MANILA, Philippines — Akbayan Party on Saturday marked the celebration of Pride Month by calling for passage of legislation against discrimination over sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or sex characteristics, bills for which have faltered in Congress for more than two decades.
A House committee has approved one version of the bill but a counterpart at the Senate has been sent back to the Committee on Rules for scheduling. Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva — chair of the rules committee and who says lawmakers must give religious groups opposed to the bill a chance to be heard — has said it is not priority legislation.
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"Senator Villanueva, you represent all citizens, especially the marginalized, which includes our LGBTQIA+ sisters and brothers," Akbayan said in a statement.
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"You say that the SOGIE Equality Bill is not a priority. Can you say the same thing in front of LGBTQIA+ persons who have experienced discrimination and violence? To parents whose children have been bullied because of their gender identity and expression? And to our fellow Filipinos and human beings who have been murdered just because they do not fit the mold imposed by your conservative and archaic beliefs?"
Villanueva and his father, evangelist and party-list representative Eddie Villanueva, have openly opposed the bill. Rep. Villanueva (CIBAC party-list) has raised concerns that prohibiting discrimination of LGBTQIA+ people will interfere with religious freedom in a country where majority identify as Catholic or Christian.
The bill at the House penalizes speech meant "to shame, insult, vilify, or which tends to incite or normalize the commission of discriminatory practices against persons of diverse SOGIESC" but allows exceptions for religious speech and those made in the context of religious activities.
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"Our fight for equality and fairness when it comes to the basic rights of LGBTQIA+ persons will not diminish the rights of anyone else," Akbayan, whose party-list representative Etta Rosales filed the first anti-discrimination bill 23 years ago, said.
"The SOGIE Equality Bill is not about special treatment. It is about protecting our children from being hurt and ensuring that we are all given the chance to live a life that is free from the fear of ridicule, pain, and even death just because you see LGBTQIA+ persons as 'different'."
SHE MOTHERED! ??????????????
— Pride PH (@tfpridePH) June 24, 2023
Equality Champion Sen. Risa Hontiveros invites the crowd to chant, “We are here! We are queer! We are proud & unstoppable!”
“Kahit gaano pa nila katagal harangin ang SOGIE Equality Bill, mayroon silang hindi maitatanggi: You exist!” ????????????????#LoveLaban#PridePH pic.twitter.com/aRLlLc0eHh
The House version — which bill sponsors stress does not affect the Family Code provision recognizing marriage as being only between a man and a woman — also penalizes the following discriminatory practices:
The bill penalizes the following “discriminatory practices”:
- Advertising, producing, and publishing in the media, in educational textbooks, and other medium that has the effect of promoting, encouraging and perpetuating stigma or inciting violence and sexual abuse against any person or group on the basis of SOGIESC
- Denying access to public services to any person on the basis of SOGIESC
- Including SOGIESC, as well as the disclosure of one’s SOGIESC, in the criteria for any action related to the hiring, promotion or firing of workers, as well as their access to work opportunities
- Refusing admission or expelling a person from any educational or training institution on the basis of SOGIESC or the SOGIESC of their parents or guardians without disregarding academic qualification
- Denying a person access to public or private medical and other health services open 10 to the general public on the basis of such person's SOGIESC
- Publishing information intended to “out” or reveal the sex or SOGIESC of persons without their consent, whether or not done in good faith, when such has not been made known by the person/s concerned and has been made with malicious intent or is primarily motivated by a desire for commercial profit