Sotto on gays: Call them homo sapiens

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente Sotto III proposed to make it simple and call gay people homo sapiens instead of the politically correct lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, asexual and many other terms (LGBTQIA+) following the recent controversy over the use by a transgender woman of a toilet in a shopping mall in Quezon City.

“Why the lengthy letters? Why not just homo sapiens? We’re all the same. Why do we have to segregate the gays from the lesbians, straight guys?” Sotto asked yesterday after Sen. Risa Hontiveros called for immediate passage of the proposed Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression Equality (SOGIE) bill in light of a discrimination incident in Quezon City.

Hontiveros delivered a privilege speech on Wednesday after trans woman Gretchen Diez, 28, was barred from using a female restroom, which she said was a classic example of discriminating the LGBTQIA+.

“What this underscores, Mr. President is that there is a grave and urgent need for a SOGIE Equality Bill. It is time that we say we will stand by those who speak their truths,” said Hontiveros.

“I am calling my colleagues in this plenary to pass the SOGIE Equality Bill. For Gretchen, for all Filipino lesbians, gays, transgenders, intersex, queers, and asexuals” long suffering from discrimination, she added.

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III interpellated Hontiveros and asked her about the meaning of the letters as he is only familiar with LGBT in the LGBTQIA+.

Hontiveros said the additional letters were descriptions as people continue to learn about themselves and their surroundings.

“The spectrum may forever be refined,” she explained. “One of the beautiful things I learned from the LGBTQIA+ community, for the queers it is all about love and who can quarrel about love.”

Senate Minority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said Sen. Sonny Angara has filed an anti-discrimination bill covering religious and political beliefs as well all other forms of discrimination. He said the bill can also absorb the SOGIE bill.

“I fully totally support that (anti-discrimination bill to absorb the SOGIE bill) a happy compromise. If it’s anti-discrimination bill, you are looking at 95 percent support from the senators,” he said, adding there might be stumbling blocks if it only covers a certain sector.

Shopping malls, restaurants and government facilities should put up separate restrooms for members of the LGBT community in addition to the usual male and female toilets. 

“The resolution there is to also come up with another restroom for what we call the third sex so that we will no longer have problems like that,” 1Pacman party-list Rep. Eric Pineda said, referring to the incident involving Diez who was arrested for trying to use a female toilet at Farmers Plaza mall in Cubao, Quezon City. 

Pineda, chairman of the House committee on labor, clarified that Diez cannot be blamed for using the women’s comfort room for the simple reason that guys – just like him – are not comfortable seeing transgender individuals inside men’s restrooms. 

Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta Rep. Jericho Nograles said government or other private firms should also consider providing an “all gender restroom” for the LGBT community. 

“I remember at Clark International Airport in Pampanga, we have there an ‘all-gender restroom’,” he said, pointing out that putting this up is definitely not prohibited under Philippine laws. 

“Also, if I’m not mistaken, Ateneo de Davao University was the first institution to have ‘all- gender restrooms,” Nograles, who hails from Davao and is a nephew of President Duterte, stressed.  – With Delon Porcalla