A Study on the Philippine Government’s Attitude towards the LGBT Community
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
Submitted by
Rienjel Mae T. Tolentino
IV - BA Political Science
2015-11203
Submitted to
Professor Doroteo C. Abaya, Jr.
Thesis Adviser
May 2019 According to the Philippine Psychological Association (2013), Filipino LGBT people continue to experience stigma, prejudice, and discrimination in the Philippine society. This stigma is manifested in actions: such as bullying, teasing, and harassment of LGBT children, and adolescents in families, schools and communities. In addition, LGBT people are more likely to experience intolerance, discrimination, harassment and the threat of violence due to their sexual orientation. Although LGBT people are socially celebrated, they are not politically recognized.
Rocero, 2013 University of the Philippines Manila College of Arts and Sciences Department of Social Sciences
APPROVAL SHEET
This thesis entitled “A Study on the Philippine Government’s Attitude towards the LGBT Community” presented by Ms. Rienjel Mae T. Tolentino in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Political Science under the Department of Social Sciences in University of the Philippines Manila is hereby presented for approval.
Prof. Doroteo C. Abaya, Jr. Prof. Jerome A. Ong Adviser Department Chair Political Science 198 Department of Social Sciences ABSTRACT
This study is conducted to state the current situation of the LGBT community in the Philippines, focusing more on the Philippine government’s attitude. The government actors’ reception and the process of legislation towards the LGBT related issues are studied by interviewing executives and members of LGBT organizations in the Philippines. It is established that the government is not that fond of the nature of the LGBT given that the Philippines is a dominantly Christian archipelago and its stand on morality and homosexuality. The negative impact of the government’s attitudes serves as a drive for the purpose and goals of the LGBT organizations in fighting for the LGBT rights. Additionally, the paper explores alternative actions and solutions to the problems that the LGBT in the Philippines are facing right now. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my gratitude to my adviser, Professor Doroteo C. Abaya, Jr, as well as my Political Science 199.1 adviser, Professor Josefina Tayag. Secondly, I would like to mention Ms. Melaida Kate Sonday, a friend from University of the Philippines Baguio, who helped me in gathering part of my data in a very crucial time. Thirdly, I would like to thank my parents for always replying, and comforting me that I can survive my last year in the university. Fourthly, I would like to mention my group of friends, #JUNKSAIS; Alia Lasquete, Bianca Adriano, Brie Allabo, Christopher Miranda, Micah de Guzman, and Myna Rafanan. Thank you for hyping me up whenever I needed it. Fifthly, I want to mention the person who I bumped into at the alley that connects second floor RH and SC last semester. You gave me the starting idea for my thesis. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page Approval Sheet i Abstract ii Acknowledgement iii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION A. Research Question 4 B. Tentative Answer 4 C. Objectives 5 D. Significance of the Study 6 CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE A. Christianity and Homosexuality: A Brief History 7 B. The LGBT Community of the Philippines 9 C. The Philippine Government’s Performance 12 CHAPTER III: ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK A. Theoretical Framework 16 B. Conceptual Framework 18 CHAPTER IV: METHODOLOGY A. Research Design 19 B. Locale of Study 20 C. Unit of Study 20 D. Sampling Design 20 E. Data Collection Procedures 21 F. Ethical Aspects 21 G. Tools of Analysis 24 H. Limitations of the Study 26 CHAPTER V: FINDINGS A. The Situation and Activities of the LGBT Community in the Philippines 27 B. The Philippine Government’s Attitude Towards the LGBT Community 28 C. The Needs of the LGBT Community 29 CHAPTER VI: ANALYSIS 30 CHAPTER VII: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 33 BIBLIOGRAPHY 36 APPENDIX 38 ANNEX 121 CHAPTER I
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
The topic of homosexuality is always sensitive in the Philippines; highlighting that the country is mainly a religious one (Catholicism covering around 70% of the present religions). The country boasts on its feature as the only Catholic country in the entirety of Asia.
With aforementioned, conflicts of interest in policy making are sometimes observed in the legislators who are devoted Christians, and some others who are plainly homophobic. As the Christian morality often is in opposition of the idea of homosexuality, partiality towards policies geared for the interests of the LGBT community is manifested repeatedly in the legislative branch of the government in many cases. Over time, LGBT organizations have surfaced, fighting for the rights of the LGBT in the country. It is without doubt, however, that these organizations face difficulties in advancing their interests in the policy-making process.
This study will focus on the government’s attitude towards the LGBT community, and homosexuality in general, and how this affects the LGBT organizations in the
Philippines. While doing so, the study will also provide a written analysis of the situation of the LGBT community in the country.
The study aims to provide an explorative-descriptive approach on the situation of the LGBT community in the Philippines. The intriguing case of the SOGIE Equality Bill will also be explored. Consequently, listing the activities that these organizations hold to
1 protect and advance their rights, and how the current situation of the LGBT community affects these activities.
Short Background
Discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is still present in the Philippines. This sometimes results to losses of job opportunities, and proliferation of abuse, and violence. Severe cases of prejudice are observed when law enforcers, and service providers encounter issues that concern people who are members of the LGBT community. In a particular case in the Philippines where a transwoman was gang raped, the police told the victim that she should be thankful that those people showed interest on her, when men should not even be paying attention to people like her (Philippine
Commission on Women, n.d.).
Recently, in 2017, the Philippine House of Representatives (17th Congress) had passed on its third, and final reading the bill prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression (SOGIE Equality Bill). The anti- discrimination bill was first filed on the 11th Congress, summing a total of almost 20 years in the Philippine House of Representatives (CNN, 2017). Currently, the bill is up for debate in the Philippines Senate.
During the 2016 elections, Representative Geraldine Roman of the 1st District of
Bataan was elected—a milestone for the LGBT community since she is the first ever transgender woman to hold an office in the Philippine House of Representatives. She, along with other lawmakers, pushed for the passing of the SOGIE Equality Bill stated on
2 the previous paragraph. Her speech in the House of Representatives, which gathered international attention and support, helped in the unanimous 198-0-0 vote for the bill on its third and final reading.
The researcher pushes to complete a study on this topic since there is an evident lack of materials that are published to talk about the situations of the LGBTs in the
Philippines.
3 Research Problem
General Question: What is the Philippine Government’s attitude towards homosexuality?
Specific Questions:
1. What is the situation of the LGBT in the Philippines?
2. How do Filipino legislators act for or view the LGBT community?
3. How does the actions of the government as a whole, and its legislators affect
the frequency of activities of the LGBT organizations?
4. What seems to be the major problem of the LGBT organizations, and what do
they need the most in fighting for their causes?
Tentative Answer
The Philippine government has a negative perception, and reception of the LGBT community. This can be seen frequently on the attitudes of its political leaders, and the path of legislation that concerns LGBT rights. Instead of demoralizing and decreasing the morale of the LGBT activists, it would rather increase the LGBT organizations’ levels of political participation.
4 Objectives of the Study
General Objective: The researcher aims to asses how the government acts towards the LGBT community .
Specific Objectives:
1. To properly establish the government’s reception of the LGBT community.
2. To discern the current situation of the LGBT community and their needs.
3. To investigate if the LGBT organization/s decide to be apolitical due to the
actions of the government or not.
5 Significance of the Study
The fight for the LGBT rights has been hard in the Philippines due to its religious nature. It is a fact that it is hard to separate the church and the state in the country since the morals that the legislators of the Philippines are shaped by the Catholic way of life.
Knowing the gravity of the government’s attitude towards the LGBT community might help in bringing awareness and highlight the need for actions in support of the LGBT community. Specifically, in which points will the LGBT organizations can focus their political participation in order to maximize the effects that they can cause in the policy decision making.
6 CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
The Birth of Christianity in the Philippines, and its Take on Homosexuality
The Philippines has the world’s third largest Catholic population, and this all roots from the Spanish arrival in the archipelago in the year 1521. When the Spaniards arrived in the archipelago, there was no single bureaucracy that governed the islands, yet an evident connection via trade routes and slave-raiding was operating. The different islands have their own religious beliefs, cosmology, and code of ethics. The first contact of locals with Christianity was when Magellan appeared in the archipelago in search for unexplored territories to claim for their colony.After meeting with Magellan, Rajah
Humabon, the ruler of the island of Cebu, and his subjects embraced Christianity, though this may have been to avoid conflict with the conquistadors. Magellan, however, met his untimely death under the resistance headed by Lapu-Lapu on a nearby Mactan Island
(Cornelio, 2018).
The Spanish never stopped sending expeditions after Magellan’s death. Ruy
Lopez de Villalobos’s trip in 1543 named the islands Filipinas, in honor of Spanish King
Philip II. Miguel Lopez de Legazpi discovered a route between the islands and Mexico which aided to the solidification of the relationship of the Philippines and Spain. The journey of the Philippines into being a Christian nation was not a smooth process since not all natives openly embraced the religion, some have resisted being baptized. The
7 Muslims in Mindanao did not bow down to the royal from Spain. In 1878 a peace treaty between the Spain and the Sultanate of Sulu, it can be seen from translation that the latter was only proclaimed as a protectorate of the former. Although in the defeat of Spain in the Spanish-American War, Sulu was included in the entirety of islands that are to be given to the Americans (Cornelio, 2018).
Catholicism became the foundation of many Filipinos’ identities. The Catholic
Church being brought by the Spaniards since the 16th century, has a close tie with the
Filipinos. Throughout the Philippine history, its presence can be seen at the involvement of actions that exude nationalism, and social justice, while at the same time also bearing the face of power, elitism, and exploitation (Catholicism in the Philippines, n.d.).
This Catholic practice have been made known to almost everyone in the archipelago as time passed. Of which, this has backed up the conservative and traditional ways and thinking of the entire nation in all social issues. Compared to the American ratio of 22% saying that divorce is morally unacceptable, Filipinos have a booming 67% stating the same thing. In the issue of abortion, 93% of Filipinos agree that it is an immoral act. Out of all the 40 countries that were surveyed in the said study, the
Philippines has the highest score of unity in the aforementioned (Lipka, 2015).
The Roman Catholic Church is by far the largest christian religious group in the world. It has an estimated 1.2 billion members around the globe (Stances of Faiths on
LGBTQ Issues: Roman Catholic Church, 2018). According to an article written by Father
David Garcia (2007), “Homosexual acts do not measure up to the moral standard of
8 heterosexual acts because they fail to meet some conditions for morally acceptable sexual activity: complementarity and fecundity.” Since homosexual couples naturally are not able to conceive a child, it is believed that it is not in line with the procreation that the
Gospels have been conjuring as the essence of a Christian life. (Garcia, 2007). Father
Garcia further stresses that complementarity is important, and God purposefully created man, and woman for only each other.
The LGBT Community in the Philippines
Gender and sex are terms which are commonly misused in conversations, specially ones that are involved with discussions on homosexuality. In the past, “gender” and “sex” was used interchangeably without much of an implication. Presently, it is very important to know the difference between the two because of the growing disparity in their meanings. In simple words, “sex” refers to the biological classification of a person upon birth; male or female. “Gender”, on the other hand, is much more complicated to define, although, the researcher will use it in this study as a reference to the gender roles that the individual takes in society; the person’s and society’s views on sexuality, and concepts of masculinity and femininity (Newman, 2018).
In defining the terms Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ), the researcher has decided to use the dictionary meanings of the said terms.
Lesbian is a term used to define a homosexual woman while the word gay is used to describe a homosexual man. Bisexual is used to characterize a person who is attracted
9 to both sexes (man and woman). Transgender is a term used to describe people whose gender is different from their sex at birth. Meanwhile, queer is used as an umbrella term for those who are not heterosexual.
For better understanding and visualization, a straight person is a door that opens one certain way. Lesbian and gay people are doors which open the other opposite way, while bisexual people are doors that open both ways.
The Babaylans are the first ever recorded occurrence of women and gender crossing men to hold a position of power. The Babaylan is considered as a priestess who is blessed with the abundance of knowledge and spiritual connection. They are given the responsibility of loking after the spiritual health of a community in precolonial
Philippines. Some male Babaylans are called asog, and are free to engage in a homosexual partnership. However, their physicality are still of that of a male standard in society (Rozul, 2017).
The Spaniards’ stay have introduced the concept of patriarchy and machismo in the Philippine society. This have made the tradition of gender crossing classified into being a ridiculous act. With that being so, effeminate men were considered as an abomination, which then introduced the slang “bakla”. This situation was further strengthened when the Americans invaded the archipelago (Rozul, 2017). Hence, the conceptual history of Philippine gay culture seem to have started in the 1960s when the gay language emerged (UNDP, USAID, 2014). This language is said to be a mix of elements that come from Tagalog, English, Spanish and Japanese, as well as celebrities’
10 names and trademark brands (Ricordeau, 2009). In 1975, Justo Justo established the
Home of the Golden Gays after the Second World War. The home was planned to be a sacred sanctuary for elderly gay men who have been disowned and abandoned by their families. The most common reason for this alienation was their inability to contribute in the financial matters of the family. It has grown into a loving family composed of vibrant and unique gays but, had to close due to the the death of Justo in 2012 (Rozul, 2017).
Over time, the Filipinos have grown more aware of the existence of the LGBT community. In the end of 1980s, and the early 1990s, there are many LGBT related advances that took place in the country. Danton Remoto and J. Neil Garcia formed
Ladlad in 1994, a collection of poems and writings about the LGBT community. A
Different Love: Being Gay in the Philippines by Margarita Go-Singco Holmes helped in increasing the knowledge and understanding of society about the LGBTs (UNDP,
USAID, 2014). Lesbian Collective, a lesbian contingent in the Philippines in March 1992 have joined the International Women’s Day march that have signified an important mark in lesbian activism (Mohideen, 1996). This event was the first demonstration attended by an organized sector of the LGBT community in the Philippines.
The first LGBT Pride march in the country happened in June 26 of 1994, in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Stonewall Riot. This march organized by
Progressive Organization of Gays in the Philippines (PROGAY Philippines) and the
Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) Manila is the first on to be conducted in Asia.
The march that went from EDSA at Quezon Avenue to Quezon Memorial Circle in
Quezon City had an estimated participants of 60 people (Rozul, 2017).
11 In the introduction of a new millennium, more LGBT organizations have been developed. Some were focused on specific concerns of the community like sexual health
(particularly HIV), psychosocial support, representation in sports events, religious and spiritual needs, and political representation. Danton Remoto, who founded the LGBT anthology Ladlad, decided to create a political party of the same name in Spetember 21,
2003. This became one fo the most memorable moments for the LGBT in the 21st century. It is aimed to represent the LGBT community in the legislation by winning a seat through the party-list system. By around 2013, the LGBT organizations in the country have included human rights as their advocacy, and multiplied in numbers (UNDP,
USAID, 2014). See Annex 1.
The Philippine Government’s Performance
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte of the Philippines have been leaving on remarks about other people being a homosexual as an insult. (See Annex 2) It can be observed how the President of the Philippines would use homosexual terms (LGBT Terms) as an insult.
See Annex 3 for list of LGBT Terms.
Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao is a firm believer that homosexuality is a sin. A pastor himself, he had been in a very controversial issue involving the LGBT community when he released a statement that describes homosexual people as worse than animals. See Annex 4
12 Senators Sotto, and Villanueva also have expressed their opposition of the legalization of same-sex marriage. Both have stated in a news article that they are against same sex marriage; quoting Sotto, “(It) won’t fly,” “Sogie lang hindi makalusot, yun pa?”, “Malabo,” and “Same sex union should be enough. (It) does not need law”.
Villanueva also expressed his rejection by stating, “I am against same sex marriage.
Sacred ang marriage. Hindi yan usaping estado lang,” and “Marapat yata na ipaubaya sa simbahan yan,”.
The SOGIE Equality Bill
House Bill No. 4982 or “An Act Prohibiting Discrimination on the Basis of
Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity or Expression (SOGIE) and Providing Penalties
Therefor” is the first of its kind, an anti-discrimination act that centers to protect the lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, and queer sector (Deslate, n.d.). The SOGIE Equality
Bill was first filed by the late senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, and and by former
Akbayan Representative Loretta Rosales in the 11th Congress as recorded. Pending for
19 years, Bataan 1st District Representative Geraldine Roman, Diwa Party List
Representative Emmeline Aglipay-Villar, and Dinagat Islands Representative Arlene
“Kaka” Bag-ao were able to oversee the bill passing its final reading in the Congress.
The SOGIE Equality Bill protects people from discriminatory acts such as:
• Denial of access to public services
• Including SOGIE as a criteria for hiring or dismissal of workers
13 • Refusing admission or expelling students in schools based on SOGIE
• Imposing disciplinary actions that are harsher than customary due to the student's
SOGIE
• Refusing or revoking accreditation of organizations based on the SOGIE of
members
• Denying access to health services
• Denying the application for professional licenses and similar documents
• Denying access to establishments, facilities, and services open to the general
public
• Forcing a person to undertake any medical or psychological examination to
determine or alter one's SOGIE
• Harassment committed by persons involved in law enforcement
• Publishing information intended to "out" or reveal the SOGIE of a person without
consent
• Engaging in public speech which intends to shame or ridicule LGBTQ+ persons
• Subjecting persons to harassment motivated by the offenders bias against the
offended party's SOGIE, which may come in the form of any medium, including
telecommunications and social media
• Subjecting any person to gender profiling
14 • Preventing a child under parental authority from expressing one's SOGIE by
inflicting or threatening to inflict bodily or physical harm or by causing mental or
emotional suffering
Those convicted of discriminating against a person as defined in the bill shall be fined not less than P100,000 but not more than P500,000, or be imprisoned for less than one year but not more than 6 years or both.
15 CHAPTER III
ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK
Theoretical Framework
In a study entitled “Policy, preferences, and participation: Government's impact on democratic citizenship” by Patrick Flavin and John D. Griffin of the University of
Notre Dame in 2009, it is mentioned that political participation plays a major role in the formulation of a public policy. Consequently, they also mentioned how the public policies have the power to affect the citizens’ decision on whether to participate in elections or not. They developed a theory that involves the policy decisions of the government and the political participation of the people. They theorized that the policy winners and losers on the extreme ends of the spectrum will react more than those who are affected in the middle.
Bobo and Gilliam (1990), as cited in Flavin, P and Griffin, J., (2009), stated that those who feel that they are better represented tend to participate more in politics than those who are not. This supports the claim that those parties who feel like they have the smaller stick in a policy decision will feel less efficient and as a result, will participate less in politics (Flavin, P and Griffin, J., 2009).
Although as stated above, if one factor is added in the equation, the result might be the exact opposite. If dissatisfaction plays a role in a way that when the result of a policy decision is not satisfying for the citizens, they will increase their political participation in order to change the tides (Flavin, P and Griffin, J., 2009). As Marcus and
16 Mackuen (1993); Rudolph, Gangl, and Stevens (2000), as cited in Flavin, P and Griffin,
J., (2009), stated, that for an instance if a certain candidate poses threat to the individual’s political ideals, the individual’s anxiety over the possibility of the threat winning will drive the person to participate politically.
Hence, the proper expectation for when an individual is dissatisfied with the government’s policy decisions is for the individual’s political participation to increase.
17 Conceptual Framework
The slow-moving progress of the Increased political SOGIE Equality participation and Bill, and the Dissatisfaction activities of the government’s LGBT hostility towards the LGBT organizations
The Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity or Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill has been proposed in the Philippine Congress for over 20 years, a relatively very long time spent on deciding for a policy and yet, it is still counting its years as it is on pending status for debate in the Senate. This slow-moving advancement of the bill, coupled by the discriminatory religious leaders of the country is expected to provide dissatisfaction not only to the members of the LGBT community but also to the supporters of the LGBT rights. In accordance to the theoretical framework of the study, it is expected that there will be an increase in the political participation of the LGBT organizations fueled by the dissatisfaction of the policy process.
18 CHAPTER IV
METHODOLOGY
Research Design
The researcher intends to use qualitative methods of data gathering. Data will be sourced from literature, news articles from trusted media sites, past studies, and open source materials which will help provide a background for the issue at hand. The key informant interview is going to be used given the sensitivity of the topic. Executives from different organizations that concern themselves with the struggles of the LGBT community are going to be interviewed to provide a collective and analyzed information about the topic. The obtained data will be used in assessing the government’s attitude towards the LGBt community, and situation of the LGBT community in the Philippines.
Informed Consent Forms will be provided to ensure the ethical aspect of the study.
However, those who cannot make it for a personal interview are given disclaimers before the start of the online questionnaire.
It will result to a descriptive qualitative study analyzing the attitude of the government towards the LGBT community from the lenses of the people who are directly on the receiving end of such attitude.
19 Locale of the Study
The study will be confined in the LGBT organizations that are present in the
Philippines.
Unit of Study
The respondents are executive positions holders from different organizations that concern themselves with the LGBT movement in the Philippines. Given the sensitivity of the topic, the researcher will be conducting key informant interviews to indirectly get the information on the difficulties that the LGBT people experience, instead of individually approaching LGBT people, to avoid asking about the negative experiences of the LGBT person directly.
Sampling Design
One-on-one interview will be conducted with as much available executive members of the LGBT concerned organizations. The interviews will be conducted until a consistent answer is found between all of the respondents. The researcher will make us of a homogeneous sampling strategy since the study is fitting to make use of participants who have similar experiences and characteristics. The criteria for the recruitment of participants are:
The inclusion criteria:
20 • Members of the LGBT organizations
• Should be at least 18 years old and above
• Must be both sound physical and mental conditions; being able to explain and talk
about complex issues and topics for good 15-30 minutes
The exclusion criteria:
• Non-members of the LGBT organizations
• Younger than 18 years old
• Unable to talk for at least 15 minutes due to various reasons
Data Collection Procedures
The study will be supplemented by the information from government sites, books, published journals, news articles, together with the data from the key informant interviews that will be collected.
The interviews will be semi-structured, which is an appropriate approach in maximizing the perspectives of the participants. A topic guide/interview flow guide is used during the interviews, flexible for adjustments during the conversation.
Ethical Aspects
The researcher will always provide Informed Consent Forms for the respondents.
