9 in 10 Pinoys say gays, lesbians have right to be protected – SWS

MANILA, Philippines - Nearly nine in 10 Filipinos believe gays and lesbians have the right to be protected against any form of discrimination, a 2013 survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) revealed.

To the statement “Just like me, gays and lesbians also have the right to be protected against any form of discrimination,” 85 percent of 1,200 respondents agreed, five percent disagreed, and 10 percent were undecided.

Results of the survey, conducted from June 28 to 30, 2013 and Sept. 20 to 23, 2013 were released by SWS only yesterday.

Meanwhile, the SWS survey conducted in September showed that 67 percent of Filipinos claimed that gays and lesbians are trustworthy, while only 18 percent said otherwise. The remaining 14 percent were undecided about this matter.

The same survey also found 54 percent of respondents saying that gays and lesbians have contributed a lot to societal progress, while 24 percent of them disagreed.

For a little over half or 54 percent of Filipinos, being gay or lesbian is not a form of mental illness. However, 25 percent said otherwise, the June 2013 survey showed.

Forty-five percent of respondents also disagreed to the statement that being gay or lesbian is contagious. About four in 10 respondents (38 percent) agreed to the statement, while 16 percent were undecided.

The September 2013 survey also found 45 percent of respondents claiming that AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) can be considered a sickness of gays and lesbians. Thirty-three percent disagreed and 21 percent were undecided.