This study provides an overview of the problems faced by LGBT people in Indonesia. There are four issues raised, namely, the meaning of gender and sexual orientation, violence and abuse, the role of the state, and the meaning of happiness for LGBT people. This study uses a sample of 60 respondents living in large cities, especially Jakarta. However, the strength of this study lies not in the survey results but in the results of the in-depth interviews. From this study it was found that respondents, in the context of a conservative state, are more open in interviews than surveys. This study unearths the meaning of life for LGBT people under a state which is repressive and absent for them.