All of the terms and conditions will be explained clearly before proceeding with the
21 interview, coupled with the choice of stopping whenever necessary. The respondents may also withdraw their information when uncomfortable. Exceptions will be done with respondents who are away from the researcher. To which, they will be presented with a disclaimer before the online interview questions.
Every interview will be done voluntarily. Respondents who wish to be treated with confidentiality will be respected.
The contact information of the researcher will be provided adequately to cater the questions that the respondents may have.
Research Respondents:
A. BJ Eco (Babaylanes Incorporated) E. Ted Zukomatsuzaki (Pioneer Filipino
• Executive Director Transgender Men Movement)
B. Camilo de Guzman (UP Babaylan • Youth Advocacy Officer
Diliman) F. Nikki Castillo (Metro Manila Pride)
• Ingat-Yaman • President
C. Bernadette Neri (Bahaghari Metro G. Abi Taningco (Bahaghari UP Baguio)
Manila) • member
• Chairperson H. Nico Ponce (Bahaghari UP Baguio)
D. Slac Cayamanda (Pioneer Filipino • Vice Chairperson Transgender Men Movement) I. Noah Gajo (Bahaghari UP Baguio)
• Communications Officer • Founding member
22 J. Ayen Sebastian (UP Babaylan K. Eljay Bernardo (Rainbow Rights
Baguio) Philippines)
• Pangalawang Punong Babaylan • Paralegal Project Officer
• Former: Ingat Yaman, Punong L. Mary Kathleen Tronco (UP Babaylan
Babaylan Baguio)
• member
23 Tools of Analysis
A summary of all the data needed is provided on the table below:
Sources and Data Needed Data Collection Analysis Ethical Aspects Techniques The government’s attitude • Literature • Content • Acknowledge (policies, leaders’ moral beliefs Review Analysis all sources that reflects in the legislature, • KII • Ask for etc.) towards LGBT Informed Consent The activities that the LGBT • Literature • Content • Acknowledge organizations hold in fighting for Review Analysis all sources the LGBT rights • KII • Statistical • Ask for Analysis Informed Consent The effects of government • KII • Content • Ask for attitude on the frequency of Analysis Informed activities that the LGBT • Statistical Consent supporting organization holds Analysis The problems that the LGBT • KII • Content • Ask for organizations perceive Analysis Informed • Statistical Consent Analysis The perceived need of the LGBT • Content organizations in fighting for their • KII and • Ask for rights Statistical Informed Analysis Consent
Data Matrix Notes:
The researcher will use primarily the phenomenological approach to study the people’s perspectives, and identify the data needed for the study using a small sample
24 size. All audio recordings are to be transcribed, and coded in accordance with a thematic analysis.
25 Limitations of the Study
The researcher included only willing LGBT organizations, and there is a lack of information from other groups. Although, the organizations in this study is individually capable of expressing valid opinions. There is no government official or representative available during the data gathering of the study which hindered an accumulation of wider ranged opinions on the issues mentioned in this study. Hence, there is a lack of triangulation in the study. This limits the ability of the study to be used in general situations. However, the data collected in enough for the aim of the study. Therefore, the researcher leaves this aspect for further research inquiry.
26 CHAPTER V
FINDINGS
The Situation and Activities of the LGBT Community in the Philippines
The most mentioned phrase to describe the situation of the LGBT in the
Philippines from all of the interviews done by the researcher was that the LGBT in the
Philippines are “tolerated but not accepted”. Being tolerated means people can live with the LGBT existing but not being accepted means the LGBT not being able to enjoy the same human rights as the heterosexuals in society are enjoying.
To cite an example, the case of same-sex marriage was mentioned. This is not allowed legally in the Philippines, and the rejection of this right is backed up by officials in the government who are strongly affiliated with the Church.
Due to the religious background of the Philippines, it has been hard for the LGBT to lobby for their rights, not to mention the discrimination that they face everyday. Most of the LGBT in the workforce experience discrimination in their job hunts; from explicitly stating in a poster that homosexuals are not allowed to apply, to private confrontations in a human resources office.
LGBT organizations resort to some activities in trying to make the people understand their plights. The most common that they do is the Pride March, where members of the LGBT community gather to create an event in which the existence of the
LGBT is celebrated. This happens annually in different parts of the country. They also hold educational discussions to inform people about the nature of the LGBT, their problems that are being caused by society, and the help that they need. Some of them
27 gather informations about the current LGBT struggles during their immersions in communities.
The Philippine Government’s Attitude Towards the LGBT Community
The Philippine government’s overall reception of the LGBT community is not good. Actors of the government clearly and directly express their disdain about the community. The LGBT community in the Philippines is not recognized by its own government.
The President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has been very supportive of the community during his campaign period. However, after he was elected to the position he immediately flipped on his words. This portrays of how he used the clout of the community, and the issue as well to gain popularity and votes. After so, he has been using gay slur words to associate with unsatisfactory characteristics and traits such as identifying being “bakla” to cowardice.
Senator Manny Pacquiao is different from Duterte in a sense that he clearly disapproves the existence of the LGBT community, despises even. He went to the extent of stating that the gays are worse than animals since animals can distinguish males from females. After so, he apologized by holding a party with invited LGBT staff and visitors.
He even employed LGBT people under his office in the Senate. However, he did not waver from his religion after this incident which caused him contracts from different brands.
These individual attitudes reflect on their government, specially that they have one of the highest influences.
28 The SOGIE Equality Bill has been in the making for 19 years, and it only just passed it’s third and final reading in 2017. From which, it has been put in the strain in the
Senate with the Senate President Tito Sotto himself stating that this bill will not pass under his term.
This circumstance provokes the idea of the separation of the Church and the State which is stated in the Philippine Constitution. Article II Section 6 of the Philippine
Constitution states that, “The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable. No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Something which is not very evident in the contemporary Philippine governance as backed up by the situations mentioned above.
The Needs of the LGBT Community
The LGBT community in the Philippines are indeed fighting a very biased fight for their recognition and their rights. They need to educate the people about their struggles, and the nature of their community as well. But before this, they still need to organize first, and in order to organize, they need funds. Most of the organizations are using their members’ personal money to fund the events that are integral in the dissemination of information about the LGBT community.
Other than that, they also need a more cooperative government that would support them in their plans and activities.
29 CHAPTER VI
ANALYSIS
The deprivation of the same-sex marriage in the country is very disadvantageous for most LGBT couples. It constitutes that one has no legal powers over their partners, and that the relationship itself is not recognized by the Philippine government. Say for example, if someone from a homosexual relationship gets injured or involved in a life and death accident, their partner does not have any legal rights to demand a visit in their partner’s hospital room, nor make an arrangements for the hospitalized person. In the eyes of the law, they are not legal, they are not family. The only family of the homosexual person is the biological family that they were born from. The worse case is if that person dies, all of his assets will go to their biological family and none will be given to their partners, even if they have been together for years. That is why the LGBT community have been pushing for the same-sex marriage; not for the opportunity to just walk down the aisle, but is actually for the rights that people born heterosexual get freely.
One of the bills that could protect the LGBT rights is the SOGIE Equality Bill. It provides protection from any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression of an individual, regardless of social class. However, the SOGIE
Equality Bill that is currently drafted still needs some revisions so that it could provide maximum benefits such as legal recognition of a homosexual relationships, etc. This recognition comes handy specially when it is involved with the other person taking care of the other during an unfortunate event that would require them legal recognition as stated previously. The bill does not necessarily solve the problems of the LGBT
30 community in the Philippines but it is a step in the right direction. With this bill, the discriminations in workplaces and other public institutions can be reduced.
The reason why this SOGIE Bill has been pulled backwards is because of the clash of values and interests of the legislators in the Philippines. The Church is a big political institution that could make or change the political career of a person. Support from the Church means a blessing and possibly a legitimization of the capability of a person to rule, specially in a very religious country. A legislator’s job is to serve the people, and serving his own religion, to which not everyone follows, is considered a disservice to the people. This practice, specially, does not go well for the LGBT communities in the country since the morality of religion is against the very nature of homosexuality.
Senator Manny Pacquiao and his famous statement of gays being worse than animals have generated a lot of attention not just in local but also in international media.
Being the athlete he is, Nike, a sports company, decided to forgo his contract because of his statement. However, he still did not waver from his religion since it is a very crucial part of his political agenda. He mainly gets support from the religious sectors. A sincere apology from him must also be paralleled to his flipping from his religion which spreads the bias towards the LGBT community. Something that is very unlikely to be.
The LGBT community in the Philippines are not just being neglected but also is being toyed with. The president of the Philippines lying about his support to the LGBT community made a mark in every LGBT organizations’ chest in this study. Everything that he did that relates to the LGBT are all for his political career and not for the interests of the community.
31 The rights of the LGBT community are also human rights. If a heterosexual person’s rights is the same as a homosexual person’s rights, and a heterosexual person’s rights is important; how can a homosexual person’s rights ever be unimportant?
One of the possible solutions that could have helped in this whole situation is in the cancelled NDFP Peace Talks of the government. Part of the Comprehensive
Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER) is the women and gender rights.
In the Article VII Section 11 of the proposal, “The parties shall take measures to end discrimination and harassment of gays, lesbians and such other sectors. These include, but are not limited to, prohibiting biases in hiring, pay, termination, and other employment practices, in availing of social services, and in other areas of public life.”
Section 12 of the same article states, “The Parties recognize the civil right to marriage regardless of gender preferences. The GRP shall legalize same-sex unions and ensure that family rights and individual protections are upheld by making corresponding amendments to its Family Code and taking such other measures as necessary.”
The listed provisions above, if approved and implemented in the land, could be a big help in ending the struggles of the LGBT community in the Philippines.
32 CHAPTER VII
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
The study only proved how unfair and biased the current Philippine government is in looking out for the needs of the LGBT community in the country. There seems to be a presence of disrespect, and non-recognition for the community from the government that is supposed to protect its people. Their overall attitude on this issue proves to be dissatisfying, and disappointing.
However, in line with the study’s theoretical framework, where dissatisfaction and disappointment lead to an increased political participation, the negative action that the
LGBT organizations receive from the government pushes them to work harder for the recognition of their rights as Filipinos, too. But, this is not necessarily the sole reason for their actions. Some have proved that whether or not the government plays in favor of the
LGBT community, the struggle for the recognition of the LGBT community will continue to flourish. The attitude of the government only provides an extra motivation for the
LGBT organizations to continue their struggle for equality.
Recommendation to the Philippine Government
The researcher recommends a strict implementation of the separation of church and state in the country. The researcher believes that this would be a big help in elevating the platforms of the LGBT Community since the lenses from which the legislators view the needs of society will not be tainted with their religious beliefs.
33 The researcher also recommends that the government must acknowledge the stances of the church in certain issues like that of divorce, abortion, etc. but remain neutral in drafting their laws. The researcher recognizes that the Philippines will never be separated from Christianity but the state legislation must be independent from it.
On the subject of the SOGIE Equality Bill, the researcher also recommends that it must be revised to include the marriage equality for every individual, regardless of their sexual preference. It is not necessarily to be implemented in churches but at least the law must recognize the partnership of two homosexual individuals in order to protect their rights as couples. If it is possible, the researcher also wishes for the discontinued NDFP
Peace Talks to resume since part of the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and
Economic Reforms (CASER) is the women and gender rights. This reform involves a change in the current Family Code, and recognition of the legality of same-sex marriage.
Recommendation to the LGBT Groups
The researcher recommends to the LGBT groups an easier way to reach the entire
Filipino people by creating more of the written and published accounts of their struggles, and explaining that their sexuality is not a choice—for who even would choose, if given the chance, to be a part of a discriminated minority group.
In order for the mass to understand more of the nature of the LGBT, they must be visible in all platforms, specially in social media. They can make more films about coming out, and explaining their feelings since most of the interests in the contemporary
Philippines are confined in the film industry.
34 Recommendation to Future Researchers
The researcher recommends a further improvement on the study by getting the side of the government regarding the topic in question to provide a triangulated data that can help this study to become a generalized idea. This result will be more reliable, and might be recognized by more people in the Philippines.
35 BIBLIOGRAPHY
Catholicism in the Philippines. (n.d.) THE RELIGIOUS LITERACY PROJECT, Harvard Divinity School. retrieved from https://rlp.hds.harvard.edu/faq/catholicism- philippines
Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms. (n.d.). retrieved from https://www.ndfp.org/sayt/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/FINAL-Jan-17-2018-NDFP- CASER-2017-Web-version-Ver2.0.pdf
Cornelio, J. (2018). How the Philippines Became Catholic. retrieved from https:// www.christianitytoday.com/history/2018/february/philippines.html
Deslate, M. J. (n.d.). The SOGIE Equality Bill. retrieved from https:// divinalaw.com/sogie-equality-bill/
Enacting an Anti-Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law. (n.d.). Philippine Commission on Women. retrieved from https://pcw.gov.ph/wpla/ enacting-anti-discrimination-based-sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity-law
Flavin, P., & Griffin, J. D. (2009). Policy, preferences, and participation: Government's impact on democratic citizenship. The Journal of Politics, 71(2), 544-559.
Garcia, D. (2007). Homosexuality in the eyes of the church. retrieved from https:// catholicnews.sg/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1856:homosexuality- in-the-eyes-of-the-church&catid=111&Itemid=473&lang=en
House approves anti-discrimination bill on 3rd and final reading. (2017). CNN Philippines. retrieved from http://nine.cnnphilippines.com/news/2017/09/20/House- approves-anti-discrimination-bill-3rd-and-final-reading.html
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36 Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Mohideen, R. (1996, May). Lesbian movement emerges in the Philippines. Green Left Weekly, Issue 230. Retrieved 22 August 2013 from http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/ 11926. Newman, T. (2018). Sex and Gender: What is the difference?. retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/232363.php
Ricordeau. G. (2009, February). Review of “Philippine Gay Culture: Binabae to Bakla, Silahis to MSM”. Intersections: Gender and Sexuality in Asia and the Pacific, Issue 19. Retrieved 4 September 2013 from http://intersections.anu.edu. au/issue19/ ricordeau_review.htm.
Rozul, C. (2017). History of LGBTQ+ Visibility in the Philippines. retrieved from http://www.loveyourself.ph/2017/06/the-history-of-lgbtq-visibility-in.html
Stances of Faiths on LGBTQ Issues: Roman Catholic Church. (2018). U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. retrieved from https://www.hrc.org/resources/stances-of- faiths-on-lgbt-issues-roman-catholic-church
UNDP, USAID (2014). Being LGBT in Asia: The Philippines Country Report. Bangkok.
37 Appendix A
38 Abi Taningco Member Bahaghari UP Baguio
25 minutes 32 seconds
Legend:
Bold - Interviewer Regular - Interviewee
1. Hello, Abi. 2. Hello. 3. So uhh, my friend po kasi from UP Manila kailangan ng help from LGBT groups dito sa Baguio. So, from Bahaghari po? 4. Oo, Bahaghari UP Baguio. 5. So, yung unang question po, what is the name of your organization? 6. Ayun nga. 7. If possible please state your position or past positions. 8. Ako po’y isang hamak na miyembro ng Bahaghari UP Baguio. 9. What are the organization’s goals po? 10. Ayan, pasabog ‘to eh. Ahh kasi, nameet talaga namin yung nagfound ng Bahaghari na galing baba, si Bernadette Neri. Tapos sabi niya, ang ultimate goal ng Bahaghari ay mabuwag ito, dahil nakamit na natin ang isang lipunan kung saan ‘di na natin kailangan ng gender based organizations kasi lahat tayo ay naiintindihan na ang mga kailangan ng mga LGBT community, yung mga kailangan ng miyembro ng kababaihan. So, hindi na natin kailangan magkaroon ng ganitong org kasi okay na yung pagtrato ng lipunan sa atin. Ayun. 11. Yung third question, how broad is the scope of your organization? 12. So, kung Bahaghari UP Baguio, last year lang siya naitayo. So, we are building connections with other organizations katulad ng Amianan Pride Council. As of now, mayroon kaming members from SLU, so parang we’re working on making Bahaghari UP Baguio, Bahaghari Metro Baguio. Pero kung pag-uusapan naman antin yung Bahaghari na nasa Maynila, I’d say malaki na yung scope nila kasi nagpaparticipate sila sa Manila Pride March ganon. 13. What activities have the organization been holding to promote LGBT rights in the social and political arena? 14. So, kung dito, syempre andyan yung Baguio Pride March. Tapos, on a more local scale, we hold EDs katulad ng situationer. Tapos yun nga, yung main highlight
39 kemerut last year ay yung dumating dito si Bernadette Neri, pasabog yun. Bago pa lang eh, parang yun pa lang yung ganap namin. 15. So, establishing the government’s attitude towards homosexuality in general, sa mga actors po muna, how would you describe their reception of the LGBT community? 16. ‘Day, sakit sa ulo. ‘Day si Pacquiao, bobo, sabi niya “ah buti pa yung mga hayop alam yung lalaki at babae”. ‘Day, ang daming recorded cases ng homosexuality sa animal kingdom. So ayun, nakapa-uneduca—char. Kasi, yung position naman nila, regarding the LGBT community ay biased din. Lalong-lalo na yung kay Pacquiao kasi yung religion niya. Tapos si Duterte, ewan ko, ayaw lang talaga niya sa amin. Huh? Tapos ayun, hindi lang naman LGBT people yung inaatake niya. ‘Day, hindi rin niya nirerespeto yung mga babae, so, hmm, ekis na talaga siya as a person. Ayon, hindi rin niya nirerespeto ang mga tao in general. Ang dami niyang tao na pinapapatay. Ekis na talaga si Duterte kahit hindi pa natin isali yung reception niya sa LGBT. ‘Day, ano yung reception niya sa Filipino in general. Hello, ekis. 17. Tapos kung may i-aadd pa po kayo. 18. Ang alam ko, ayaw din ni Sotto sa amin. Oo, so parang hmm okay. 19. What could possibly be behind their ideals or inconsistencies? 20. So ayun, namention natin yung kay Pacquiao, medyo factor yung religion niya. Pero, ewan ko, in my opinion, andyan din yun age nila. Well, sa observation ko, yung mga matatanda na hindi na sila open for new ideas. 21. Is it possible for this to be part of their pol agenda/capital? 22. Kung si Pacquiao hindi ko nga alam kung bakit naging senador yun eh. May political agenda ba si Pacquiao? Parang wala? Kasi lagi naman siyang absent pag may meet yung Senate, so anong political agenda nito. Kung si Duterte, gusto niya lang makipagfriends sa China, patayin ang mga Pilipino. Ayun, yung pag-oppress niya sa mga LGBT community at kababaihan, parte rin ng pag-opress niya sa mga common na Pilipino. So ayun, nafufurther yung political agenda niya na patayin yung mga mahihirap sa bansa at makipagfriends sa China. Kung si Sotto naman, ewan ko ano political agenda niyan. Ang daming epal sa gobyerno ngayon na parang walang political agenda dahil wala namang silang hinahapag na batas? Yung political agenda nila ay magpayaman. Yun lang yun. So parang kung makakatulong sa pagpapayaman nila yung panggagago sa amin, edi ayun, nafurther nga yung political agenda nila. 23. Is there really a separation of state and church? 24. Yung separation of church and state kasi, dapat mandated yan ng government. Pero yung church kasi has a huge sway when it comes to passing bills like the RH law. Ang tagal na sa senado yan. Malaki yung influence ng church, wala pa rin tayong clear separation. Dapat yung statements ng church ay walang bearing. 25. SOGIE Equality Bill background po, what do you know about the SOGIE Equality Bill?
40 26. Napushback na naman. Yung stance ko kasi, it is a step in the right direction kaso kulang. Walang nakalagay na it is for the members of the LGBT community, nakalagay lang na bawal ka maging ganito, ganyan. Etong bill na ito, hindi niya nirerercognize yung root ng problem, kasi okay nangyayari ito pero kung yung masang Pilipino, hindi nila naiintindihan yung cause ng problems, kung bakit ganito, edi parang walang kwenta yung bill na ito. Kasi yung mga nasasakupan niya, hindi nila naiintindihan yung bill. Mas maganda sana na mas pag-igtingin yung education ng Pilipino sa ganitong sektor ng lipunan, imbis na magbill ng ganyan agad. Parang they are putting the cart before the horse. Hindi lang tayo kulang sa education, kasi hindi lang naman iyon yung root cause ng problem. Ang pangkasariang pakikibaka ay hindi nahihiwalay sa pakikibaka ng lipunan, ang ibig sabihin nito, kung ano yung oppression na nararanasan ng ordinaryong mamamayan, ay yun din ang nararanasan ng mga LGBT. Kaya dapat atakihin natin yung dahilan ng paghihirap ng ordinaryong Pilipino, tapos dun tayo magbuild ng pangangailangan ng LGBT. Parang gusto ko rin naman marecognize yung problems ko as a transman pero kailangan ko pa rin naman kumain. Parang kung hindi natin kayang i-adress yung basic problems ng Philippines as a nation, hindi rin natin kayang tugunan yung problem ng mga LGBT sa Pilipinas. 27. Kay Rep Geraldine Roman, a revolutionary champion or not? 28. Hindi, kahit na sabihin nating transwoman siya, kailangan nating tingnan kung saang sektor siya nanggaling. Galing siya sa mga mayayaman din. Yung position niya sa gobyerno ay ginagamit niya para pahirapan yung buhay ng ibang Pilipino. G na G siya sa mining eh. Babalik tayo sa sinabi ko kanina na kailangan nating atakihin yung ugat ng problema. Kahit na sabihin nating may representation tayo kung yung representation na yun ay hindi naman gumagana para mapaganda yung estado ng Philippines as a nation, parang umalis ka na lang dyan. Okay sana na may representation pero kasi ano ba yung ginagawa ng tao na sana magrerepresent diba. 29. How is the organization affected with what we have established? Is there mainly an increase or decrease in political participation? 30. Nag-iincrease siya, yung political participation. Ang Bahaghari ay national democratic organization, mangingialam at mangingialam siya sa national issues. Lalo na sa mga national issues na concerned sa LGBT community. Ang struggle ng karaniwang Pilipino, ay struggle din ng LGBT. 31. Hindi po ba kayo nawawalan ng gana sa org? 32. Patuloy yung laban. Syempre mahirap, kung mawawalan tayo ng pag-asan edi mas hihirap. Yung mga kagaguhan na ginagawa sa bansa natin, palala nang palala yung sitwasyon edi dapat lumalakas din yung paglaban natin. Kung sumuko tayo, edi wala na deds na tayong lahat. 33. What does the org perceive to be a major need in the fight for the LGBT rights? 34. Ayun, mapaintindi na tao din naman kami. Discrimination comes from the sense of othering, na sila, iba sila, ganon. Patuloy na pagbibigay ng ED ay step na rin sa pagpapaintindi.
