient due to the cancellation of the party and carnival event themed "Glorious Rainbow". 

"We decided to cancel the event because Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issue is very sensitive in Bali," said Joseph on Wednesday (Feb 7).

Joseph said that Karma Group initially thought the festival is just an ordinary party. However, they later found out the Mardi Gras' image is very strong associated with LGBT parties. "This is purely our mistake and we decided to reject and cancel the event to prevent the pro and cons appear," Joseph added.

Mardi Gras is a carnival party and major festival celebrated in several countries. The party is associated with the annual gay parade and LGBT community festival.

In Australia, annual party that called Sydney Gay annd Lesbian Mardi Gras has featured people with colorful costumes, clubs of local community members, and interstate sections that attract many domestic and foreign tourists. This celebration originally appeared in the 1980s, when arrests were made against pro-gay rights protesters.

Mardi Gras comes from French languange, which means Tuesday Fat. The celebration was once filled with big meals, especially fatty foods welcoming the spring and hope for fertility. This celebration then evolved in various countries. Started from Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, until the United States with its own version.

In New Orleans, Mardi Gras is not just a gay party. Heterosexuals who also follow this party interpret 'fertility' with human reproductive fertility. This makes New Orleans-style Mardi Gras Party branded as a special sex party and adult festival.

Norms

The island of Bali is friendly to all travelers regardless of their sexual orientation. They are welcomed as long as they comply with applicable norms and rules. Chairman of Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI) Bali Province, I Gusti Ngurah Sudiana said LGBT is prohibited by norms of religion, customs, and culture of Bali. LGBT is prohibited because it is ethically and faithfully incompatible with dharma.

"It is called nature cuntaka or sebel (an unclean state according to the Hindu view)," explained Sudiana.

If there are practices related to LGBT in a village in Bali, Sudiana said the village of pekraman (desa adat) should conduct a prayascita ceremony or purification from all sadness or also dirtiness. This step taken to restore the sence and balance of nature. "Therefore, if this is true, then the customary village in which the incident should be banned should not be leteh (dirty)," Sudiana explained.

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