US woman to be deported from Indonesia over offensive Bali tweets

An American influencer and her girlfriend are being thrown out of Bali by furious Indonesian officials after a series of tweets describing their idyllic stay.

An American travel influencer's tweets have led to her being deported from Bali.

An American woman living in Bali is being deported following outrage over a series of tweets in which she detailed her idyllic new life on the holiday island.

Travel influencer Kristen Gray has also come under fire for promoting and selling an e-book she wrote to help others considering a similar move to Bali.

However the Los Angeles woman said she was being kicked out, along with her girlfriend, “because I am LGBT”.

The social media outrage prompted an investigation by immigration authorities, who said while Gray had a valid visa she was suspected of breaking the law and would be sent home on the next available flight to the United States.

Gray and her girlfriend Saundra Alexander moved to Bali in 2019 with the plan to stay for six months but extended their stay due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kristen Gray (second left) and her partner Saundra (centre) face the media in Denpasar. Picture: Bali Office of Ministry of Law and Human Rights / AFP

The couple has been living in Bali since before the pandemic.

They’ve been living as “digital nomads” on the island ever since, sharing insights into their idyllic life on Instagram and TikTok.

But Gray came to broader public attention with a recent Twitter thread in which she described how the decision to move to Bali had been a “game changer”.

The American couple felt their move to Bali had been a ‘game changer’.

Kristen Gray shared her experience as an American expat in Bali.

“This island has been amazing because of our elevated lifestyle at a much lower cost of living,” Gray said in the now-deleted tweets.

“I was paying $1300 for my LA studio. Now I have a treehouse for $400.”

For anyone curious about the deleted/hidden Bali thread pic.twitter.com/FYA3mRcMNf

— Salt chip (@gastricslut) January 17, 2021

In one of her many tweets, Gray listed “major benefits” of her move to Bali, which included “safety, low cost of living, luxury lifestyle, queer friendly and Black in Bali community”.

Gray also promoted her e-book, Our Bali Life is Yours, which sells for $US30 ($A39) and includes “direct links to our visa agents and how to get into Indonesia during COVID”.

FYI this lady still selling her ebook to her 10.4K followers on IG. I'd be lying if i say i feel comfortable seeing some ppl in the comments are "interested" to move to Bali to follow her path 🙃 pic.twitter.com/cN5AmtN3mD

— Dey 데이 (@toyoilohu) January 17, 2021

why do americans think their peace of mind is worth gentrifying a whole island and pushing locals out of their own lands and into low-paying jobs bc now everything there is built to cater to foreigners https://t.co/QWiG2HUKbw

— t (@tasilsa) January 17, 2021

Don't glamorize Bali. Don't glamorize a place so poor that its citizens heavily rely on tourism, foreign investors & rich expats. Don't glamorize being "one with nature" on some spiritual healing bs in a country that murders Indigenous people because it wants their lands.

— Lani Mermaid (@Lani4Pasifika) January 17, 2021

so basically using the privilege of western education to become upper class in an asian country where most people can only clean such houses. yeah that doesn’t sound problematic at all.

— Complex Nightmare (@debatante) January 17, 2021

How have you ensured that moving to Bali and encouraging others to do so isn't contributing to gentrification? (i.e raising prices so natives aren't kicked out/forcing Balinese to learn English as opposed to expats learning Bahasa, etc.?)

— 🤢 (@stevanicaa) January 16, 2021

The thread sparked fury in Bali and throughout Indonesia, with many people criticising Gray for encouraging an influx of Westerners into the country during the pandemic, and raising concerns it would lead to further gentrification of the island at the expense of locals.

Her description of Bali as “queer friendly” also hit a nerve with local members of the LGTBI community in light of growing fears of state-sanctioned homophobia in conservative Indonesia, which introduced a bill last year that would force LGBTI people into conversion therapy.

For those averse to reading, here is a succinct video regarding this for your heart’s desires. pic.twitter.com/fEgspkHyJY

— Kai Mata🏳️‍🌈 (@kaimatamusic) January 18, 2021

Not everyone agreed with Gray's assessment of Bali as 'queer friendly'.

Others took exception to Gray flaunting her ability to pay $US400 ($A519) a month to rent her house while the average monthly wage in Bali was around $US177 ($A230), according to Coconuts Bali.

However, others on social media said criticism of Gray was driven by the fact she was a Black woman.

Questions had also been raised about whether the couple paid taxes to the Indonesian government, however Gray’s partner Saundra said in a tweet the money they made was in US dollars and they paid taxes to the US government accordingly.

As outrage mounted online, Indonesian immigration authorities confirmed they were looking into the matter.

Gray was found to have a valid visitor permit to stay in the country until later this month, however on Tuesday authorities confirmed she would be deported, pending the next available flight.

In a statement to Coconuts Bali, Jamaruli Manihuruk, who heads the Bali office for Indonesia’s Ministry of Law and Human Rights, said Gray may have violated a number of immigration laws, including “spreading information that could unsettle the public”.

Bali has been largely shut off to foreign tourists during the COVID-19 pandemic. Picture: Sonny Tumbelaka/AFP

That is understood to be in reference to her comment about Bali being queer friendly and general encouragement of visitors to enter the country during the pandemic.

Indonesia shut down its international border for a second time this month amid a steadily rising number of COVID-19 infections.

“The concerned foreign national is suspected to have done business by selling her e-book and putting up consultation fees on travelling to Bali, which means she can be subject to sanctions according to the 2011 Immigration Law,” Mr Manihuruk said in a statement.

Kristen Gray (second right) and her partner Saundra (centre) prepare for their flight from Denpasar airport. Picture: Bali Office of Ministry of Law and Human Rights / AFP

The couple at Denpasar airport after Gray was marked for deportation. Picture: Bali Office of Ministry of Law and Human Rights / AFP

Gray has locked down her Twitter and Instagram accounts in light of the backlash.

She told reporters on Tuesday she had not broken any rules and was being deported because of her comments about LGBTI community.

“I am not guilty, I have not overstayed my visa,” Gray said, according to the Associated Press.

“I have not made money in Indonesian rupiah in Indonesia. I put out a statement about LGBT and I’m being deported because I am LGBT.”

The couple has been held at Denpasar’s Immigration Detention Centre awaiting the next flight to the US.