41 Ayen Sebastian Current: Pangalawang Punong Babaylan Former: Punong Babaylan/Ingat Yaman UP Babaylan Baguio
34 minutes 0 seconds
Legend:
Bold - Interviewer Regular - Interviewee
1. Start po tayo sa background ng org? 2. Ang pangalan ng organization namin ay UP Babaylan, ang mother chapter namin ay nasa Diliman. We aim to hone an LGBT atmosphere for the community in the UP Baguio. We want to be a support group for LGBT people in the UP Baguio. Nagpupush kami ng rights and advocacies that favor and help enhance the rights of the LGBT people in UPB. 3. Ano na po yung mga activities ng org? 4. Meron kaming UP Pride. Kami yung first organization na nagconduct ng HIV screening. We are a member of a nationwide network of LGBT organizations in universities. Currently we are in partnership with SK, which I think will be tackled mamaya. Yung SK kasi meron silang budget for gender. 5. Yung attitude po ng government towards the LGBT community, start po tayo with the actors. We have Duterte and Pacquiao, how would you describe their reception po? 6. Duterte is misogynist and sexist, I would not expect him to be genuine when he has remarks towards the LGBT. Kapag nanglalait siya ng mga kritiko niya he always uses vulgar words that are insensitive to the LGBT community. Kunwari sasabihin niya, “ikaw bakla ka”. Ayon, campaign season, LGBT community is a big community and malaki yung bearing niya talaga so parang ginagamit lang nila na pampaganda sa pangalan nila. Ganon din etong si Pacquiao, after nung remark niya na mas masahol pa sa hayop, ang ginawa niya after for his image management is nagpadinner siya for LGBT people, and you know it is not genuine and at first kaya naman niya sinabi yun is because sa religion niya and hindi naman niya binago yung religion niya diba. It is one of the problems of the Philippines na we are tolerant of the LGBT people but we are not actively fighting for their rights. Here in Baguio we have Vice Mayor Bilog, helped sponsor pride 2017 because he was a pro-LGBT. Kumbaga, pinadali niya yung process ng pride, madali siyang iapproach ng pride. 7. Their opinions and influence, how does this fare for the community po?
42 8. Si Duterte, meron siyang executive powers and huge following. Pacquiao has his fights and charities, etc. 9. Sa tingin niyo po malaki ang effect ng religion? 10. Uhm, paano ba ‘to. At some point kasi, people think justice is rooted from morality. Which is not really. Some people think na justice is rooted from their morality na galing sa religion nila. Kaya marami nag-iinsist ng religion nila. Dapat meron separation of church and state but it is not followed. When legislators try to insist na religion nila yung reference nila, very insensitive yun sa mga di naniniwala sa religion nila. 11. Could you give your background on the SOGIE EB? 12. I can compare it sa anti-discrimination dito sa Baguio. Nakafocus siya sa anti- discrimination na nakafocus sa SOGIE, dito sa Baguio meron siyang kasama na bawal ang age at ethnicity discrimination ganon. Although nung 2016 Baguio Pride, kasama roon yung mga senior citizen at handicapped ganon kasi they also believed na dapat comprehensive yung ordinance. 13. Si Geraldine Roman po; a rev champion or not? 14. Siguro revolutionary in terms of nagkaroon ng pangalan yung mga transgender but Geraldine Roman ay actually a privileged na tao, hindi naman siya lumaki sa hirap. So parang hindi niya alam kung ano yung struggles ng mga mas mahirap sa kanya so parang ang easy niyang nalet go yung LGBT bearing niya. Ginamit na niya yung pagiging LGBT niya for her own gain. 15. At first po, paano po naapektuhan ng presence ni Roman sa congress yung organization? 16. At first, parang ano kinikilig kami, kasi parang mas natatanggap na ganon, and Roman is a manifestation of that. To think na kaya niyang ma-elect for that, ibig sabihin hindi naging factor yung SOGIE niya. 17. Did it make it easier to advance the LGBT interests. 18. Ideally, oo. Additional siya na kakampi sa congress. 19. How important is a congress representation? 20. Very important ang representation sa congress. Marami ang isinusulong to safeguard yung kapakanan ng LGBT which is hindi naman kaya na kami-kami lang ganon. Hindi pwede yung kami kami lang ganon. Kailangan yung tulong ng mga legislator doon. 21. Nung sinabi po ni Rep Roman na same sex marriage is unrealistic? 22. When Roman said na unrealistic yung same sex marriage, nabuhay kami. Kasi parang kami kami na nga lang tapos ibebetray pa kami nang ganyan after kaming gamitin for her advancement diba? Narealize namin na kami kami na lang, kailangan namin magdouble work, hindi pwedeng complacent lang. 23. How is the organization affected po with what we established? 24. Ideally dapat hindi magdecrease kasi mas need ng student leaders to push for LGBT rights kasi napaka patriarchal ng manifestation ng administration. Lack of members
43 kasi maliit ang UP Baguio. Napilitan kami mag-accept ng allies for recognition sa UPB. The organization continued to blossom, nabigla nga ako eh. Siguro malaking factor na meron kaming affiliation sa SK ganon. Constant threat pushed the organization to flourish. Mga LGBT related violence, discrimination. 25. What does the organization perceive to be a major need in the fight for the LGBT rights? 26. At the moment kailangan namin magpatibay at magparami ng members. We need to strengthen further sa internals. We need to start educating yung inside bago sila lumabas. Kailangan magkaroon sila ng drive to forward the advocacies. Patience and education. Kailangan educated and well-rounded ka sa pinaglalaban mo. Supplement the feelings and experiences with education.
44 Camilo de Guzman Ingat-Yaman UP Babaylan Diliman
19 minutes 07 seconds Legend:
Bold - Interviewer Regular - Interviewee
1. So, yung thesis ko po ay about sa relationship po ng government’s attitude towards the LGBT community or homosexuality in general, and kung paano po niya naaapektuhan yung political participation ng LGBT orgs. So, pwede po ba tayong magstart sa organization niyo and its background? Ano po yung organization ninyo, and if may position po kayo? 2. Okay, so UP Babaylan started here in the university, UP Diliman, in 1992. So parang, we’ve been the premier LGBT organization here in the Philippines and actually, ever since it started, it was more of a safe space for the LGBT students. Tapos over time it transformed into a more advocacy-based organization. So in the organization, we take part in many different mobilizations, many different lobbying efforts, along with different political parties to forward the LGBT rights. Actually, recently, we have been very active, partnered with the office of Sen Risa Hontiveros as our gender- equality champion, to fight for the SOGIE equality bill in the Senate. Here in the university, we are also the organizers of UP Pride, for the past 10/11 years. Last year actually, we were calling for the passing of the SOGIE Equality Bill. And we also had a UP Fair night dedicated to forwarding the gender equality and SOGIE equality bill. 3. Let us establish po muna yung attitude ng government towards homosexuality. Let’s start po with the actors, sina Duterte Pacquiao, and other legislators na kung may maidadagdag pa po kayo. How would you describe their reception of the community? 4. Well, as a very religious country, the separation between the church and state is barely there. Sometimes, we see that a lot of their opinions, a lot of where they are coming from is based on a religious background. Obviously, we are not against religious freedom, however, when you use that to go against—to impede on the rights of other people—then that’s where it becomes problematic, specially if you are in a position of power. We cannot keep using religion as the reason for everything because there is supposed to be a separation, and not everyone follows that religion. Specially with Duterte, who is very misogyinstic, who is very sexist. It not only just affects women but the LGBT community in general, and obviously we know Pacquiao’s saying na “gays are worse than animals” ganon. Those things, they think na it’s harmless, or they think na it is just their opinions. It would be okay if it is just their opinions as a
45 person, if they don’t like LGBT people then they don’t have to. But as people with positions and power, they have influence, and them imparting that kind of opinion to the people makes everyone very suscep—everyone be influenced by them. They will think na ah they have this power and they have this notion then it’s okay to be like that, they use that opinion, that kind of— they use their personal opinions in legislation which is very wrong because your personal prejudice should not affect how you do your job. So not only do they influence the people who are not in the government but also those in government as well. That’s why the SOGIE equality bill has been 19 years in the process, it has always been, it has never fully gone this far. And now with the ending of the congress, it might actually be delayed once again. So that’s actually the big parts. Your personal opinions, affecting big change on others. 5. Can you expound po yung background niyo sa SOGIE Equality Bill? 6. It actually was the anti-discrimination bill. It was drafted by one of our founding members with now Representative Kaka Bag ao. So, it has been very close to Babaylan’s heart, the SOGIE Equality Bill, the anti-discrimination bill. It enforces that discrimination based on SOGIE, Sexual Orientation Gender Identity and Expression, is not allowed. We actually should not need the SOGIE Equality Bill because for example, to contextualize, in the workplace, people can be fired, people cannot be promoted, could not be hired just because they are LGBT. Actually in our constitution, people should not be discriminated in the workplace, however we still are. That is why we need our SOGIE Equality Bill. Even in our academic institutions we are also being discriminated as students based on that. 7. We also have the anti-discrimination ordinances in our cities and towns pero parang Cebu and QC lang po ang with IRR. Ano po yung differences nung mga ordinances? 8. Yeah, well obviously the ordinances are only city-wide, it is not—the implementation is not as grave as it will come from a national perspective, from the national government. Of course we would like, we appreciate all the efforts for these ordinances, however, we cannot just be fighting for our own specific cities. We cannot just be fighting for our own specific communities because as long as someone is being discrimination, we are all being discriminated, we are all being attacked. And the difference with this is that without the endorsement of the SOGIE Equality bill, it is so much harder to implement, to promulgate these ordinances here in the cities that actually have the ordinances. We need that extra push from the government if we actually want actual change to happen. There has been some change however it is still not what we want. It is still not true equality. 9. So let’s move po kay Rep. Geraldine Roman, so medyo may controversial nga po na nangyari lately, pero let’s look po muna dun sa start ng term niya. Paano po naapektuhan nung pagkakaluklok po ni Geraldine Roman in position yung organization as a whole? 10. Actually, we were very supportive of her pero I wasn’t part of the organization yet kasi I’m just 2nd year in the university. Pero I know that we were very vocal because
46 it is very empowering to see someone na, to see an advocate there in the House of Representatives. However, with the different issues that came about with her. Her different issues on her stances, supporting these kinds of people, we distance ourselves already from her. We have distanced ourselves from supporting her because we are not just fighting for the LGBT advocacy, we have to know that our rights are still human rights. We cannot support someone who only cares about one sector’s rights. Just because that is our personal advocacy does not mean that we can allow her to impeded on other people’s rights. 11. Yung issue po si Rep Geraldine Roman, stating that same sex marriage is unrealistic, how did this affect po the organization? 12. Well, when that happened, we obviously want to make sure that—I think contextualization, marriage equality cannot happen right now unless we have the anti- discrimination bill because that will be a basis for that. We talked about it in the organization, however we talked about it in the organization, right now it is unrealistic to have it right now in the Congress because how can we have marriage equality if our basic human rights are not supported and they are not being upheld. Before the SOGIE Equality bill went in many interpretations it had provisions about marriage equality. Yeah, that happened, because it is a whole different story, yung mariage equality. Kasi what we want is to focus at least muna sa SOGIE Equality bill. 13. Do you think it is important to have a representation po sa congress? 14. Yes, of course. Because nobody will truly understand what the LGBT community is going through other than someone who is actually part of the community. Iba talaga kung maging ally lang, like you can have so much passion but that direct need to be represented, that direct connection with someone who is representing you is very different. That is why we were so happy to see someone like that, it is groundbreaking ganon pero yeah, issues. 15. So, with what we establishes nga po, how is the organization affected? Yung political participation po ninyo, yung activities, dun sa attitude ng government ngayon, is there mainly an increase of decrease of like—how is the organization affected in terms of it’s political participation? 16. We have always been participating in these kinds of things; in legislation, in ordinances, in the safe spaces bill, actually. We have always been active in these. And I think for Duterte, Pacquiao, it just makes us work harder, it just shows us that there is still a long way to go. Even if we feel like here in the university, we’re already fine, we are not that discriminated. We see that there is still much work to be done and that pushes us forward. I know that it is sad to say that what they are saying are pushing us but that just shows us that we have to push harder and with Geraldine Roman, on marriage equality, it just shows us that there are a lot of steps that we have to go through and that we cannot stop now. This is a time that LGBT advocacy becomes mainstream, becomes really popular; like the Asin in the Metro Manila Pride, we can see that a lot of people are getting more engaged in this. All of that, it pushes us to
47 move forward, even if the SOGIE Equality bill does not get passed in this Congress, we are not going to stop. We have to build back from the ground, up. 17. Can you state, presently, what are the organization’s leverage in the fight for the LGBT rights? 18. We have a lot of connections with different offices, and right now we can see in the SOGIE Equality bill, it is being delayed again. We are fighting for a SOGIE SC Policy here in the University. If we won’t see change from our government we have to start right now to show that it actually works and that it is very beneficial. And our leverage with them is that we are always active, we will never stop pushing them. We have coordinated with Sen Risa, Akbayan Youth, to go for safe spaces, LGBT policy, and everything. 19. To conclude po this interview, what has the organization done, and what has the organization currently doing to reach its goals and what do you think is a major need in pushing for the rights of the LGBT? 20. For the past years, we have always been pushing for the anti-discrimination bill. Here in UP, we push it through events. UP Pride, UP Fair, have brought so many people from even outside the community. We always bring that we always need that SOGIE Equality Bill, we cannot stop at celebrating because pride is also a way of protesting to bring the advocacies out. We always talk to different universities, we have many discussions in coordination of many offices, including Akbayan or Sen Risa to also implement these safe spaces and to also advocate to get more allies in the LGBTQ fight. As I said, what we are trying to do is we are trying to see what is going to happen right now with the SOGIE Equality Bill. Because right now it looks very bleak, pero we are still hoping that it will be passed in this Congress, pero it is still being delayed by other senators. So, after that, when the current congress ends, we have to regroup and we have to regroup with different sectors, different offices, and since Sen Risa is finishing her term, we have to find a different person to champion it. And yeah, what is the last part? 21. What do you perceive to be a major need? 22. Education, of course. Education in general that would lead to education about the LGBT struggle because obviously, we need public clamor. We need people to understand that these rights should not be impeded on, that we deserve our rights. Even if you are not LGBT, you should know, people should know that this affects everyone. And the SOGIE Equality Bill is not just for the LGBT community, it is based on SOGIE and everyone has SOGIE. We need to educate people, we need the resources to educate them, because our public education is flawed. How are we going to be teaching these different complicated terms if we cannot even provide basic education? And that will get public clamor, we need the senators to listen, we need the people in power to listen to the struggles of the LGBT community. And to understand that their religions, their opinions, that has to be on theirs. There has to be a distinction from the state and the church. It is very much attitude checks talaga in everyone that just because you are misogynistic, you are like that, do not put it on us.
48 That kind of attitude has no place in our government, has no place anywhere. Specially, if you are a person in power, you cannot put that on us, you cannot have that kind of attitude because the consequences are all on us—our rights, we are being killed, we are being discriminated, we are being kicked out of our homes—and that attitude just forwards that. It influences people to act that way. 23. So that concludes our interview po. Thank you so much.
49 Eljay Bernardo Paralegal Project Officer Rainbow Rights Philippines
Online written
1. Rainbow Rights Philippines. I am the current Paralegal Project Officer of this Organization. I started out with them as a Community Paralegal Program Associate. My name is Eljay M. Bernardo. Aside from two permanent staff, we are all volunteer advocates. 2. R-Rights was formed to work towards a future where LGBT Filipinos will know their rights under the law, be empowered to fight for their rights, and have access to legal assistance and advice at their time of need. 3. A decade later, this goal is still at the core of what we do. It informs our organizational mission to create an environment that truly upholds the human rights of all and ensures equal opportunity for everyone regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression through: legal and policy advocacy, capacity building and education, and research and publications. 4. The organization’s operations is often aimed at the national level. However, if this question concerns the actual scope and machinery of the organization, our reach is pretty small. We maintain an office in Quezon City and we are currently building a network of paralegals in strategic locations in the Philippines.
Establishing the government’s attitude towards homosexuality in general
5. In general, the best thing that we could say about the legislators is that they tolerate the LGBT community. It is a surprise that the SOGIE Bill has passed unopposed in the Representatives. In the Senate, there are pockets of dissent that have held the SOGIE Equality Bill hostage however there have also been statements of support of the bill coming from a number of legislators. 6. The “ideals” of the legislators and other actors either come from a place of not having the correct facts to outright disbelief of such facts. As players in the political landscape of the nation, it cannot also be discounted that a big chunk of how these people act may be a function of a perception of electoral support. For Duterte, however, he is in a place of high political approval that his anti-lgbt statements can only be attributed to misinformation and lack of care in how he portrays people. Not only the LGBT+ community is a victim of this. It might come from a lack of regard of Human Rights in general. 7. In the Congress, there has been little regard for political capital (or electoral capital) that the bill could have eroded as it have passed without any negative vote. In the Senate, however, a lot of Senators have been distant when there was an instance
50 when the JIL lobbied against the bill. It could be that electoral capital becomes an issue at the national level more than at the district level. 8. Of course, any verbal and misinformed speech act or snippet coming from any player will affect the community in a disparaging way whatever the influence level maybe. It is also obvious that the more famous the person, the more damaging any hate speech coming from them to the community. Although, the community has learned to parry with such comments or acts against the community, these are still not welcome even if it comes with an opportunity to rebut from the national media outfits. 9. As for religion, the experience with the voting on the third reading of the bill in the House of Representatives belie religion’s hold on legislators. Religion seems to be only a factor when it is perceived to generate the winning vote. It only becomes problematic when religion is held so central in the political inclination such as Sotto, Pacquiao, and Villanueva. It becomes a battle of showing that the proposed legislation will not undermine any religious belief.
The SOGIE Equality Bill: the decades long journey in the congress, and the start of the straining in the senate
10. Background: On the top of my head, 19 years languishing in Congress. First proposed by Etta Rosales. 11. The things we know about the bill, it enumerates certain discriminatory acts in the workplace, schools, communities, etc that will be deemed illegal, ensures access of persons of diverse SOGIE to facilities such as comfort rooms, also outlines affirmative actions aimed at reducing stigma by informing the populace of SOGIE. 12. We have worked with different localities with ADOs to build their IRRs to protect their LGBT+ constituents effectively. In 2017, only one local government has an IRR and that is Quezon City. In 2018, Cebu and Davao have followed suit as we have been informed. Both localities were part of our project encouraging localities to pass their IRRs from 2017-2018. 13. One of the difference that I can point to is the number and the quality of advocates and their influence in a locality. Rural and urban does not seem to be much of a factor. The IRRs seem to be more of a technical document that needs a serious effort to arrive at such serious effort usually comes from advocates to which a locality could rely on to draft it.
Rep. Geraldine Roman
14. The organization saw a lot of opportunity when Roman won her congressional seat. Advocacy groups flocked towards her to be the champion of the SOGIE Bill to which she obliged.
51 15. She has media following and in this aspect through her airtime was given to the SOGIE Equality Bill. But as far as the nitty gritty of the Congress goes, the facilitation of the bill has come equally from the champions such as Sol Aragones, Kaka Bag-ao, etc. However, the media following eventually become a double-edged sword. In one interview, she said that it is ok for transgender persons to use the PWD CRs as the gender neutral bathroom. There has been hints that Rep. Roman is also using the airtime brought by the bill to forward an aspiration to become senator and rather than forming good legislation, Roman was largely seen to be concerned on having a positive accomplishment under her belt. 16. A an openly out person of diverse SOGIE in Congress will have immense personal stake in any social legislation regarding SOGIE so it is very important. However, it is also very important that the person knows of what is the PERSONAL STAKE he or she has in the issue. 17. On the statement re Marriage, the organization is disappointed at the level of knowledge of Roman in the issue. We are willing to educate her. As for the organization, this incident is nothing new to us. We recognize that misogyny and heteronormativity could be internalized.
How is the organization affected?
18. No hiatus. Our finances and machinery is designed so as that a whole year of activity has already been plotted. As for activities regarding the SOGIE Equality Bill, we are part of the LAGABLAB Network and there has been continuous work to advocate the bill in the Senate. 19. The efforts as we said has already been plotted for the year. The Lagablab network usually relies on us for legal expertise and this is usually needed at the hearing stage of the legislation process so there is an expected lull in our involvement.
Leverage
20. We are hoping to conduct interest mapping once the legislators get elected in the upcoming congress. However as for leverage, the legislators we have worked with before will be prioritized and be considered as champions of the bill. 21. Insiders in both Congress are important as we know that negotiation and compromise is large part of the process. Access to the legislators will be key and insiders can give this access to us among others.
22. Last part – seemed to be answered already in the first part or can be deduced in the answers. !
52 BJ Eco Executive Director Babaylanes Incorporated
27 minutes 29 seconds
Legend:
Bold - Interviewer Regular - Interviewee
1. So, good afternoon, po. Uhm, can we start with you introducing yourself po? 2. Okay so, my name is BJ Eco, I am the executive director, or the outgoing *laughs*, of the Babaylanes Incorporated. Babaylanes Incorporated is the alumni association of UP Babaylan, the first and longest running LGBT student organization in the Philippines. What we mostly do is we try to recreate the UP Babaylan experience in other schools and universities. So, we try to organize or help LGBT students from other schools and universities form their own UP Babaylan, not necessarily Babaylan but their own organization and have them officially recognized by the school. 3. So yung sa organization niyo po, ang sakop po niya is parang entire Philippines? 4. Yes. So parang as far north may na-organize na kami sa UP Baguio, which is UP Babaylan Baguio chapter. And then as far south, sa General Santos City, in Mindanao State University. We also have in Western Mindanao State University. 5. Ano po yung mga activities na hinohold ninyo to commemorate the LGBT rights? 6. Mostly, what we do is we provide SOGIE, Sexual Orientation Gender Identity Expression, and human rights workshops to these students and to other members of society. Like meron din kaming mga workshops for corporate, for government agencies, saka for schools. So through that, we try to raise the awareness of the public on the, perhaps, invisible needs of the LGBTIQ+ community, and hopefully we create allies dun sa mga nahawakan namin. 7. With that said po, based po sa researches and studies po ninyo in your organization, ano na po yung kalagayan ng LGBT sa Pilipinas?
