President Marcos to protect LGBT community from discrimination

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has renewed his support for the Filipino LGBTQIA+ community and vowed to protect them against discrimination.

“I just wanted to say hello and to let you know that we in the Philippines, what we’re after really is that everybody is treated not for any other thing, not for race, not for creed, not for orientation, but just as Filipinos,” the President told members of the LGBT Pilipinas during a gathering in Malacañang on Thursday.

Marcos stressed that as long as everyone stays true to the idea of recognizing fellow Filipinos, everyone would be treated fairly and without discrimination.

He added that the people in the Philippines are more open-minded compared to other countries.

“Here in the Philippines, that’s (to be gay) OK as long as we know the person. We look at the person’s character and not anything else,” Marcos said in Filipino.

LGBT Pilipinas has proposed the creation of an advisory body or commission on LGBTQIA+ affairs under the Office of the President to increase visibility and representation in the bureaucracy.

According to the Presidential Communications Office, the group is seeking the support of First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos for its proposal.

Marcos said his wife, who is a lawyer, is more knowledgeable on the legal issues affecting LGBTQIA+ members.

Araneta-Marcos was quoted by the PCO as saying, “Knowing my husband, I’m sure he will grant the wish because he knows that you all campaigned for him and he wouldn’t be there without you guys.”

“So, thank you very much. I think it’s our way of giving back to those who helped him in the election,” she added.

Araneta-Marcos also called on the LGBTQIA+ community to always support one another as she attended the oath taking of the new set of officers of LGBT Pilipinas led by director Dindi Tan as its national president.

While the passage of a national anti-discrimination law is still being deliberated in Congress, LGBT Pilipinas made a commitment to help local government units pass their respective ordinances on anti-discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression and sexual characteristics such as those passed by the local governments of Cebu City, Bacolod City and Davao City.

Established in June 2016, the LGBT Pilipinas is the only SEC-registered national alliance of LGBTQIA+ organizations, networks and allied groups across the country and has been working side by side with the government to remove the barriers that hold people back with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity.

The organization has more than 120,000 members nationwide.

The UN Human Rights Council recommended last year for the Philippines to pass a gender equality bill and other similar measures protecting the LGBTQIA+ community.