53 8. Well, there is a, parang, sinasabi na LGBTIQ people are tolerated not accepted. Iba yung tolerated sa accepted right? Yung isang magandang comparison ni *Mother Percy* is that para siyang sakit ng ngipin na parang andyan siya when you have it. Tinotolerate mo lang, tinitiis mo lang kasi andyan siya pero actually if you had your way, you’d rather not have it. So parang that’s how we see how the society accepts or how the society treats the community. 9. Paano niyo po idedescribe yung attitude ng government towards the LGBT? 10. Okay so, since the government ang nature niya talaga is politics, parang feel ko most of, specially the elected officials, parang they respond to the needs of the community only if they see it as beneficial to their political capital. So if there is, parang a clamor, a public clamour for SOGIE rights then saka lang sila magrerespond. Although, there are more progressive politicians who recognizes that in the road of development, no one should be left behind. Tapos parang in true development talaga, the way you can reach it is by reaching out to the margins, and making sure that people in the margins are considered, covered and included. Pero in general, the government, ganun lang eh, gagalaw lang sila kapag may public clamour and usually yung LGBT naman, what the LGBTIQ community has in lack of, parang, if there is a lack of numbers or perceived numbers is medyo maingay. Parang a lot of the members of the LGBT community can perhaps multiply their presence through either ingay sa social media, mass media, etc. 11. So, we have nga po Duterte and Pacquiao no, these kinds of leaders, sa tingin ninyo paano po nun naaapektuhan yung pagperceive ng isang LGBT member? 12. Okay so umpisahan natin sa president *laughs*, si Duterte. So medyo problematic si Duterte and he’s very inconsistent diba? During the campaign period he came out as an ally and actually parang sinasabi niya na sa Davao city where he used to be a mayor, he already has an anti-discrimination ordinance and some other pro-LGBTIQ policies. Pero in reality, while it has an anti-discrimination ordinance, it doesn’t really have an IRR or Implementing Rules and Regulations. Of the more than, I’m not really sure, but of the 19~, I think, municipalities and cities that has anti-discrimination ordinances, only 2 have working IRRs; that’s Cebu city and Quezon city. So parang it may have an anti-discrimination ordinance by name but it doesn’t really have teeth to implement the anti-discrimination ordinance, and while he also came out in support of anti-discrimination law, and marriage equality, medyo nagfflip-flop siya sa stand niya, and also it is not really helpful when it comes to how the public perceives the cause. Diba, if you’re flip-flopping, if you’re not solid in your stand then syempre
54 that affects how the public perceives it and perhaps influences them to be na parang its really a minor issue that you can flip-flop on. Another one is dahil alam naman natin na misogynist and sexist yung president natin, he uses bakla as a derogatory term, and that also plays into how the public perceives the LGBT. It perpetuates the notions that LGBT people are weaker, are of a lower class than their cisgender heterosexual counterparts. So, yun yung problematic kay Duterte. Tapos kay Pacquiao naman—actually yung kay Duterte may mga pros and cons pero mostly cons kasi also he’s quite vocal when it comes to challenging the church leadership, which is quite refreshing, pero kasi parang different yung motivation behind it *laughs* hindi yun challenging the power structures, it’s actually just to maintain his power, his own political capital, parang ganon. Yung kay Pacquiao naman, he’s playing on that—the power of the church and yung religious groups—so that he can have more grasp on political power din. Kay Pacquiao naman, since malakas yung backing niya from religious groups, so ganun yung stand niya, to be ultra conservative, etc., and medyo andun siya sa fundamentalist na reading ng mga biblical stuff. Dahil diba actually parang ang lakas din ng impluwensya ni Manny Pacquiao without us realizing it, pag may laban siya, walang traffic sa labas, so kung may mga public statement siya about LGBT people, it really has a big effect on public opinion. Yung campaign diba, parang may nilabas siya na parang mas masahol pa sa hayop yung LGBT, although nag backdrop siya, his actions show actually na that’s still how he looks at LGBT people, even when we actually went to his office, he actually has a lot of LGBT staff, pero perhaps that’s how he looks at them, as lesser people who deserves less than their counterparts. Pero with Pacquiao, recently kasi Babaylanes has been the secretary general of LAGABLAB network, LAGABLAB network is a coalition of LGBT organizations, whose primary advocacy is the legislative—advocating for legislation of pro-SOGIE or SOGIE inclusive policies. So ang main ano namin ay yung SOGIE equality bill, or anti-discrimination bill. Sa experience namin, parang ang pinaka-main kalaban talaga ay si Senator Sotto, and si Senator Joel Villanueva. And also, isa pang challenge is the lack of senators who will champion the cause. There might be senators who will say na, yeah they’re okay with it, in theory in concept na they’re okay with it but they won’t stake their name, they won’t go out of their way to champion it. 13. You’re familiar with representative Geraldine Roman? 14. Yes, we’ve worked with her. 15. At first, how did it feel having her in the Congress? Paano nun naapektuhan yung morale ng org?
55 16. First, napakaimportante ng visibility. Specially to communities which are being invisibilized by the greater community. The fact that there is an openly transgender woman in the house of representatives, it’s as very big thing. Yung pagkapanalo niya, it’s a very welcome thing na at least diba, may walking personification nung transgender women sa house of representatives. Although naging problematic lang siya when it comes to her other stance on human rights issues. Pero working with her, parang it was easy, it made it easier for us. Diba nagkaroon last September 20, 2017 or 2018, 2017 I think. September 20, 2017 napass on third and final reading sa house of representatives yung SOGIE Equality Bill, and I think the presence of Geraldine Roman was quite crucial kasi parang nandun na siya eh, in the flesh, na she’s a living argument for the bill. 17. Pero yung issue po nung pagsabi niya na same-sex marriage is unrealistic- 18. Oo, may ganun siya diba, so parang ang palagi niya kasing cop out ay she’s a politician, not an advocate. So parang she’s trying to play her way into the favors of people in power like the church leaders, ganon. Pero in some more candid conversations with her, parang ang ano niya talaga, ang sinasabi niya talaga is grabe talaga yung pressure ng church. Like parang everytime she comes out with a public statement, the archbishop who’s in charge of her district always makes sure that she knows na parang they’re trying to rally people against her. It’s just that siguro, ang weird nga eh na parang wala naman siyang kalaban sa district niya so she can afford to be more forward with her statements, pero parang she might have other ambitions? *laughs* that perhaps yun yung ano, yun yung concern niya—that it will affect her political future. Pero in fact, slightly, parang its a double edged sword, its also affecting her political future *laughs*. 19. So dun nga po sa statement na yun no, nag-cause po ba yun ng somewhat regression, parang sa progress po ng pag- 20. Sa house of representatives, I don’t think so. Pero in the greater public perception, oo, bilang having someone from the community, and someone held in high esteem tell something that we deserve less, or parang saying pragmatically, parang hindi siya ganun ka-optimistic sa kanyang stand, it does influence the public opinion and opinions of those who control public opinion, so leaders. So medyo malaki yung impact nung sinabi niya, although its quite difficult kay Cong. Gerry, parang there’s a lot of times when we reach out to her, that parang gusto namin siyang parang i-one- on-one na parang, kasi parang we know na everything she says, it reflects on the community even if its on a personal basis, pero parang may pagka-stubborn siya
56 when it comes to that. Parang she doesn’t— she has her own voice parang ganon. Which is quite different to other champions, I’d like to mention Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Congresswoman Kaka Bag ao, when they do consultations, they really make sure that kung whatever they put on the legislative mill, it has the approval of the community. Meron silang accountability dun sa communities directly affected by the bills that they are forwarding. 21. So, nakarating na nga po tayo sa SOGIE Equality bill, can you tell me the background of the bill po, kung gaano na po siya katagal… 22. Uhm, its been 20 years. It’s been first filed by Congresswoman Rosales from Akbayan, and I think Miriam Santiago, yeah, tapos merong—pero it never reached the plenary. Parang palagi lang siyang committee level sa Senate. It was only this 17th congress when it reached the plenary. So historic yun, and it was only the second time when it passed the third reading sa lower house. So yun yung history niya. 2000 siya nafile pero prior to that, 1998 meron nang mga consultations sa community, organizing at the grassroots level. Para masurface yung need for an anti- discrimination law. 23. Pero sobrang tagal nga po niya? 24. Yes. 25. Compared to other bills? 26. Uhm, compared to some. I think RH Law also took around the same time. For a bill, sabi nila parang it’s a normal route. Depende rin talaga sa timing at political will ng leaders. 27. So with what we established nga po na attitude ng government sa LGBT community, masasabi niyo po ba kung paano nito naapektuhan yung organization over time? If nagkaroon po ng increase or decrease sa political participation? 28. Sa amin, uhm, well the more na nagiging… pareho siya eh, well I think its because of how our organization is, na parang alam naman talaga namin na crucial yung political participation in achieving our causes so parang even prior to… parang kung positive yung trend ng attitude ng government, then that’s a drive for us to continue working. Tapos kung negative, parang its another drive for us to continue working in a different direction naman. Pero parang its still the same na parang we want to maintain that relationship with the government. Ang ano lang, ang magiging difference lang is how receptive the government is. Kasi yun din yung problema sa network work, halimbawa with the anti-discrimination bill, with the SOGIE Equality bill. Noong
57 simula, makita mo yung mga network members, medyo high energy, high morale. Tapos pagdating sa pagdedelay sa senate, parang all the mobilizations that we organize, parang we see less and less people try kasi parang wala silang nakikitang tangible na nagyayari, so parang they are less motivated to join. So parang it’s just the core organizations that are still there, parang ganon. 29. So meron po bang instance where the organization almost or completely lost interest po in participating or holding the activities? 30. Uhm, no. For Babaylanes no kasi parang its integral to our identity. And parang yun, for us its one of our main thrusts, aside from student organizing. Parang we all know na ganun kasi talaga yung, parang how we achieve a society na just, humane, etc. etc. is by working through different stakeholders and one of the biggest stakeholders is the government. 31. So in influencing po the government in its policy making, ano po yung mga ginawa ng org? Like yung SOGIE Bill po, like ano po yung mga… 32. So trivia, one of the original drafters of the anti-discrimination bill in 2000 was actually Atty. Venyr Quico, he’s the founding president of UP Babaylan, and he’s also the founding member of Babaylanes Inc. So medyo talagang *laughs*, sa lobbying for SOGIE rights, medyo naka-root talaga kami doon sa history, kaya siguro hindi rin namin maalis sa identity namin. So yun, its also because of how we are closely related to some other offices in the legislative. Like yun nga, office of Cong. Kaka Bag ao, we actually have one of our members who is her staff member, tapos also in the office of Hon. Risa Hontiveros. So kaya medyo madali for us, so that’s how— maybe its also a matter of luck. Per that’s how we played it, parang nag-gamble din kami on such relationships. We also work with Quezon City government because we are placed here in Quezon City, we are based in Quezon City, with the anti- discrimination ordinance, the Quezon City Pride Council. Etc., etc., parang ganon. 33. So, regarding po sa mga homophobic remarks po ng president ng Pilipinas, ano po yung mga actions na ginawa ng org? 34. Sa amin, we make sure na everytime the president or uhm, really influential public figure comes out with homophobic statement, we make a counter-statement, and then we make sure na when we go out and do our SOGIE workshops, we use that as an anchor or parang as an example of how LGBTQ people are still not in equal footing with the rest of other Filipinos.
58 35. Side trip lang po before concluding, in your opinion po, yung Catholicism or religion in general po sa Philippines, gaano po siya ka-relative sa discussion po ng LGBT? 36. Ayon, parang siya yung main, isa sa mga main na perceived na barrier to achieve equality, it’s quite ironic kasi parang yung tenets ng most religions ay compassion, equality, etc. But I think how we read it, how a lot or most of people read it, is that for them to maintain the power that they have over the people, hindi pwedeng magalaw yung traditions/status quo, kasi kapag nangyari yun mawawalan sila ng clout or power. Kaya siguro ganon sila kavocal kasi parang ‘pag narealize ng mga tao na everybody deserves equal treatment even if that’s already… enshrined in our constitution. Kapag narealize that, if we reached our awareness, parang they will have less power over us. So yun yung ano namin, reading namin—na that’s why they are determined na to keep it at status quo. Kasi sa status quo na may power sila eh. 37. Having Pacquiao po, a very religious person in the Senate, how does that play for the community? 38. Uhm yun, it has a negative impact. Although ayun a lot of people in the community do not realize that yet kasi parang uhm they just see Pacquiao as someone who can help them, kasi hindi naman nag-eexist yung SOGIE issues in a vacuum diba? Parang there’s poverty, there’s other issues, environment, etc., so parang, some members of the community come out in support of these people kasi parang nakikita nila na hindi siya ganon ka-integral as an issue. One of the many issues that we have in our society. Pero dun sa mga people na may higher level of awareness, syempre it is quite detrimental to see somebody who is a vocal enemy pero on the other end if you see it as half full, parang he is also a potential driving force to parang mobilize the community kasi parang you have a vocal opponent, it gives you more reason to build your forces, parang ganon. 39. To conclude na po this interview, what has, is, and will the organization do to fight for the LGBT community? 40. Okay so parang umpisa is what we have been doing as we believe that students, the youth, are the future shapers of society, so parang andun yung focus namin, like organizing LGBT students. Making sure that they have good background on human rights and SOGIE tapos hopefully, we create new leaders, parang ripple effect siya. Creating a new society na mas open and mas aware. Second is engaging the government through mostly legislative lobbying, so uhm, we believe that parang laws that will protect the rights of LGBTIQ people, and pro-human rights laws would
59 help in creating society na mas aware. Kasi laws would not really remove discrimination, pero it is a step in the right direction, in shaping society to parang maging aware yung society, na discrimination still happens. Na parang if you keep on shrugging it aside, parang it is saying there is no discrimination, na parang we are already equal, where in fact the reality is there are a lot of students who cannot go to school just by being who they are. There are a lot of people who cannot get work just because of how they look or how they express themselves, so a lot of people in power try to shrug that off or dismiss that because it challenges the current power relations and they want to keep their power intact. So what we try to do is we try to engage the government strategically. We also try to train, kasi awareness din, kasama sa lobbying I forgot to mention, we also try to train the legislative staff of other people so that they are also aware of SOGIE and human rights ayan. Kasi not all, if you get to work with the people in the legislative or people in the government in general, parang to them it is just files documents etc etc, some even do not bother reading it. So what we do is that we digest it for them and then we make it in a way na they can absorb, or understand things easier. Hopefully, we create new allies, more champions sa kanila. 41. Thank you po.
60 Bernadette Neri Chairperson Bahaghari Metro Manila
35 minutes 11 seconds
Legend:
Bold - Interviewer Regular - Interviewee
1. Good evening po, pwede niyo po bang iintroduce po yung organization niyo po? Yung goals po, yung scope po ng organization… 2. Sige, uh, ako si Bernadette neri, kasalukuyang tagapangulo o chairperson ng Bahaghari Metro Manila chapter. Isa itong organisasyon ng mga LGBT na militante at makabayan. Isa siyang komprehensibong organisasyon, ‘no, ibig sabihin—gusto mo may presentation ako diyan, char, sige ganito na lang. Ang Bahaghari ay isang komprehensibong organisasyon ng mga militante at makabanyang LGBT. So, siguro doon madedefine na natin kung ano yung katangian ng Bahaghari bilang isang pang masang organisasyon. Komprehensibo siya kasi ang LGBT ay matatagpuan sa iba’t- ibang mga sektor. So, mula doon ay meron kaming mga miyembrong guro, katulad ko, estudyante, mga manggagawa, mga magsasaka, may mga katutubo, uhm partikular sa mga lumad. Meron din kaming mga iba’t-ibang chapter, meron din kami sa Iloilo, sa Baguio, at nagpapalawak pa. Dapat nga sa UP Manila, magkaroon din. Although, may BahagSari na, ayon. Pero wala lang, baka ano, baka pwedeng mag- affiliate, charot. Anyway, so ayon, dahil doon sa komprehensibong katangian ng membership namin, ng Bahaghari, itinutulak niya yung organisasyon na kilalanin din kung ano pa yun ibang mga issue ng mga LGBT, hindi lang basta bilang mga LGBT kundi LGBT sa mga partikular na sektor na kinabibilangan nila; yung nga LGBT na mangagawa, guro, propesyonal, at iba pa. At mula doon, nakita namin na ang common ground ng mga LGBT na members, hindi lang ng mga members ng Bahaghari kundi ng LGBT in general dito sa Pilipinas ay hindi lang yung usapin ng aming sekswalidad at yung mga karahasan, suliranin, diskriminasyon halimbawa at iba pa, na nakatuon no sa amin sapagkat hindi katanggap-tanggap no sa isang heteronormatibong lipunan ang pagiging hindi heterosexual. Liban pa don, meron kaming mga common issue kahit kabilang kami sa ibang mga sektor. So ano iyon, halimbawa bilang mga guro, problema rin namin katulad ng mga manggagawa yun usapin ng sahod. Bagamat may pagkakaiba, halimbawa sa laki, ganyan, sa usapin din ng pagiging regular, pero malinaw na problema talaga ng kalakhang mangagawa, propesyonal man o lakas paggawa yung kanilang ibinebenta sa mga kapitalista o iba pang mga institusyon, malinaw na hindi pa natutugunan yung mga batayang
61 pangangailangan bilang mga manggagawa. At merong mga isyu rin bilang mga propesyonal. Halimbawa bilang mga magsasaka naman, mga walang lupa, at iisa pala ano yung pinanggagalingan ng problemang ito at yung mga yung kawalan ng matibay na pagsuporta at pagtindig ng pamahalaan para sa kanyang mga mamamayan. So mula doon sa ganong realization ng Bahaghari, itinulak siya nito para maging militante rin, kasi kinakailangang maging mapagbantay pala bilang LGBT org, kinakailangan mo palang maging mapagbantay hindi lang sa issue na kinakaharap ng mga LGBT kundi sa iba pang mga isyu ng mga sektor kasi andun kami sa mga iba’t- ibang mga sektor na iyon. At dahil iisa lang din yung pinanggagalingan ng mga problemang ito, liban pa dun sa kapabayaan ng pamahalaan. Nariyan din yung mga intervention ng mga foreign entities, imperialists no, like Estados Unidos, ang pinakamatagal ng panahon, ‘no, sa ating kasaysayan at nariyan pang sumisingit ang China. So halimabwa kapag nabaon na sa utang ang Pilipinas, na baon na nga sa kasalukuyan, hindi lang naman mga straight na Pilipino yung nahihirapan doon, kundi LGBT rin. Kumbaga, bitbit ng LGBT ang isyu ng bawat sektor at ng bayan. Kaya itinulak ng Bahaghari na hindi lang basta militante, makabayan din. Kaya siya ganon, isa siyang komprehensibong organisasyon ng makabayan at militanteng LGBT, yun ang Bahaghari. 3. Ano na po yung mga activities na hinohold at nahold na po ng organization para po ipromote yung LGBT rights sa political and social arena? 4. So ang bahaghari as a mass organization, pangmasang organisasyon, bukas naman siya sa lahat. Hindi lang sa mga LGBT, bagamat primarya silang uhm, sila yung pangunahing target na magkaroon sila ng venue, ‘no? Na kung saan sila pwedeng maging totoo, ‘no, safe space, and community mula doon sa harshness ng mundo sa amin. So, nagsimula siya actually sa Laguna, sa isang unibersidad doon, in Varga university noong 2013, tapos nung 2015, isang taon matapos paslangin si Jennifer Laude ng isang sundalong Hapon--ay ng sundalong Amerikano ‘no, si Joseph Scott Pemberton, nagtipon ‘no yung Bahaghari, kasama yung iba pang maralitang LGBT at naghold ‘no ng isang protest rally na nanghihingi ng hustisya para kay Jennifer. At mula noon ‘no binuo yung—nagkaroon ng ilang mga suliranin sa usapin ng mga linya, ano ba talaga yung linyang panghahawakan ng Bahaghari bilang organisasyon, pero noong 2017 ay binuo na namin yung Metro Manila chapter na ang pinanghahawakan niyang political line ay pambansa-demokratiko. So, uhm, pambansa, ano ba ibig sabihin noon ‘no? Demokratiko kasi ang isinusulong niya ay democratic rights; sa lupa ng mga magsasaka, sa labor rights, rights ng mga manggagawa, right to education, mga basic ‘no na democratic rights ng isang Pilipino at kabilang doon yung LGBT. Pambansa kasi nga nakikita yung ugnayan ng intervention ‘no, sa pang-ekonomiya at pampulitikang intervention ng mga imperyalistang bansa doon sa kung paano pinatatakbo yung ating pamahalaan. At naniniwala ang Bahaghari na makakalaya lang talaga yung LGBT as a sector kung magiging malaya rin ang sambayanang Pilipino. Ang kaapihan ng LGBT ay hindi naman humihinto sa kung nagkaroon na ng anti-discrimination law o kaya naman ay
62 same-sex marriage kasi hindi ka naman makakapagpakasal, hindi ka naman makakabuo ng pamilya na may marangal na edukasyon halimbawa kung kontraktwal ka pa rin diba? So, ano yun ‘no, magkakakawing yung bawat usaping ito. Base sa ganong konteksto, naglulunsad yung Bahaghari ng iba’t-ibang aktibidad, meron kaming mga gawaing pag-aaral; kunwari meron kaming talakayan tungkol sa SOGIE, pero sa konteksto ng Pilipinas kasi kadalasan Western yung literature na nakukuha natin dito, so, sinisikap siya at ano to ‘no, on-going process siya at ina-update siya hanggang sa makabuo tayo talaga ng—hindi ibig sabihin dinidisregard yung mga naunang pag-aaral na, mahalaga sila pero hindi lang tayo basta kumukuha at inilalapat iyon sa atin kasi mayroon tayong sariling kasaysayan, at iba yung konteksto ng isang third world country na colonized kung ilalapat lang natin basta ang articulation ng isang western country na first world at imperialist pa. So ganun siya, nagbibigay kami ng ganung pag-aaral. Meron kaming draft na ng LGBT situationer, ganyan. Pambansang sitwasyon nga ng LGBT pero dahil wala ngang datos ‘no, na matatagpuan masyado kasi wala naman sa forms ng pamahalaan ang LGBT so, invisible yung data kaugnay non. So, kami halimabawa, ang pamamaraan kung paano kami nakakahanap ng datos ay yung bahagi ng pag-aaral at pagbibigay ng pag-aaral, pagpapaunlad din ng mga kurso na ibinibigay namin ay yung BMI, Basic Mass Integration. Nakiki-integrate kami sa manggagawa nang sa gayon ay mas makilala namin hindi lang yung struggle primarily ng mga manggagawa para sa sweldo, regularisasyon etc, plus ano pa yung mga nangyayari kung ikaw ay isang manggagawang LGBT. So, nakakakuha kami ng mga case study kumbaga, so ganon yung proseso. Nagbibigay kami ng ganun ‘no, pag-aaral at pakikipamuhay. Mayroon din kaming, syempre hindi lahat ng tao ay makapagbabasa, at hindi lahat ng tao ay maaabot mo nang personal ‘no, so ang isang pamamaraan kung paano ito sinisikap na mabridge ng Bahaghari ay sa pamamagitan ng mga kultural na gawain. Tuwing May 17, o yung IDAHOT, yun kasi nung 1990 idineklara na sa World Health Organization na hindi psychiatric disease yung homosexuality tapos eventually nadagdagan yun, so, May 17 siya. So worldwide ay kino-commemorate siya. Yun yung ginagawa ng Bahaghari, nagsimula siya nung isang taon kasi 2017 lang naman kami nabuo. So, tinawag namin itong Bye Phobia, so send-off party siya sa homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, ganyan. Uhm, cultural event siya. Iba’t-ibang mga LGBT saka mga supporters ng LGBT cause ay nagtipon para sa isang cultural night hindi lang basta i- celebrate yung pagtitipon at paggunita at yung pagiging visible ng sector kundi para igiit din na may mga panawagan pa kami laban sa contractualization, para sa self- determination ng mga katutubo, para sa land ancestral domain ng mga katutubo at iba pang mga usapin ng iba’t ibang sektor kung saan nandun ang mga LGBT. So, kasi nandun palagi yung militancy eh at saka yung pagiging patriotic kahit na cultural event siya. Tapos tuwing June din ano, bilang bahagi ng paggunita doon sa Stonewall Riots ng June 28, 1969, yun naman yung naging very influential siya sa pagkakaroon ng Pride. Police brutality siya sa isang bar sa New York, Stonewall Inn, kung saan yung mga migranteng manggagawa, black sila na kalakhan na mga transwoman ay sinaktan na naging riot nga siya sa pagitan ng mga pulis. Nag-ignite yun ng
63 kamulatan na hindi na kami mananahimik, doon nagmula yung tradition ng Pride na sine-celebrate worldwide. So tuwing June, naglulunsad kami ng Sinemakulay. Yung Sinemakulay ay isang film festival. Isa siyang pista ng mga maikling pelikula at dokumentaryo patungkol sa uri, kasarian, katarungan at kapayapaan. So ano siya, mga LGBT-made films tungkol sa LGBT at hindi siya contest, isa siyang film festival lang siya. Napakahalaga rin na nagmumula--halimbawa dito sa mga pelikula, ang magsasabi/magsasalita tungkol sa mga issue nila ay yung mismong LGBT. Dito rin siya ginagawa sa FDC rin every year--June. Third year na namin ngayong taon, ngayong 2019, at dinadala din siya sa mga community, sa mga school. Kahapon, galing kami ng Indang, Cavite, malapit na sa Tagaytay, doon hinold yung kauna- unahang Pride ng Cavite State University at pinalabas doon yung Sinemakulay 2018. Magkakaroon na ng 2019, magpapanawagan na ulit kami ng, tawag dito, call for submissions. So, yun ‘no. At siyempre, nariyan din yung yearly na paggunita, pagtawag para sa hustisya na hindi pa nagaganap para kay Jennifer Laude. Sige nahatulang guilty etong si Pemberton kasi inamin naman niya eh, na nakapatay siya ng he/she. Pero instead of murder, naging homicide yung verdict sa kanya dahil sa kanyang “gay panic”/”trans panic” defense. “Di ko alam, nagulat ako so nalublob ko siya,” parang ganon. Na very weird no, at hindi siya makatarungan kasi murder is murder. Napababa from reclusion perpetua, naging homicide, 10 years lang yung maximum sa homicide tapos yung binigay pa sa kanya ay 6 years. Pero ang tanong pa rin natin, last year ang tanong namin, nagkilos protesta kami sa tapat ng US Embassy, “nasaan si Pemberton?” kasi dahil sa Visiting Forces Agreement, kahit na dito naganap yung krimen, ang kustudiya dun sa tao ay sa estados unidos, so hindi natin alam kung napapanagutan niya ba talaga yung sintensya sa kanya. At syempre nakakalungkot talaga doon ay yung dito naganap pero hindi natin ma-impose yung sarili nating justice system dahil lamang sa Visiting Forces Agreement at Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. So ayun yung mga LGBT led na activities na Bahaghari yung nangunguna pero bahagi rin ng aming mga gawain ay yung pagdalo sa mga kilos protesta na kung saan naroon din yung mga membership ng LGBT, so kung May 1 halimbawa, Women’s Day/Women’s Month, Human Rights Day at iba pang mga red letter day. So in short, ang Bahaghari ay gumagawa ng mga pag-aaral, pakikipamuhay, gawaing kultural at mga kilos protesta para irehistro yung mga panawagan ng mga LGBT na Pilipino. So ganon. And sa isa pang bahagi siguro ng cultural na product namin ay yung, pamilyar kasa Titibo-tibo na kanta ni Moira? 5. Uhhh- 6. So ayan no, “chaka” ganyan, bastos pa, syempre hindi namin mapigilang hindi magreact kasi atake siya sa LGBT eh. Tsaka napakamacho ‘nong ano, pero instead na gumawa lang ng statement ganon, kasi gumagawa kami ng mga statements ganon, press release, ito ang ginawa namin, imbes na basta lang siya statement, pinarodize namin yung kanta. So, yung parody ay Tibong-Tibo, so kung meron kang time, pakinggan mo, tingnan mo sa page ng Bahaghari. Nirepost namin siya for Women’s Month para sa mga kababaihang nagmamahal din ng kababaihan. Nandon din yung
64 mismong esensiya ng Bahaghari bilang isang cultural ano ‘no, meron din siyang kapasidad na malikhain. Gumagawa rin pala kami ng mga video ganyan. So ayon, yun yung mga activities na ginagawa ng Bahaghari, liban pa dun sa pag-oorganize ganyan para makabuo ng iba’t-ibang mga chapter. Parang ambag rin doon sa LGBT na hindi lang identity politics ang tinututukan kundi democratic rights din ng LGBT. So ayon. 7. So let’s move na po sa attitude po ng government towards homosexuality. Magstart po tayo sa actors, so sina Duterte, Pacquiao, Sotto… 8. Buuin ko na lang siguro sa government, uhm, kung LGBT specific, meron tayong tatlong bills na nakasalang ngayon sa kongreso. Yung SOGIE Equality Act, nakarating na siya ng senado pero hindi pa siya ano. Yung isa naman, yung Civil Partnership Bill na kapag naaprubahan ito, pwede rin niya icover ano, yung mga LGBT couples ganyan. So etong dalawang ito, kung titingnan natin, maganda naman siya doon sa--maganda yung layunin na magkaroon ng isang pambansang batas na tutol ‘no sa discrimination sa iba’t-ibang larangan--paggawa, edukasyon, etc. Kasi sa kasalukuyan ang meron lang ay yung mga ordinances ng municipalities, yung iba ay barangay ADO, yung iba token, yung iba wala pa namang IRR, yung iba okay naman nagagamit siya, pero ang point ay kunyare nasa isang lugar ka na may ADO, may ordinance tapos lumipat ka sa lugar na dun ka naharass pero walang ordinance, hindi ka protected so, napakahalagang may isang pambansang ordinance diba? Maganda yung layunin gayunpaman, kapag binasa mo yung bill at kailangan mong basahin yung bill for your research, maraming loopholes yung kasalukuyang anyo nito, at yung bahaghari ay critical yungkanyang pagtingin, kasi nga hindi naman maaari na kunyari meron isa doon na may kapangyarihan ang magulang o kaya ay guardian ng isang underage na LGBT na idaan siya sa counseling. Bagamat di sinabing reparative counseling, ganoon yung buong phrase ng section. May mga ganon ‘no. Wala ring parusa para sa mga lumabag na institution ‘no, halimabawa nangkick out sila nang dahil sa LGBT yung student, walang measure para kung paano mo icocorrect ‘no yung institution na gumawa noon. So, parang walang pangil kumabga yung batas. Marami siyang loophole ng kawalan ng pangil ‘no. So kailangan pa siyang paunlarin. Kumbaga ang Bahaghari ay sumusuporta na magkaroon ng anti-discrimination law na pambansa, pero yung kasalukuyan nitong anyo ay kinakailangan pang ayusin at paunlarin. Gayon din yung kaso ‘no sa Civil Partnership Bill na kailangan mo ulit basahin, ganun din sobrang dami, na kung LGBT couple yan, marami rin siyang loopholes. Ang stand din ng Bahaghari doon ay mahalagang magkaroon ng isang batas sibil na ang karapatan ng couple, ano man ang kanilang sexuality, na i-avail kung ano man yung kanilang karapatang magpakasal, kilalanin yung kanilang pagsasama. Kasi Pilipino ka rin naman diba, ganoon. Ngalang, yung kasalukuyang anyo rin ng Civil Partnership Bill ay ano marami ding loopholes, to the point na discriminatory pa. Halimbawa, mayroon doon na specific na para makaavail ka ng partnership ay dapat two years kayong walang patid ‘no na magkarelasyon at dapat ito ay public. LGBT community hindi mo mahihingi na maging public kasi harsh nga
65 iyong paligid eh ‘no. Hindi lahat ng paligid ay nirerespeto yung LGBT. Yung iba tinotolerate pero mas kalakhan pa rin ay labag sa kalooban nila ang pagkakaroon ng LGBT. Pero bakit sa bill ay kailangang publicly known? Paanong publicly? Dapat ba nakafacebook kayo everyday na “kami pa rin” ganon? So may mga ganon na loophole at yung isa pang matingkad na matingkad na naaalala ko ay sa adoption ng bata. Kasi hindi lahat ay nagbubuntis halimbawa so isang option na magkaanak ay pag-aampon. Pero nakalagay doon, bagamat hindi sinasabing diretsong heterosekwal, sinasabi doon na pwedeng mag-adopt ng bata kung wala nang ibang couple na mag- aadopt doon. So ano yung ibang couple? Hindi homosexuals, hindi LGBT. So mas pumapanig pa rin siya doon sa ano, sa hetero parang ganon, at marami pang iba kung babasahin yung bill. Ngayon may isang batas na maganda naman, ito naman yung sinusulong ng Bayan Muna, yung NADAHO. Kanina nabanggit ko diba yung May 17, International day against homo, trans, and bi phobia. Yung Bayan Muna ever since nagfifile na sila na magkaroon ng national day na ang tuon talaga ay para sa LGBT kasi nga, ang daming claim ng government na hindi siya nawawala sa gender gap index ng European Union na lagi tayong nasa top 10 pero wala kang batas na para sa LGBT, ni wala kang araw para sa LGBT. So even yung magkaroon ng institutionalized na every year, May 17, ay national day para sa LGBT, magre-raise siya kasi ng awareness eh at saka parang ano siya no, legitimization din siya nung sektor. Kinikilala din siya ng pamahalaan, pero di pa rin siya naaaprubahan. Nasa second reading pa lang yata siya sa kasalukuyan. Kailangan pa siyang icheck ‘no sa Congress kung nasaan na siya. So kung LGBT focused na mga batas, wala tayo, at syempre yung isang nakakalungkot diyan, bakit wala? Kasi yung mga legislators natin ay, andami rin nilang prejudices against sa LGBT. Halimbawa si Manny Pacquiao, kung natatandaan mo yung statement niya na buti pa yung mga hayop keme-keme, mga seksitang senador din halimbawa sina tito Sotto, and even the president himself. Marami siyang gay joke, hindi siya nakakatulong sa nirerehistrong karapatan ng mga LGBT. Nakakasama pa siya kasi ninonormalize yung konsepto na ang mga LGBT ay a joke, so lahat ng mga issue na ireraise nila ay hindi siya seryoso, so okay lang parang ganyan. Even these are personal at ang claim nila ay mga joke lang ganyan, malaki yung epekto niya dun sa mga tao na nakakarinig kasi narereinforce nito yung anti-LGBT culture kasalukuyan na nasa presensya halimabwa ng church, atbp. Parang ganon so yoon. At dagdag pa ron, partikular halimbawa si Geraldine Roman, siya yung pangunahing unang-una na transwoman but, tapos siya rin yung pangunahing author ng SOGIE Equality Bll, parang ang nakakalungkot lang doon kasi kailangan tignan yung kabuuan ng isinusulong niya bilang katawan ‘no sa Congreso na oh sige sinusulong mo yan pero pumipirma ka sa tokhang, pumipirma ka sa martial law sa Mindanao, eh ang dami kayang mga LGBT sa Mindanao na naaapektuhan ng militarization. So, paanong nagsusulong ka ng LGBT rights pero okay sa iyo i-militarize at maraming naaapektuhan, nadidisplace na communities kung saan maraming LGBT rin. So, kailangang ano siya eh, tingnan kung ano ba talaga yung intention sa likod ng mga ito so token ba ito? Ginagamit ba para pabanguhin ang sarili, may tinatawag tayong pink-washing, kung saan ginagamit
66 yung issue ng mga LGBT kaya pink ‘no, para magmukhang mabango yung bill na isinusulong nila at sila rin ay nagiging mabango, at naikukubli yuung mga chakang ginagawa nila. Kunwari Israel, diba parang LGBT friendly siya pero binobomba niya ang Palestine diba? Araw-araw maraming namamatay at marami rin doon LGBT, so paano siya diba? Contradicting siya. So ganon ‘no yung itsura ng paano tinitingnan ng pamahalaan ng LGBT sector sa usapin ng batas mismo. Sa usapin ng lehislasyon. Isa sigurong maganda, dapat, kaya lang wala na ring pag-asa ay yung usapin ng peace talks sa pagitan ng ng NDFP at ng government of the Republic of the Philippines kasi bahagi diyan ‘no, bahagi ng Comprehensive Agreement on Socio Economic Reforms ay yung pagsusulong ng women and gender rights. Kung titingnan mo yung article 7, sections 11 and 12. Sa section 11, makikita doon na magandang kilalanin ng bawat parties na mawala na lahat ng diskriminasyon sa mga lahat ng LGBT, sa paggawa ganyan etc. Section 12, kailangan irecognize ng both parties yung pagkakaroon ng same-sex marriage at dapat ayusin yung mga batas like the Family Code, para umayon sa pagkilala sa same-sex marriage. So diba ang ganda? Kasi sa Civil Partnership Bill, walang ganon eh, na aayusin mo yung Family Code na isa pang loophole. So, ayun sana no. Kung naaprubahan iyon na naituloy yung peace talks halimbawa, edi pwedeng mangyari yung anti-discrimination law at yung same-sex marriage. Pero hindi siya natuloy at yung nanggyayari nga ay pinapatay kinukulong yung mga peace consultants, at doon makikita nga natin kung ano ba talaga yung gusto ni Duterte? Kapayapaan ba talaga? Kasi kung kapayapaan, wala naman masama doon sa mga inihahain na agreement. So kung walang masama bakit ganyan ‘no? Ayon. 9. So doon nga po sa naestablish natin na kalagayan ng LGBT sa bansa, paano po nun naapektuhan yung activities ng organization? 10. Siguro yung isang malinaw na effect niyan sa organization ay dumadami yung naoorganize, syempre mahirap ito para sa isang non-profit organization kasi wala naman kaming pera. Pero halimbawa, dumadami pa rin yung mga LGBT na gustong maging myembro ng Bahaghari sa ibang lugar dahil nakikita nila na pwede palang hindi tayo manahimik, and I think hindi lang ito para sa Bahaghari as an organization pero para rin sa ibang organizations, ganon din. Pag napupunta kami sa communities, sinasabihan kami, tayo tayo ng Bahaghari rito sa amin, halimbawa sa Cebu, mga ganyan. General Santos city, meron na rin kaming chapter doon. So parang, ang punto kasi diba, katulad ng lahat ng mamamayan at kahit na sinong tao, kapag ginigipit ka at natulak ka na sa pader, ganyan yung cliche pero totoo siya eh, kapag ginigipit ka na nang ginigipit at wala ka nang maatrasan, ang gagawin mo lang naman ay lumaban pero hindi mo siya magagawa nang mag-isa. Magsalita, hindi ka na mananahimik, hindi mo siya magagawa nang mag-isa so ang magiging resort, nagiging option ng mga tao ay huwag nang manahimik, pero mas may kapangyarihan ang boses ng nakararami. So, nag-oorganize no yung mga tao, so LGBT organizing, isa yun sa magandang nangyayari pero hindi siya maganda rin sa isang banda kasi grabe kasi yung nararanasan kaya ganoon ‘no, pero hindi naman porke grabe yung nararanasan
67 saka ka lang mag-oorganize eh, hintayin mo pa bang mapunta ka sa ganong posisyon. Sa negatibo rin naman, dahil mahirap yung fund, at kadalasan ay mga personal na pera yung inilalabas, mahirap maghanap ng mga venue na local government kung ang nakaupo na local officials ay ano pa rin, conservative at very patriarchal yung kamulatan. Mahirap siya, so ang nangyayari, ang ginagawa namin ay nakikipag tie up kami with other NGOs. So, mas ganon ‘no, yung kalakaran, mas nagiging mahirap yung pag-oorganize dahil wala kang suporta mula sa pamahalaan. And in fact ayaw niya sayo, yung national sa particular, pero meron naman yung mga maliliit na pwede mong kausapi, halimbawa yung Commission on Human Rights, nakaka-ally namin sila. Sa May 17 dun gaganapin ‘no, at na-clinch namin na free ‘no yung activity para sa national day against homophobia, sa CHR sa commonwealth. Ang theme naman namin ngayon ay dapat patok sa lahat ng tao, familiar ka ba kay ano Ariana Grande? Hindi? Anyway, basta may kanta siya na “thank u, next”, so ang pamagat namin ay “Phobia? No, thank you. Next” mga ganon. Cultural night din siya, so anyway ang point lang--financial support mula dapat sana sa local government, sa national government, dapat binibigay niya kasi mamamayan ka niya, ay wala. So, ang kinakapitan talagang lakas ay yung iba ring organisasyon na nagsusulong di ng democratic rights ng mamamayang Pilipino per sector, at iba pa na nagsasama sama. So yun yung effect ‘no, sa organizing. 11. So, to conclude na po, uhm ano po yung napeperceive ng organization na major need niya in advancing its interests? 12. Siguro ano pa eh ‘no, reality siya na bagamat maraming gusto na maorganize na mga school, mga communities, halimbawa mga bakla ng Tondo, ganyan, mga manggagawa ng Cavite, halimbawa, tapos meron ka ring mga studyante ng Cavite, yung isang malaking realidad din nun ay mahirap siyang gawin kasi halimbawa, yung mga manggagawa ng Cavite, shifting yan, Laguna rin, kasi nag-oorganize din kami sa mga export processing zones, kasi sobrang daming mga LGBT doon, so ano siya ‘no, shifting siya, so medyo mahirap yung usapin ng time parang ganyan. Na matutugunan iyon kung sana hindi sila mga contractual ganyan. Ang punto lang, yung tinatanaw ng bahaghari ay pagkakaroon ng isang lipunan na kumikilala sa karapatan ng kanyang mamamayan, ano man yung sector na kinabibilangan nila at kung maibibigay iyon, halimbawa, mabibigyan ng lupa ang magsasaka, magiging regular at may sapat at tamang sweldo at benepisyo ang manggagawa, hindi tinuturing na terorismo ang unyonismo at aktibismo, igagalang ang self-determination at ancestral domain ng mga katutubo at ibang basic settlements. Kung maibibigay iyon, yung basic democratic rights ng mamamayan, lalaya rin ang LGBT kasi kabilang sila doon eh, kabilang kami sa mga sector na iyon. At mas magiging maayos, bukas, at malaya yung pamumuhay ng lahat bilang mga Pilipino. LGBT man sila o hindi. Pero ayun nga, ang LGBT kinakailangan din silang magsalita sa ganong context din para makita na lagpas sa sarili natin yung ipinaglalaban natin, ganon. So ayon. 13. Ayon po. 14. Thank you.
68 Noah Gajo Founding Member Bahaghari UP Baguio
39 minutes 4 seconds
Legend:
Bold - Interviewer Regular - Interviewee
1. Sa unang part po, the organization and its background. What is the name of your organization, if possible please mention your position. 2. Hello, I’m Noah Gajo, I am part of Bahaghari UP Baguio isang national democratic mass organization for the LGBT community. 3. What are the organization’s goals? 4. The organization’s goal ay makapagbuo ng isang malaya at mapagpalayang lipunan. Hindi lamang yung LGBT pero pati yung buong sambayanang Pilipino. 5. What activities have the organization been holding? 6. In terms of activities, pinaka basic diyan yung pagsali ng Pride march. Nirerecognize ng Bahaghari na ang Pride March is a protest. Nakikita na hindi nahihiwalay ang laban ng isang Pilipino sa laban ng LGBT community. Nagmomobilize din tayo, halimbawa yung commemoration for Jennifer Laude. Nagsasagawa rin tayo ng chalk art protest, awareness programs, educational discussions, mobilizations and everything. 7. Establishing the government’s attitude po. We start po with the actors muna, how would you describe their reception of the LGBT community? Sina Duterte at Pacquiao po. 8. Merong tolerance pero not necessarily sa level of acceptance. They recognize however they do not accept the lifestyle. Kay Duterte, kitang kita yung macho- fascism, yung compensation ng kanyang overmasculinity sa kanyang unacceptance ng LGBT community. Makikita na meron talagang pag-atake. Yung kanyang mga statements meron mga snide comments ganon, yung kay Chel Diokno ganon tunog bakla ganon parang may iniimply siya na hindi deserving for office pag bakla ganon. 9. What could be behind these ideals? 10. Siguro kay Duterte, very trapo. Sinabi niya na accepted ang LGBT, push for equal rights ganon, tapos sa ngayon ano ba yung kanyang prinaprioritize? Sagad-sagarang pag-aatake sa mamamayan. Kung hindi niya pinapatay sa baril, pinapatay niya sa gutom yung mamamayan. It is a play, a facade they put themselves noong campaign season. Meron silang kiniclinch na support. Malaki rin kasing support yung LGBT
69 rights movement. However nung nasa kapangyarihan na sila, it is evident that they were not sincere. 11. Ano pong naging epekto nito? 12. Si Duterte, sobrang laki ng kanyang sphere of influence. Kung yung president mismo magsasabi na kung pulis ka, may napatay ka, ako bahala sa iyo, it lets the state forces to kill without the consequences, which enforces impunity. Ganon kalaki, so in a sense yung mga remarks niya against the community, Duterte’s remarks institutionalized homophobia in a national scale. Kung yung state mismo hindi kinikilala yung equal rights ng lahat ng Pilipino, edi kung sa kanya, sa estado na mismo manggagaling yun, it would become normal sa national scale. Maiinstitutionalize yung homophobia, sexism at culture of impunity. 13. Gaano po kaproblematic yung pagsstabilize ng isang politician ng mga batas niya sa religion niya? 14. It is very problematic for me kasi meron ano eh, concept of separation of state and church. Malaki ang influence ng religion sa predominantly catholic country. 15. Ano pong background knowledge ninyo sa SOGIE Equality Bill? 16. From what I know, it aims to create safe spaces for the LGBT community. It aims to penalize those who are going to discriminate people based on their gender preferences. Progressive on one side, it would address at one point but we must also realize as a militant LGBT movement na ang problema ng isang LGBT ay hindi nahihiwalay sa problema ng mamamayang Pilipino. Band-aid solution lamang ito kung hindi maaaddress ang root cause ng problema ng mga Pilipino. It would address certain problems. However, if not supplemented, band aid solution lang talaga siya. Say for example, isang LGBT na magsasaka, kung walang tunay na reporma sa lupa, only one part of your problem ang masosolve ng SOGIE Equality Bill, pero yung hirap na nadadanas mo as a farmer ay hindi covered. SOGIE Equality Bill is good for fighting against gender discrimination, however it should be strengthened pa by other bills. 17. Representative Geraldine Roman po; is she a revolutionary champion or not? 18. No. For me, no. Kasi ayun. Well, we should acknowledge naman na as a mambabatas, a step in the right direction in terms of voting attitude of the Filipino people. At some level, hindi na tinitignan masyado yung kasarian. But if you look at Roman as a legislator, it is problematic, she champions her class and not the rights of LGBT community. Exploitation, oppressive policies. Kasama siya sa mga um-oo ng martial law extension, etc. Kung titingnan mo, yung election niya is good for analysis ng attitude ng electorate but as a legislator, problematic dahil sa pinipili niyang irepresent sa congress. She can always say that she represents the LGBT pero yung mga batas na ino-oo niya, anti-people, it is still not a representation kasi in a larger scale, mas marami pang napipinsalang LGBT na naaapektuhan nun. 19. Given po what we have talked about, is there mainly and increase or decrease in the participation po ng Bahaghari?
70 20. Ang Bahaghari ay naestablish last year pero matagal na siyang nabuo sa kamaynilaan. Bahaghari UPB is the only LGBT org inside UPB who believes in the militant movement sa pagsulong genuine interests of the LGBT community. Bahaghari UP Baguio exhausts all means, however, we can lobby all we want but if the system caters to the oppressive system—patuloy at patuloy na kikilos ang Bahaghari UP Baguio ganyan man ang aksyon ng kahit sino man. It will not decrease the political participation of the org because we believe nga that LGBT movement is a political movement. 21. What does the organization perceive to be a major need in fighting for the LGBT rights? 22. Hmm, major need. I think, is a complete overhaul of the exploitative current system. Kailangan natin ng comprehensibong pag-iintindi. Ang system ngayon ay oppressive, sila sila lang din ang namumuno.
71 Nico Ponce Vice Chairperson Bahaghari UP Baguio
33 minutes 16 seconds
Legend:
Bold - Interviewer Regular - Interviewee
1. So sa first part po, the organization and it’s background. What is the name of your organization? If possible please mention your position/past positions. 2. Okay so, I’m from Bahaghari UP Baguio, and I am the current vice chairperson of the said organization. 3. What are the organization’s goals po? 4. Sa Bahaghari kasi, we believe that the struggle of the LGBT is not isolated with the case of the whole country. What we want is gender emancipation through national democracy that aims to emancipate not only the genders but all the members of the community in the Philippines. 5. Third po, how broad is the scope of the organization? 6. Hindi mo kasi masasabi na iisang kaso lang ang kaso ng mga LGBT or women in particular. Ang kaso ng mga LGBT is the struggle of the whole Philippines. We look at it comprehensively, kung paano naaapektuhan ng mga LGBT sa mga manggagawa, LGBT sa paaralan, mga ganong effect. National ang sense niya. 7. Fourth po, what activities have the organization been holding to promote LGBT rights in the social and political arena? 8. Ano, in the political sense, kailangan muna icharacterize ang LGBT sa political issue. Kung activities, marami. May educational discussions, different takes on issues, society, LGBT situation. Ang Bahaghari ay isang activist organization, naglulunsad din kami ng mga kilos protesta. Ang mga activities na ito ay for the promotion of gender emancipation. 9. Establishing the government’s attitude po. We start po with the actors muna, how would you describe their reception of the LGBT community? 10. Sa pangkalahatang saklaw kasi, there is still a need for the recognition of the LGBT community. Kahit na sabihing nasa 21st century ka na. No. There is still a need for the recognition of the LGBT community, and malaking factor dito yung ating mambabatas/ pulitiko dahil direct yung influence nila sa mga mandato na ginagawa sa ating bansa. Sa case ni Duterte and Pacquiao, they promote macho-fascism which is the root cause of the LGBT struggle. Ang LGBT struggle ay rooted to patriarchy and heterosexism and in this sense, doon din naccompromise yung conception na ang mga politicians kagaya ni Duterte at Pacquiao ay nagppromote ng macho-fascist na culture na nagmamaliit o naglalagay ng placement sa LGBT community sa lipunan. Wala, hindi tanggap ang LGBT community sa pananaw ng
72 mga mambabatas na ito, dahil bukod sa hindi pa nila nababaka yung culture ng pasismo, andyan pa rin ang presence patriarchy when it comes to their legislation and words. 11. What could be behind these ideals? 12. Si Duterte diba sabi niya before na he is for the LGBT community tapos recently dumating tayo sa punto na yung pagsshow off niya ng private parts niya, tapos yung statement na babarilin niya yung mga babae sa vagina. So when it comes to these, very inconsistent talaga. Parang nagagamit kasi yung struggle ng community. Sa una, ginamit yung struggles ng community for self-promotion, pero at the end of the day lumabas yung mga tunay na kulay ng mga mambabatas na ito. Yung mga batas, for example mandatory ROTC, pagppromote ng rape culture sa ating media, is a form of inconsistency. It is a show of feudalism, and macho- fascism in our country. Nakakabahala kasi nagmumula pa ito sa mga taong malaki or direct ang influence sa mamamayang Pilipino. Ang laban ng LGBT starts with the ending of macho- fascist culture. Malaki ang influence mga mambabatas na ito. Personality sila, kailangan natin irecognize yun. Tainted na yung ability nila to influence the people. 13. Malaki po ba yung epekto ng religion? 14. Yes, in fact sa kabuuan malaki ang ambag ng religion. Our country is predominantly Catholic, predominantly Christian. Andito na ang LGBT community sa Pilipinas, hindi sila isang myth lang. Mahirap kung ginagamit mo itong religion na ito in an antagonistic deal. 15. Is there really a separation of state and church? 16. Separation of church and state in the country is a myth. Like I said earlier, predominantly catholic ang bansa. Even ang constitution natin ay patterned dito. Number one, ang homosexuality ay considered a ground for annulment. Pag ang asawa mo ay bakla or tomboy, pwede mo siyang hiwalayan. Saan nagmumula eto diba? Isa pa, sa workplace, meron tayong mga laws na hindi talaga narerecognize ang LGBT. Ang magna carta natin ay for women lang, wala pang LGBT talaga. 17. How problematic is it to have a legislator who stabilizes his political decisions on his religious beliefs? 18. Very. Kasi kung mambabatas ka, you have to look at it in a perspective of seeing the need of the Filipino people. 19. Ano pong background knowledge ninyo sa SOGIE Equality Bill? 20. Ang pinupush kasi ng SOGIE Equality Bill ay pangkabuuang saklaw ng LGBT community. Kasi anti-discriminatory talaga siya eh. Medyo problematic lang kasi wala siyang specific na gusto. There is a need for recognition of the LGBT in the SOGIE Equality Bill. It starts with education. It starts with the recognition of the LGBT community. Kasi how can we implement laws, kung hindi mo muna kinikilala na may existing na ganito. Our country or society in general ay patriarchal. Our country or society in general is heterosexual. I am not saying na mali ang SOGIE Equality Bill, in fact it is a step forward. We need to look at it as a step forward kasi nakita na ng tao yung pangangailangan. However kung meron kang leader na macho-fascist, who promote feudalism and patriarchy, parang nanenegate yung SOGIE. It is like a band aid solution for what is happening. What we need is bakahin yung root cause ng LGBT struggle; yung patriarchy. 21. Representative Geraldine Roman po; is she a revolutionary champion or not?
73 22. Sa usapin kasi ni Geraldine Roman, hindi mo kasi maihihiwalay yung struggle ng LGBT sa pag-aanalisa ng ekonomiya. Si Rep Geraldine Roman ay bahagi ng LGBT community and what we push through is si Rep Geraldine Roman ay nakakaangat ng ekonomiya diba. Ginamit niya ang struggle ng LGBT people for her self-recognition. 23. Did it make it easier for the community to advance it’s interests having Roman in the congress? 24. In a way, yes, pero hindi magiging true nag representation ng community kung andyan pa rin yung culture. Mahirap kung ikukulong natin sa academe yung usapin ng LGBT. Kung sa academe, siguro yes, pero the real struggle of the LGBT community lies on the people who actually experience the problem themselves. Pag usapin kasi ng representation, naaano siya eh, na—magkaiba ang usapin ng representation at appropriation. Mahirap kung gagamitin mo lang ang struggle for your own good. Parang ganon, real representation starts with integration. Representation is very important that this representation should be genuine. 25. Given po what we have talked about, is there mainly and increase or decrease in the participation po ng Bahaghari? 26. Hindi, hindi pwedeng mawala, hindi pwedeng ihiwalay ang struggle ng LGBT sa political. Ang laban ng LGBT ay laban ng mamamayang Pilipino. Ang emancipation ng LGBT ay tied sa emancipation ng masa. Now more than ever, hindi tayo pwedeng manahimik lang. The organization will remain firm and standing. Ang organisasyon ng Bahaghari ay nakaangkla sa masang Pilipino. 27. What does the organization perceive to be a major need in fighting for the LGBT rights? 28. Una, kinakailangan kilalanin ang recognition ng LGBT people. Basagin ang patriyarka at heteroseksismo. Kung papalalimin pa natin, it is rooted in the feudal culture of the Philippines. Sa analysis na tayo ay directly influenced ng US at China, sa policies natin. Nakakaapekto yung mga policies natin, halimbawa yung K12. It is anchored with imperialist ties. Patuloy na mag-organisa at patuloy na mag-educate ng mga tao. 29. Yun lamang po, maraming salamat. 30. Thank you.
74 Respondent: Mary Kathleen V. Tronco
I. A. I am a member of UP Babaylan-Baguio Chapter B. We aim to protect and advance the rights and welfare of the people who are included in the LGBTQ+ community C. We, in the organization, believe that equal rights should be accessed by everyone, regardless of their SOGIE. However, we are centered on serving the interests and promoting the rights and welfare of the people who are directly included in our community--the LGBTQ+ community. D. One of the most notable campaigns led by UP Babaylan, and UP Babaylan Baguio Chapter is the annual Pride March that’s being done both in Metro Manila and in Baguio to promote visibility of our fellow men who are part of the community, as well as encourage other people to learn more about the community, thus gaining an avenue for inclusion and acceptance. UP Babaylan is also one of the active campaigners for the SOGIE Equality Bill
II. a. Miseducation is evident, as well as lack of sympathy, empathy, and understanding. b. It may be due to personal reasons or gains. Yes, it is possible that it is to advance their political agenda or capital. c. It is detrimental to the LGBTQ+ community, given that the current socio-political climate of the Philippines has a history of further oppressing the people in the said community, and with the aid of people with great influence, the community can further be marginalized through physical, verbal, emotional, or even legal means.
2. a. First and foremost, the SOGIE Equality bill aims to end and prohibit discrimination on the basis of an individual’s Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, such as their SOGIE being grounds for them to be denied access to public services, and to be denied their right for application of professional licenses among others. b. No
3. a. I was not part of the organization yet when this occurred, however as a person who advocates for equal rights, particularly in the LGBTQ+ sector, I felt that it boosted the morale of the people in the community, and in the organization, seeing as an individual who is part of the community itself became a representative in Congress. I personally did not know the mechanics of Congress at that time so I can’t really provide a credible answer, however, yes it is important that the community has a representation in Congress because it will be their duty to promote and advance bills and policies that will lessen the oppression and marginalization that is felt by the community.
75 b. Again, I was not yet part of the organization when the issue came out however personally, I think it lowered the morale of the community, given that marriage equality is within our rights as individuals and as humans.
4. I’m afraid I cannot provide an answer to that since I wasn’t part of the organization at that time. III. 1. Our most prominent ally at this time, is maybe Senator Risa Hontiveros, since she is one of the people who actively campaigned and pushed the SOGIE Equality Bill amidst adversities in the socio-political climate of the Philippines. Having an “insider” is important and beneficial since they have the power inside the Congress to forward our concerns, and actively make solutions that address them that will benefit the community as a whole.
IV. Aside from actively campaigning for the passing of the SOGIE Equality Bill into a law, UP Babaylan is also active in social media campaigns wherein we showcase the visibility of the individuals who are part of the community, and who makes our community diverse. We also tackle various social issues that directly affect the people in our community, along with pubmats that aim to educate the people about these issues and what we can do as ordinary citizens to alleviate the suffering of our fellow men. Overall, the organization envisions a well-educated society where we can freely express our thoughts and exercise our rights without being oppressed and marginalized because being educated brings forth an avenue for acceptance and inclusivity, and those are our ultimate goals for the LGBTQ+ community in this society.
76 Nikki Castillo President Metro Manila Pride
38 minutes 21 seconds Legend:
Bold - Interviewer Regular - Interviewee
1. Good afternoon, I am Rienjel Mae Tolentino and iinterviewhin ko po kayo ngayon for my study. So can we start po with—can you introduce yourself po? 2. My name is Nikki Castillo, and ako ang president ng Metro Manila Pride. 3. And, magstart po tayo with the background ng organization. Ano po yung goals ng organization natin? 4. Essentially yung pinakagoals—yung pinaka mission and vision ng organization ay gumawa, mag-equip at mag-educate, tsaka parang mag-activate ng mga tao so that we can all work together in creating an environment where there is no discrimination in basis of SOGIE, and also, so that everybody regardless of SOGIE can live a dignified life that’s free from discrimination or prejudice. 5. So, how broad po yung scope ng organization? 6. For Metro Manila Pride, sa Metro Manila lang yung work namin. Yung work namin actually started because of the Pride March that’s being held here in metro manila so, there are other pride march organizing groups around the Philippines. Since yung expertise namin tsaka yung mga tao na ginagalawan namin ay nandito lang, dito lang din kami umiikot sa metro manila. 7. So, uhm, ano na po yung mga activities na nahold ng organization to promote the LGBT rights sa social and political arena po? 8. Medyo marami at diverse yung activities na ginagawa ng MMP, yung pinakauna ay yung Metro Manila Pride March and Festival na we just inherited actually from Pride activists from the past. Last year we hit 25K which is the largest in the southeast asia, which is a testament on how strong the community is getting na rin and how much more aware the young folks are about the need to stick together when it comes to the LGBTQIA+ issues, so that’s one. And another thing we do is helping with popularizing the information about the SOGIE Equality Bill. So when it started being deliberated nung 17th Congress, we went in through LAGABLAB which is a network of LGBT organizations working on the SOGIE Equality Bill. Dun kami nagstart na maglive tweet ganyan, and it trended several times on twitter kaya sobra ring lumaki yung accessibility to the information of what it is about and who are the players when it comes to the antis and the pros. That’s one thing, and meron din kaming ibang
77 things we are getting in to, like for example, our human rights education and research group works on creating HOHOL, or hang outs. So we try to—alam mo naman yung ibig sabihin ng HOHOL diba? 9. Opo *laughs* 10. *laughs* Okay so coz we know that there are a lot of unaffiliated na LGBTQIA+ people. Wala silang mga orgs ganyan, or dahil walang available sa kanila, wala silang masalihan. Ganyan. Tapos a lot of people are trying to find a community where they can gather and learn. So that’s what those meet ups. hang outs, are for. And to make it a little bit more accesible, we bring that online as well through twitter convos where we talk about different issues that concern the community. Nung 2016 we had something about voting, the elections. Then we talked about HIV, women, and queer women, ganyan, so that’s one part of it. And then, tinatry naming pumasok din sa mundo ng art and culture, and creating human rights based spaces that allow LGBTQIA+ artists to flourish. Since we are first and foremost a human rights organization, we highlight how the arts and culture can be used para mapag-usapan yung mga topics around human rights. Some of the topics/projects we had on that is yung Hubad Monologues that we have done with Words Anonymous, isa silang spoken word group. The first time we did it, it was very vagina monologues but for queer people. We talked about bodies, LGBTQIA+ bodies, how even if they are being demeaned, there is actually a way to look at our bodies, and make us feel empowered about them. And then last year, we had—the Hubad theme was about the different coming out journeys of people, why some of them haven’t come out, why some have, how that happened, ganyan. And then another thing is the Queer Arts Festival that just happened, uhm this year—yung theme namin ay sobra siyang aligned with the theme ng Pride March and Festival sa June na—Himagsining siya. Seeing how arts, and politics or activism, advocacy, actually goes hand-in-hand, parang how art can, and should be used to talk about causes that are close to people’s hearts. And, also how LGBTQIA+, in itself, the very fact that it exists, is a protest in this society where we are so not accepted. So, we are trying to go in those different spaces and avenues in engaging mostly mga potential advocates because there is a lot of us, katulad nung nakita natin sa Pride March and Festival, pero kasi hindi accessible sa lahat yung mga ganitong tools, in learning how—okay, there’s a lot of us and how can we be allies to dismantle this oppression, ganon. Sobrang dami kong sinagot pero ganon kasi yung tinatry namin. To see how we can engage these different folks who wanna learn. 11. So ieestablish na nga po natin yung attitude ng government towards the LGBT. Magstart po tayo sa actors, we have Duterte, Pacquiao and of may gusto pa po kayong idagdag, how would you describe their reception of the LGBT community? 12. Okay so, si Duterte, I don’t know like, it seems like he just uses the community when it is beneficial to him. He talks about the community—he does talk about the community a lot but, it has not been consistent. A lot of people say he is supportive since he is the one who actually pushed for the anti-discrimination ordinance in
78 Davao, which is actually one of the firsts in the Philippines, tapos he released all of those statements during when he was campaigning, a little bit after he got elected, that he is for the community, but when you interrogate his language and also his rhetoric about the community, it does not seem like nagcoconnect doon yung progressive stance niya when it comes to these things he is being lauded for. For example si Chel Diokno, he keeps calling him bakla kasi ganon yung pangalan niya, so for him being bakla, or being LGBT is still a punchline from which a lot of discrimination stems from, and if he is such a supporter, we have not really heard him say something strongly to support the SOGIE Equality Bill which is something that we have been fighting for for 19 years up to this point, diba. So we really don’t know where he stands, he is neither here nor there. Which is different with Pacquiao, he very strongly does not support the community. He has gone as far as equating us to animals. Mas masahol pa nga sa hayop according to him. He is clearly antagonistic of the community, and it is clear that there is no compromise that can be met when it comes to that because for him, and his antiquated interpretation of the Bible, sarado talaga yung utak niya tungkol sa pagtanggap sa komunidad, even from the point of view of human rights, of which he has also very problematic stances. Uhm, sino yung isa? 13. Si Sotto po 14. Si Sotto? The same! *laughs* Him and Pacquiao are one and the same. The problem with Sotto is that he is the Senate President so whatever he says goes in the Senate, syempre siya yung naghahari doon. So ibig sabihin, whatever it is that he wants to happen, it’s what’s gonna happen. Even if he does not say it explicitly, but the problem is he has said it—he has said that the SOGIE Equality Bill is not gonna pass in the 17th congress, and he said that last year, April or May. And it’s already April, the 17th congress is already ending and nothing has happened, true enough diba? Ath this point all of this messages that they’ve put across, and all of the delays that happened, the SOGIE equality bill made history twice. The first time was when it passed unanimously in the 17th Congress, and the second time in the Senate naman, it’s the longest ever bill that has been stuck in the period of interpellation. So ayun, both bad and good history in the 17th Congress. The problem we have know is we have to start from scratch in the 18th because wala na eh, tapos na eh. 15. Kay Pacquiao nga po ‘no, napag-usapan natin. Is there really a separation of state and church? How problematic is it to have a legislator stabilize his bills and other political decisions on his religion? 16. I think it’s very problematic. We can see naman na the separation of the church and state is in writing but not really in practice for a lot, but not in everyone. Because there are some legislators who are very very religious but we can see naman na they legislate from the point of view ng service. Kailangan kasi ito ng mga constituents ko, this is what’s right for the people of the Philippines, so they legislate on that kahit hindi ito nag-aagree sa mga pananaw nila when it comes to religion diba? Those people, clearly, they know that the separation of church and state needs to happen kasi you are not serving the Bible, you are serving the people. This is what the people
79 need, it is not based on a book or religion, it is based on the reality, on the ground. When legislators refer to religion to deny a lot of basic human rights to the people of the Philippines, ang problematic niya because they use it arbitrarily. But, the fact that they are using it at all, when you are supposed to be doing your job from the point of view of serving the people, that’s the bottomline, you are a legislator, you’re a lawmaker, you’re serving the people, that should be the bottomline. The separation of state and church is theoretical but it really needs to be in practice if you are there to serve the people and not other interests. 17. So, yun na nga po yung opinions nila, and if we couple those opinions with their ability to influence, how does that fare for the LGBT community? 18. We do not fare well. I don’t remember where—wasn’t this parang may nilabas na campaign before na death bills, one of them was divorce, I don’t know the rest, then one of them is homosexuality. So andun, nandun kami sa listahan ng mga bagay na are very clearly what they see as against their religion teaches. And if dinadala nila yun sa trabaho nila then we don’t really fare well. They look at that and not the situation in the ground, what needs to be done to imporve the lives of LGBTQIA+ people. 19. Familiar po ba kayo sa anti-discrimination ordinances with and without IRRs? 20. Yeah, uhm, so, by my last count I think we have 24 anti-discrimination ordinances na naipasa sa Pilipinas, and there are only 2 with IRRs. Quezon City and Cebu na last year lang nila pinass. And, there are also some that don’t need IRRs kasi, for example, Batangas province has an ADO tapos when Rainbow Rights Philippines went there, and then they asked them if they need IRR there, they said they don’t need them. But not all of them, some of them need their IRR, so.. the math is for that 2 out of 24, that is not good. 21. So we will move po kay Rep Geraldine Roman because relatively, she is a big news po ‘no, so uhm, well is she a revolutionary champion or not, and under that we will tackle muna dun sa unang times pa po. So, how did having Roman in the congress affect the organization? 22. She was, I think the fact na she brought so much visibility for the bill was good for us as well and we were very happy that she was there. First openly parang uhm, transgender politician in congress and the SOGIE Equality Bill is one of the things na dinadala niya. 23. So did it make it easier for the community to advance their interests? 24. When it comes to the SOGIE Equality Bill, I think yes, uhm because she became the darling of the media for a long time. That was good. There was somebody who was very very visible talking about the rights that activists were talking about for decades na. 25. So we now have a representation in the congress po? 26. Yeah, with respect to the SOGIE Equality Bill, may ganong klaseng boses. But before Geraldine came in there were already a lot of allies fighting for this bill. I know
80 Geraldine is the most visible one. Aside from Geraldine yung meat talaga ng batas na ito is Cong Kaka Bagao, she was the one who has been fighting for it for a long time na, most of the provisions there are from her. A lot of legislators have laid down the groundwork. The good thing with Geraldine coming is na-i-angat lang niya, along with the rising start that she had. 27. So nagkaaroon ng issue po with Ms Roman stating that same sex marriage is unrealistic, how did that statement affect the organization? 28. We hated it, uhm, in the organization when that statement came out, we did not agree with her at all. For us actually, kung pag-uusapan natin lahat ng dapat maipasa, marami sila. So, for us, dahil lang din ang SOGIE Equality Bill protects the most people, without looking—regardless of social class. Kasi the SOGIE Equality Bill legislates against SOGIE based prejudice when it comes to employment, to school, which are all basic needs. Although these kinds of discrimination mostly naeexperience siya ng mga tao who are really marginalized in the community; the poor, the IP, ganyan. So, para sa amin, kung may priority na batas, it is the SOGIE Equality Bill, it offers the most protections for more people across the community, regardless of social class or status. But that doesn’t mean that same-sex marriage or marriage equality is unnecessary. We completely disagree. A lot of marriage equality detractors say that it is a religious thing, parang sacrilegious daw yung ikakasal kayo in white gown, whatever and all. That’s all nice but that’s not even remotely what the activists in the community are fighting for. It’s because having marriage equality, removing the barriers for couples to get married because of their SOGIE, actually means equal access to the rights that are being afforded to married couples. The community fights for removing the barriers because for example in our community kahit hindi sila kasal, meron kang makikilala who have been together for 10 years, 20 years, 30, 40 years. They’ve been together all these years. Isipin mo diba this is a couple, this is a family, there is a life that they built together, pero pag may naaksidente, legally yung partner mo of 20 years cannot go into the hospital and sasabihin niya na “no, I’m her partner, I can make decisions for her kasi may binigay siyang instructions, ganito dapat,” hindi ka man lang papapasukin sa kwarto because under the law you are not recognized as the spouse of this person. So under the law you are not related even if you have been together for 20 years, 50, diba? Even in inheritance, there’s issues. So in the 50 years that the couple had been together, syempre magpupundar sila ng maraming maraming bagay, and in the case of a lot of LGBTQIA couples, specially those who come from very conservative backgrounds, wala na yung extended family nila. They are shunned, they are thrown out of their families. And sometimes for the duration of their relationship, hindi na nila siya kinakausap, so technically, ang strangers talaga ay sila at yung kung ano man yung biological family nila. But as soon as that person dies, because the law does not recognize them as family, legally, lahat ng pinundar nila, lalo na kung nandun sa pangalan nung namatay, mapupunta dun sa pamilya who they have never talked to in 50 yearas. Tapos walang habol yung partner niya naksama niya for those 50 years.
81 Eto, eto yung mga things. These are just two things pero these are two very important things. Imagine not being able to go into the room, into the hospital room where your partner is dying diba. Yun yung pinaglalaban. To say that same sex marriage or marriage equality is unnecessary, is actually a disservice. It is basic rights that we should have access to, but because of SOGIE we are denied from it. 29. Paano po naaapektuhan ng current situation yung activities ng org, does it give you a drive? 30. To continue? Yes of course, we do not exist for these legislators naman eh, we exist for the community. If we see some people who have been lauded before are not saying things that are not aligned with what we are fighting for. Malulungkot kami for a while but we go back to our work, and that is what activists do. We are united by one goal. Fighting for spaces and the kinds of rights that we need, and equal access to these rights. We had bigger hurdles before. Push lang ganon lang naman, we have to keep on pushing on. 31. Would you say that you are disappointed or dissatisfied with the current situation of the LGBT community in the Philippines? 32. Hindi ko alma sagutin niyan kasi nag loaded nung question *laughs* 33. You can refuse to ans— 34. No, i just don’t know how to answer it because there are so many aspects of the community so it is hard to answer it broadly. When it comes to the SOGIE Equality Bill we are so disappointed, yun nga because of the things that we talked about previously. When it comes to the ADOs, maganda na ang daming nagpapasa ng ADO. Sana maipasa yung IRR nila, but at this point we are just happy for these victories of having these ADOs. So, next step naman, IRRs nila. So, those aspects, we are happy about. Tapos when you talk to the community naman, syempre marami ring ibang issues across the community aside from just these two things. Uhm, urban poor LGBTQIA+ people have different issues from IP LGBTQIA+ people, or middle class LGBTQIA+ people. Kaya I am saying that it is hard to do a blanket statement of whether we are satisfied or not. Would be nicer if we had these laws, definitely. Ayon. 35. Okay so to conclude po, what does the org perceive to be a major need? 36. The Sogie Equality Bill. Like I said if you are poor LGBT person is how am I going to feed my family. Kasi madalas na nangyayari sa LGBT people, sinasabi sa kanila “ah ikaw yung bakla ikaw mag-aalaga sa pamilya, tatanda ka namang mag-isa” so ikaw mag-aalaga sa lahat, so a lot of LGBT people are bread winners. Pero dahil sa SOGIE based discrimination, they are barred office from employment, yung iba may sign “bawal bakla”, some do it in the privacy of HR interviews. If there are these kinds of barriers for poor LGBT people, mas concern nila yun. Primary need din kasi yung pera para mabuhay yung pamilya. Education, a lot of LGBT people are banned from entering school dahil iba sila manamit. Merong mga hindi pinagmamartsa. When access to education is a right everyone should have, and that is a violation. SOGIE EB tries to make sure that that does not happen.
82 Pioneer Filipino Transgender Men Movement
• Slac Cayamanda • Ted Zukomatsuzaki Communications Officer Youth Advocacy Officer
18 minutes 49 seconds
Legend:
Bold - Interviewer Regular - Interviewee 1 (Slac Cayamanda) Regular Italic - Interviewee 2 (Ted Zukomatsuzaki)
1. Good evening po, I am Rienjel Tolentino po, a researcher from the University of the Philippines Manila. I want to thank you po for agreeing to be part of my study. So, pwede po tayong magstart with the organization—ay pwede niyo po munang iintroduce po yung sarili ninyo? 2. I am Slac Cayamanda, Communications Officer of Pioneer Filipino Transgender Men Movement, or also known as PFTM, formerly known as Pinoy FTM. I am Ted Sukomatsuzaki and I am also from the same organization, and I am the Youth Advocacy Officer. 3. So, pwede po bang iexplain niyo po yung organization? It’s background, what are the organization’s goals… 4. Uhm, Pioneer FTM was established in July 11, 2011 and basically PFTM focuses on transgender men or transmasculine persons, who are seeking advice and also in transitioning. So we provide them with information and education on how to transition in a healthy way. And also, we promote positive visibility, as well as overall well-being. 5. So, ano na po yung mga activities na nahold ng organization to promote the LGBT rights in the political and social arena po? 6. We have participated in various pride march; we have participated in the Metro Manila Pride, in the QC Pride, and before there was a Makati Pride, we also participated in that, so basically we support other organizations na who are supporting the community, the LGBTQ+ community. On the personal level of the organization, we have recently held our own campaigns, not really campaigns but events, for example like last year we held our second transgender day of remembrance which involved various organizations as well. So, transgender day of remembrance is basically a commemoration of the trans people who have passed away because of violence. So, that was one of our biggest events to date. Just adding to the visibility,
83 our organization is also involved in the LAGABLAB Network in terms of being connected to the SOGIE Bill, so that is a part of our organization in terms of visibility, law wise. 7. Side trip lang po, I heard of BJ Eco po, siya po yung nag-introduce sa akin with LAGABLAB and dun ko po kayo nakilala. So, ieestablish na nga po natin yung attitude ng governmentt towards the LGBT. Magstart po tayo sa actors, we have Duterte, Pacquiao and of may gusto pa po kayong idagdag, uhh- 8. Si Sotto. 9. Yes po, si Sotto, nabanggit nga po ni BJ Eco na siya po yung isa sa hadlang sa Senate together with Joel Villanueva? 10. Yes/Yes 11. So how would you describe their reception of the LGBT community? 12. They’re very misinformed, very miseducated, very arrogant in their own ways. They’re very arrogant meaning, they refuse to understand where we are coming from and they refuse to understand that we are also part of the voting population, that they also need to take care of us as members of the community. As members of the society, not just the LGBT community. I think that their perspective especially Duterte, Pacquiao, Villanueva, Sotto, I think that their perspective on our community is very biased, coming from them being—from their--the majority of this cisgender male- heterosexual population, and they’re also in their religious parts—they come from a religious place, and this shouldn’t be included in the laws and how they run the country but as of them being that kind of person, it’s into their perspective that they are against us so they are very—coming from a very biased perspective from my point of view. Uhm, also I think Duterte is, uhm, a liar, because I remember specifically that he talked about being pro-LGBT, and then once he won, he dropped all of us. So, I think that that’s you know, that—that’s… 13. May political agenda? 14. Yeah, promoting his political agenda so… yeah, niloko niya kami, in a way. 15. And if we couple these opinions nga po with their ability to influence, how does this fare for the community? 16. For me, the way that they talk about the community has no validity towards us coz we’re still the same people, we’re still the same community. They can say whatever that they want to say to influence those other people that are probably cisgender/ heterosexual, but then we still have ourselves as a community and we still have our allies. And we’re still growing in number, they are like 4 or 5 people but their influence will eventually be invalidated in due time. Same thing, they have, being in a high position, they have influence over the citizens. Whatever they say tends to have influence the cisgender heterosexuals. Also being them in the senate, they also have a lot of power there and they also have a lot to say in cases of other. But on the other hand, there are also a lot of people, senates representatives that are pro, and are with us. They are actually more in numbers as I know of votes and counts but them being
84 in the top, they have influence, but I think eventually in time that would gradually go down so I think we just have to keep fighting coz no matter what they influence, we are still there. 17. So, moving on po sa system mismo ng gobyerno natin, sa SOGIE Equality bill nga po ‘no, the decades long journey, ano po yung background po ninyo with the SOGIE? What can you say with the SOGIE? 18. With the SOGIE, uhm, kasi kami we personally push for the SOGIE education. So, for our organization we teach people outside of PFTM about SOGIE, and the SOGIE bill is important but we are also very thankful for the other cities that have passed their ordinance, the ADO. So, the SOGIE Bill will come, it will be approved for sure kasi everybody is speaking up na eh. The people are not stupid, they understand what is going on. And eventually, these people that they are supposed to be serving will eventually push them to pass the bill. And I have high hopes that it will happen very soon kasi hindi naman tanga ang sambayanang Pilipino. You’re talking about the background in SOGIE right? So, I think it is important to have the laws and the ADOs and all too, but on the other hand we also have to not just set rules, but also change the mindset of the people. So, we also have to work on the soft side which is educating, and spreading awareness about SOGIE and that every single person has it. So passing the SOGIE Equality Bill is not just a benefit to the people around it but as a whole, every single person, coz every single person has SOGIE, so… I think that is important also. 19. So uhm, let’s move on po kay Rep. Geraldine Roman, a very controversial person, and well, at first po ‘no, noong nanalo po siya, how did having her in the congress affect the organization? Morale wise or like interest wise? 20. Parang ano, it’s kind of similar with Ms Spain of Ms Universe not winning. When she said that, “the only important thing was I was here”. It was like that. So it was very important that ano, Geraldine Roman got to that position but, at that point. But right now, being an advocate, being a transwoman does not stop you from being an advocate. It should not stop there, fine you are the face. But if you are misrepresenting the people that you are supposed to be representing, then there is something really really wrong about that. So, uhm, yeah, we are happy for her that she is there but if she is going to be the same, she is going to say the same bullshit as the other politicians then I think that it is better that she steps down. 21. Yeah, uhm, the issue nga po nung pagsabi niya ng same sex marriage is unrealistic, how did it affect the organization po? 22. Well, the thing is, even before, we have been holding, we have been supporting our own members when they do the holy union. Holy union is basically unsanctioned ba ng tawag doon? Parang it is not recognized by the government but it is uhm—we do support our members if they want to hold or have a wedding which is what we call a Holy Union. It would be nice if it is going to be on paper. But for Geraldine Roman to tell us that it’s—what is it again? 23. Na same sex marriage—
85 24. Marriage is unrealistic, I think maybe she is living in a different reality. I mean, a lot of countries in Asia itself are already doing it, are already approving it. I think it started in Nepal, Nepal approved it then afterwards it was Taiwan? But even so you know, we are still going to be able to get there, there is no other way, I mean you can’t tell people that “you don’t need this” I think it is going to happen one way or another. Yeah, she is saying that it is unrealistic, it may be hard, but if some countries are doing it, it is not unrealistic, it is happening in reality. And for her to be a part of the LGBT community and not supporting or wanting what others have wanted for a very long time is very misinterpretation and exclusivity within the community. We have to start the inclusivity within the community, no matter how hard it is. If it is not a right and need that you want, it is a right and need that someone else’s needs for their right to live a normal life as same as the cisgender heterosexual normal people. So she has, I think that she has to educate herself more if she represents a certain community, you have to have a lot of knowledge in order to represent and not just being the face of it. 25. So, that kind of representation po sana? 26. Yeah/Yeah 27. So with what we established po, how did these affect the organization in terms of its political participation over time? 28. Technically, PFTM is non-partisan. We are not politically involved but our stance with this would be on a personal level of each member. Of course a lot of us are probably not devastated but very very… what do you call this, uhm… there’s a word in my mouth but I can’t put it out… 29. Disappointed? 30. Disappointed, there you go. We are disappointed with her but, still it is not going to stop us from doing what we are doing. So we are still going to be married you know, with the blessing of the law or not. 31. So uhm, to conclude this interview po, I have three questions; the first is what has the organization done to advance its interests, and what it is currently doing to advance the said interests nga po, and what does the organization perceive to be a major need in advancing LGBT rights? 32. Sorry what interests? 33. Uhm, yung goals po ninyo as an organization. 34. So currently, we are restructuring, we are currently working on our restructuring. It is quite difficult to be honest, kasi maraming affected areas and we really want to improve PFTM and to serve our community better. And a step is restructuring, an-- but we are also doing a lot of partnerships with a lot of international organizations like RFSL, APTN. RFSL is a European based organization, they are doing a rainbow adovcacy. APTN is Asia Pacific Transgender Network. Also with TGEU, TransGender European Network. We plan to do that every year now. Today we are
86 going to do a talk about transgender visibility so that we can invite allies to celebrate with us starting next year, so hopefully we could have a big even for PTOV. 35. So last question po no, what does the org perceive to be a major need in fighting for the LGBT rights? 36. I think the young one can answer that *laughs*. I think that what we need is funds. We could do advocacy, and all those events, but in the end we need support by funds. Because that is how we reach out, that’s something we cannot exclude. Also, in terms of within the community is we need more visibility, and in order to be more visible is to hold more events so it all connects. In the end, we need more opportunities to show who we are and to present within and outside the community and to continue what we do, not just being a pioneer organization but also to lead as an example within other transgender organizations. 37. So, that would conclude our interview po.
87 Appendix B
88 BJ Eco Babaylanes Incorporated Interview Breakdown
Themes Paragrap Text Interpretatio h Number n Goals of the 2,4,40 •we try to recreate the UP Babaylan Expansion of organization experience in other schools and universities LGBT •we try to organize or help LGBT students organizations from other schools and universities form through out their own UP Babaylan, not necessarily the Babaylan but their own organization and Philippines have them officially recognized by the school •So parang as far north may na-organize na kami sa UP Baguio, which is UP Babaylan Baguio chapter. And then as far south, sa General Santos City, in Mindanao State University. We also have in Western Mindanao State University •Creating a new society na mas open and mas aware. Activities of 6,34 •we provide SOGIE, Sexual Orientation As it is the Gender Identity Expression, and human organization rights workshops to these students and to other members of society •meron din kaming mga workshops for corporate, for government agencies, saka for schools •we try to raise the awareness of the public on the, perhaps, invisible needs of the LGBTIQ+ community, and hopefully we create allies dun sa mga nahawakan namin •we all know na ganun kasi talaga yung, parang how we achieve a society na just, humane, etc. etc. is by working through different stakeholders and one of the biggest stakeholders is the government. Situation of 8,18 •LGBTIQ people are tolerated not accepted The LGBT the LGBT •So parang she’s trying to play her way into community is community the favors of people in power like the not church leaders, ganon. Pero in some more recognized candid conversations with her, parang ang fully. ano niya talaga, ang sinasabi niya talaga is The church is grabe talaga yung pressure ng church. Like open in their parang everytime she comes out with a opinions public statement, the archbishop who’s in towards charge of her district always makes sure homosexuality that she knows na parang they’re trying to . rally people against her.
89 Government 10,12 •most of, specially the elected officials, The LGBT attitude parang they respond to the needs of the community is towards the community only if they see it as beneficial viewed as a LGBT to their political capital political community •if there is, parang a clamor, a public capital, and clamour for SOGIE rights then saka lang not really sila magrerespond respected as a •medyo problematic si Duterte and he’s community. very inconsistent diba? During the campaign period he came out as an ally and actually parang sinasabi niya na sa Davao city where he used to be a mayor, he already has an anti-discrimination ordinance and some other pro-LGBTIQ policies. Pero in reality, while it has an anti- discrimination ordinance, it doesn’t really have an IRR or Implementing Rules and Regulations •and while he also came out in support of anti-discrimination law, and marriage equality, medyo nagfflip-flop siya sa stand niya, and also it is not really helpful when it comes to how the public perceives the cause. Diba, if you’re flip-flopping, if you’re not solid in your stand then syempre that affects how the public perceives it and perhaps influences them to be na parang its really a minor issue that you can flip-flop on. •dahil alam naman natin na misogynist and sexist yung president natin, he uses bakla as a derogatory term, and that also plays into how the public perceives the LGBT. It perpetuates the notions that LGBT people are weaker, are of a lower class than their cisgender heterosexual counterparts. •actually yung kay Duterte may mga pros and cons pero mostly cons kasi also he’s quite vocal when it comes to challenging the church leadership, which is quite refreshing, pero kasi parang different yung motivation behind it *laughs* hindi yun challenging the power structures, it’s actually just to maintain his power, his own political capital, parang ganon •Pacquiao naman, he’s playing on that—the power of the church and yung religious groups—so that he can have more grasp on political power din. Kay Pacquiao naman, since malakas yung backing niya from religious groups, so ganun yung stand niya, to be ultra conservative, etc., and medyo andun siya sa fundamentalist na reading ng mga biblical stuff. •Yung campaign diba, parang may nilabas 90 How the 28,30 •alam naman talaga namin na crucial yung The situation of political participation in achieving our organization the LGBT, causes so parang even prior to… parang increases it’s and kung positive yung trend ng attitude ng activities government government, then that’s a drive for us to regardless of attitude affect continue working. Tapos kung negative, how the the parang its another drive for us to continue government organization working in a different direction naman. acts. Pero parang its still the same na parang we want to maintain that relationship with the government. Ang ano lang, ang magiging difference lang is how receptive the government is. •we all know na ganun kasi talaga yung, parang how we achieve a society na just, humane, etc. etc. is by working through different stakeholders and one of the biggest stakeholders is the government. •• The major 40 •the youth, are the future shapers of society Proper need for the •Making sure that they have good education fight for the background on human rights and SOGIE about the organization’ tapos hopefully, we create new leaders, issue. s goals parang ripple effect siya. •Creating a new society na mas open and mas aware.
91 Mary Kathleen Tronco UP Babaylan Baguio Interview Breakdown Themes Paragraph Text Interpretation Number Goals of the I.B. • We aim to protect Safe space and advocacy organization and advance the rights centered for the LGBT and welfare of the rights. people who are included i n t h e L G B T Q + community Activities of the I.D. •the annual Pride As it is organization March that’s being done both in Metro Manila and in Baguio to promote visibility of our fellow men who are part of the community, as well as encourage other people to learn more about the c o m m u n i t y, t h u s gaining an avenue for i n c l u s i o n a n d a c c e p t a n c e . U P Babaylan is also one of the active campaigners for the SOGIE Equality Bill Government attitude II.A. •M i s e d u c a t i o n i s The LGBT community is towards the LGBT evident, as well as lack not recognized. community of sympathy, empathy, and understanding. How the situation of 3.a. •.(on Geraldine As it is the LGBT, and Roman) I felt that it government attitude boosted the morale of affect the the people in the organization community, and in the organization, seeing as an individual who is part of the community itself became a representative in Congress.
92 The major need for IV •t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n Proper education about the the fight for the envisions a well- issue. organization’s goals educated society where we can freely express o u r t h o u g h t s a n d exercise our rights w i t h o u t b e i n g o p p r e s s e d a n d marginalized because being educated brings forth an avenue for a c c e p t a n c e a n d inclusivity, and those are our ultimate goals f o r t h e L G B T Q + community in this society.
93 Ayen Sebastian UP Babaylan Baguio Interview Breakdown
Themes Paragraph Text Interpretation Number Goals of the 2 •We aim to hone an LGBT atmosphere Safe space and organization for the community in the UP Baguio. advocacy We want to be a support group for centered for the LGBT people in the UP Baguio. LGBT rights. Nagpupush kami ng rights and advocacies that favor and help enhance the rights of the LGBT people in UPB. Activities of 4 •Meron kaming UP Pride. Kami yung As it is the first organization na nagconduct ng HIV organization screening. We are a member of a n a t i o n w i d e n e t w o r k o f L G B T organizations in universities. Currently we are in partnership with SK, which I think will be tackled mamaya. Yung SK kasi meron silang budget for gender. Government 6 •Duterte is misogynist and sexist, I The LGBT attitude would not expect him to be genuine community is towards the when he has remarks towards the viewed as a LGBT LGBT. Kapag nanglalait siya ng mga political community kritiko niya he always uses vulgar capital, and not words that are insensitive to the LGBT really respected community. Kunwari sasabihin niya, as a “ikaw bakla ka”. Ayon, campaign community. season, LGBT community is a big community and malaki yung bearing niya talaga so parang ginagamit lang nila na pampaganda sa pangalan nila. Ganon din etong si Pacquiao, after nung remark niya na mas masahol pa sa hayop, ang ginawa niya after for his image management is nagpadinner siya for LGBT people, and you know it is not genuine and at first kaya naman niya sinabi yun is because sa religion niya and hindi naman niya binago yung religion niya diba. It is one of the problems of the Philippines na we are tolerant of the LGBT people but we are not actively fighting for their rights. Here in Baguio we have Vice Mayor Bilog, helped sponsor pride 2017 because he was a pro-LGBT. Kumbaga, pinadali niya yung process ng pride, madali siyang iapproach ng pride.
94 How the 24 •. Constant threat pushed the The situation of the organization to flourish. Mga LGBT organization LGBT, and related violence, discrimination. increases it’s government activities due to attitude affect the negative the actions of the organization government. The major 26 •We need to start educating yung inside Proper need for the b a g o s i l a l u m a b a s . K a i l a n g a n education about fight for the magkaroon sila ng drive to forward the the issue. organization’s advocacies. Patience and education. goals Kailangan educated and well-rounded ka sa pinaglalaban mo. Supplement the feelings and experiences with education.
95 Noah Gajo Bahaghari UP Baguio Interview Breakdown
Themes Paragraph Text Interpretation Number Goals of the 4 •The organization’s goal ay As it is organization makapagbuo ng isang malaya at mapagpalayang lipunan. Hindi lamang yung LGBT pero pati yung buong sambayanang Pilipino. Activities of 6 •In terms of activities, pinaka basic As it is the diyan yung pagsali ng Pride march. organization Nirerecognize ng Bahaghari na ang Pride March is a protest. Nakikita na hindi nahihiwalay ang laban ng isang Pilipino sa laban ng LGBT community. Nagmomobilize din tayo, halimbawa yung commemoration for Jennifer Laude. Nagsasagawa rin tayo ng chalk art protest, awareness programs, educational discussions, mobilizations and everything. Government 8,10 •Merong tolerance pero not necessarily The LGBT attitude sa level of acceptance. They recognize community is towards the however they do not accept the lifestyle. viewed as a LGBT Kay Duterte, kitang kita yung macho- political community fascism, yung compensation ng kanyang capital, and not o v e r m a s c u l i n i t y s a k a n y a n g really respected unacceptance ng LGBT community. as a Makikita na meron talagang pag-atake. community. Yung kanyang mga statements meron mga snide comments ganon, yung kay Chel Diokno ganon tunog bakla ganon parang may iniimply siya na hindi deserving for office pag bakla ganon. •Siguro kay Duterte, very trapo. Sinabi niya na accepted ang LGBT, push for equal rights ganon, tapos sa ngayon ano ba yung kanyang prinaprioritize? Sagad- sagarang pag-aatake sa mamamayan. Kung hindi niya pinapatay sa baril, pinapatay niya sa gutom yung mamamayan. It is a play, a facade they put themselves noong campaign season. Meron silang kiniclinch na support. Malaki rin kasing support yung LGBT rights movement. However nung nasa kapangyarihan na sila, it is evident that they were not sincere.
96 How the 20 •. patuloy at patuloy na kikilos ang The situation of the Bahaghari UP Baguio ganyan man ang organization LGBT, and aksyon ng kahit sino man. It will not increases it’s government decrease the political participation of the activities due to attitude affect org because we believe nga that LGBT the negative the movement is a political movement actions of the organization government. The major 22 •I think, is a complete overhaul of the Proper need for the exploitative current system. Kailangan education about fight for the natin ng comprehensibong pag-iintindi. the issue. organization’s Ang system ngayon ay oppressive, sila goals sila lang din ang namumuno.
97 Nico Ponce Bahaghari UP Baguio Interview Breakdown
Themes Paragraph Text Interpretatio Number n Goals of the 4 •What we want is gender emancipation As it is organization through national democracy that aims to emancipate not only the genders but all the members of the community in the Philippines. Activities of 8 •Ang Bahaghari ay isang activist As it is the organization, naglulunsad din kami ng mga organization kilos protesta. Ang mga activities na ito ay for the promotion of gender emancipation. Government 10 •Sa pangkalahatang saklaw kasi, there is The LGBT attitude still a need for the recognition of the LGBT community is towards the community. Kahit na sabihing nasa 21st viewed as a LGBT century ka na. No. There is still a need for political community the recognition of the LGBT community, capital, and and malaking factor dito yung ating not really mambabatas/pulitiko dahil direct yung respected as a influence nila sa mga mandato na community. ginagawa sa ating bansa. Sa case ni Duterte and Pacquiao, they promote macho-fascism which is the root cause of the LGBT struggle. Ang LGBT struggle ay rooted to patriarchy and heterosexism and in this sense, doon din naccompromise yung conception na ang mga politicians kagaya ni Duterte at Pacquiao ay nagppromote ng macho-fascist na culture na nagmamaliit o naglalagay ng placement sa LGBT community sa lipunan. Wala, hindi tanggap ang LGBT community sa pananaw ng mga mambabatas na ito, dahil bukod sa hindi pa nila nababaka yung culture ng pasismo, andyan pa rin ang presence patriarchy when it comes to their legislation and words. How the 26 •. Hindi, hindi pwedeng mawala, hindi The situation of pwedeng ihiwalay ang struggle ng LGBT organization the LGBT, sa political. Ang laban ng LGBT ay laban increases it’s and ng mamamayang Pilipino. Ang activities due government emancipation ng LGBT ay tied sa to the attitude affect emancipation ng masa. Now more than negative the ever, hindi tayo pwedeng manahimik lang. actions of the organization The organization will remain firm and government. standing. Ang organisasyon ng Bahaghari ay nakaangkla sa masang Pilipino.
98 The major 28 •Una, kinakailangan kilalanin ang Proper need for the recognition ng LGBT people. Basagin ang recognition of fight for the patriyarka at heteroseksismo. Kung the organization’ papalalimin pa natin, it is rooted in the community.. s goals feudal culture of the Philippines. Sa analysis na tayo ay directly influenced ng US at China, sa policies natin. Nakakaapekto yung mga policies natin, halimbawa yung K12. It is anchored with imperialist ties. Patuloy na mag-organisa at patuloy na mag-educate ng mga tao.
99 Abi Taningco Bahaghari UP Baguio Interview Breakdwon
Themes Paragraph Text Interpretation Number Goals of the 10 •ang ultimate goal ng Bahaghari ay Recognition of organization mabuwag ito, dahil nakamit na natin ang the LGBT isang lipunan kung saan ‘di na natin community, kailangan ng gender based organizations and proper kasi lahat tayo ay naiintindihan na ang treatment. mga kailangan ng mga LGBT community, yung mga kailangan ng miyembro ng kababaihan. So, hindi na natin kailangan magkaroon ng ganitong org kasi okay na yung pagtrato ng lipunan sa atin. Activities of 14 •So, kung dito, syempre andyan yung As it is the Baguio Pride March. Tapos, on a more organization local scale, we hold EDs katulad ng situationer. Tapos yun nga, yung main highlight kemerut last year ay yung dumating dito si Bernadette Neri, pasabog yun. Bago pa lang eh, parang yun pa lang yung ganap namin.
100 Government 16,22,28 •Day, sakit sa ulo. ‘Day si Pacquiao, The LGBT attitude bobo, sabi niya “ah buti pa yung mga community is towards the hayop alam yung lalaki at babae”. ‘Day, viewed as a LGBT ang daming recorded cases ng political community homosexuality sa animal kingdom. So capital, and not ayun, nakapa-uneduca—char. Kasi, really respected yung position naman nila, regarding the as a LGBT community ay biased din. community. Lalong-lalo na yung kay Pacquiao kasi yung religion niya. Tapos si Duterte, ewan ko, ayaw lang talaga niya sa amin. Huh? Tapos ayun, hindi lang naman LGBT people yung inaatake niya. ‘Day, hindi rin niya nirerespeto yung mga babae, so, hmm, ekis na talaga siya as a person. Ayon, hindi rin niya nirerespeto ang mga tao in general. Ang dami niyang tao na pinapapatay. Ekis na talaga si Duterte kahit hindi pa natin isali yung reception niya sa LGBT. ‘Day, ano yung reception niya sa Filipino in general. Hello, ekis. •Kung si Pacquiao hindi ko nga alam kung bakit naging senador yun eh. May political agenda ba si Pacquiao? Parang wala? Kasi lagi naman siyang absent pag may meet yung Senate, so anong political agenda nito. Kung si Duterte, gusto niya lang makipagfriends sa China, patayin ang mga Pilipino. Ayun, yung pag-oppress niya sa mga LGBT community at kababaihan, parte rin ng pag-opress niya sa mga common na Pilipino. So ayun, nafufurther yung political agenda niya na patayin yung mga mahihirap sa bansa at makipagfriends sa China. Kung si Sotto naman, ewan ko ano political agenda niyan. Ang daming epal sa gobyerno ngayon na parang walang political agenda dahil wala namang silang hinahapag na batas? Yung political agenda nila ay magpayaman. Yun lang yun. So parang kung makakatulong sa pagpapayaman nila yung panggagago sa amin, edi ayun, nafurther nga yung political agenda nila. •Hindi, kahit na sabihin nating transwoman siya, kailangan nating tingnan kung saang sektor siya nanggaling. Galing siya sa mga mayayaman din. Yung position niya sa gobyerno ay ginagamit niya para pahirapan yung buhay ng ibang
101 How the 30,32 •Nag-iincrease siya, yung political The situation of the participation. Ang Bahaghari ay national organization LGBT, and democratic organization, mangingialam increases it’s government at mangingialam siya sa national issues. activities due to attitude affect Lalo na sa mga national issues na the negative the concerned sa LGBT community. Ang actions of the organization struggle ng karaniwang Pilipino, ay government. struggle din ng LGBT. •Patuloy yung laban. Syempre mahirap, kung mawawalan tayo ng pag-asan edi mas hihirap. Yung mga kagaguhan na ginagawa sa bansa natin, palala nang palala yung sitwasyon edi dapat lumalakas din yung paglaban natin. Kung sumuko tayo, edi wala na deds na tayong lahat. The major 34 •Ayun, mapaintindi na tao din naman Proper need for the kami. Discrimination comes from the education about fight for the sense of othering, na sila, iba sila, the issue. organization’s ganon. Patuloy na pagbibigay ng ED ay goals step na rin sa pagpapaintindi.
102 Nikki Castillo Metro Manila Pride Interview Breakdown
Themes Paragraph Text Interpretation Number Goals of the 4 •Essentially yung pinaka mission and As it is organization vision ng organization ay gumawa, mag- equip at mag-educate, tsaka parang mag- activate ng mga tao so that we can all work together in creating an environment where there is no discrimination in basis of SOGIE, and also, so that everybody regardless of SOGIE can live a dignified life that’s free from discrimination or prejudice.
103 Activities of 8,10 •Medyo marami at diverse yung activities As it is the na ginagawa ng MMP, yung pinakauna ay organization yung Metro Manila Pride March Festival na we inherited from Pride activists from the past. Last year we hit 25K which is the largest in the southeast asia, which is a testament on how strong the community is getting na rin and how much more aware the young folks are about the need to stick together when it comes to the LGBTQIA+ issues, so that’s one. And another thing we do is helping with popularizing the information about the SOGIE Equality Bill. So when it started being deliberated nung 17th Congress, we went in through LAGABLAB which is a network of LGBT organizations working on the SOGIE Equality Bill. Dun kami nagstart na maglive tweet ganyan,and it trended several times on twitter kaya sobra ring lumaki yung accessibility to the information on what it is about and who are the players when it comes sto the antis and the pros. That’s one thing, and meron din kaming ibang things we are getting in to, for example, our human rights education and research group works on creating HOHOL, or hang outs. So we try to—alam mo naman yung ibig sabihin ng HOHOL diba? •Okay so coz we know that there are a lot of unaffiliated na LGBTQIA+ people. Wala silang mga orgs ganyan, or dahil walang available sa kanila, wala silang masalihan. Ganyan. Tapos a lot of people are trying to find a community where they can gather and learn. So that’s what those meet ups. hang outs, are for. And to make it more accesible, we bring it online as well through twitter convos where we talk about different issues that concern the community. Nung 2016 we had something about voting, the elections. Then we talked about HIV, ganyan, so that’s one part of it. And then, tinatry naming pumasok din sa mundo ng art and culture, and creating human rights based spaces that allow LGBTQ artists to flourish. Since we are first and foremost a human rights organization, we highlight how the arts and culture can be used para mapag-usapan yung mga topics around human rights. Some of the topics/projects we had on that is yung Hubad Monologues that we have don with Words 104 Government 12 •Okay so, si Duterte, I don’t know like, it The LGBT attitude seems like he just uses the community community is towards the when it is beneficial to him. He talks viewed as a LGBT about the community a lot but, it has not political community been consistent. A lot of people say he is capital, and not supportive since he is the one who really a c t u a l l y p u s h e d f o r t h e a n t i - respected as a discrimination bill in Davao which is community. actually one of the firsts in the Philippines, tapos he released all of those statements during when he was campaigning, a little bit after he got elected, that he is for the community, but when you interrogate his language and also his rhetoric about the community, it does not seem like nagcoconnect doon yung progressive stance niya when it comes to these things he is being lauded for. For example si Chel Diokno, he keeps calling him bakla because of his name, so for him being bakla, or being LGBT is still a punchline from which a lot of discrimination stems from, and if he is a supporter, we have not really heard him say something strong to support the SOGIE Equality Bill which is something that we have been fighting for for 19 years. So we really don’t know where he stands, he is neither here nor there. Which is different with Pacquiao, he is very strongly does not support the community. He has gone as far as equating us to animals. Mas masahol pa nga according to him. He is clearly antagonistic of the community, and it is clear that there is no compromise that can be met because for him, and his interpretation of the Bible, sarado talaga yung utak niya sa pagtanggap sa komunidad, even from the point of view of human rights, of which he has also very problematic stances. How the 26 •Yes of course, we do not exist for these The situation of legislators naman eh. Malulungkot kami organization the LGBT, and for a while but we go back to our work increases it’s government and that is what activists do. We are activities due attitude affect united by one goal. Push lang ganon lang to the negative the naman, we have to keep on pushing on. actions of the organization government.
105 The major 28 •The Sogie Equality Bill. Like I said if The SOGIE need for the you are poor LGBT person is how am I Equality Bill fight for the going to feed my family. Kasi madalas na organization’s nangyayari sa LGBT people, sinasabi sa goals kanila “ah ikaw yung bakla ikaw mag- aalaga sa pamilya, tatanda ka namang mag-isa” so ikaw mag-aalaga sa lahat, so a lot of LGBT people are bread winners. Pero dahil sa SOGIE based discrimination, they are barred office from employment, yung iba may sign “bawal bakla”, some do it in the privacy of HR interviews. If there are these kinds of barriers for poor LGBT people, mas concern nila yun. Primary need din kasi yung pera para mabuhay yung pamilya. Education, a lot of LGBT people are banned from entering school dahil iba sila manamit. Merong mga hindi pinagmamartsa. When access to education is a right everyone should have, and that is a violation. SOGIE EB tries to make sure that that does not happen.
106 Eljay Bernardo Rainbow Rights Philippines Interview Breakdown
Themes Paragraph Text Interpretation Number Goals of the 2 •R-Rights was formed to work towards As it is organization a future where LGBT Filipinos will know their rights under the law, be empowered to fight for their rights, and have access to legal assistance and advice at their time of need. Activities of 3 •we are currently building a network of As it is the paralegals in strategic locations in the organization Philippines. Government 6,10,20 •In general, the best thing that we could The attitude say about the legislators is that they government is towards the tolerate the LGBT community. It is a generally LGBT surprise that the SOGIE Bill has passed misinformed community unopposed in the Representatives. In the about the Senate, there are pockets of dissent that LGBT have held the SOGIE Equality Bill community, hostage however there have also been and the statements of support of the bill coming government is from a number of legislators not that much •As for religion, the experience with the in favor of the voting on the third reading of the bill in LGBTs. the House of Representatives belie religion’s hold on legislators. Religion seems to be only a factor when it is perceived to generate the winning vote. It only becomes problematic when religion is held so central in the political inclination such as Sotto, Pacquiao, and Villanueva. It becomes a battle of showing that the proposed legislation will not undermine any religious belief. •On the statement re Marriage, the organization is disappointed at the level of knowledge of Roman in the issue. We are willing to educate her. As for the organization, this incident is nothing new to us. We recognize that misogyny and heteronormativity could be internalized How the 22 •No hiatus. Our finances and machinery The situation of the is designed so as that a whole year of organization LGBT, and activity has already been plotted. As for holds its government activities regarding the SOGIE Equality activities attitude affect Bill, we are part of the LAGABLAB regardless. the Network and there has been continuous organization work to advocate the bill in the Senate.
107 The major 22 • an openly out person of diverse Proper need for the SOGIE in Congress will have immense representation. fight for the personal stake in any social legislation organization’s regarding SOGIE so it is very important. goals However, it is also very important that the person knows of what is the PERSONAL STAKE he or she has in the issue.
108 Slac Cayamanda and Ted Zukomatsuzaki Pioneer Filipino Transgender Men Movement Interview Breakdown
Themes Paragraph Text Interpretation Number Goals of the 4 •basically PFTM focuses on transgender Safe space organization men or transmasculine persons, who are seeking advice and also in transitioning. So we provide them with information and education on how to transition in a healthy way. And also, we promote positive visibility, as well as overall well-being Activities of 6 •We have participated in various pride As it is the march; we have participated in the organization Metro Manila Pride, in the QC Pride, and before there was a Makati Pride, we also participated in that, so basically we support other organizations na who are supporting the community, the LGBTQ+ community. On the personal level of the organization, we have recently held our own campaigns, not really campaigns but events, for example like last year we held our second transgender day of remembrance which involved various organizations as well. So, transgender day of remembrance is basically a commemoration of the trans people who have passed away because of violence. So, that was one of our biggest events to date. Just adding to the visibility, our organization is also involved in the LAGABLAB Network in terms of being connected to the SOGIE Bill, so that is a part of our organization in terms of visibility, law wise.
109 Government 12,14 •They’re very misinformed, very The LGBT attitude miseducated, very arrogant in their own community is towards the ways. They’re very arrogant meaning, viewed as a LGBT they refuse to understand where we are political community coming from and they refuse to capital, and not understand that we are also part of the really respected voting population, that they also need to as a take care of us as members of the community. community. As members of the society, not just the LGBT community. I think that their perspective especially Duterte, Pacquiao, Villanueva, Sotto, I think that their perspective on our community is very biased, coming from them being—from their--the majority of this cisgender male-heterosexual population, and they’re also in their religious parts—they come from a religious place, and this shouldn’t be included in the laws and how they run the country but as of them being that kind of person, it’s into their perspective that they are against us so they are very — c o m i n g f ro m a v e r y b i a s e d perspective from my point of view. Uhm, also I think Duterte is, uhm, a liar, because I remember specifically that he talked about being pro-LGBT, and then once he won, he dropped all of us. So, I think that that’s you know, that— that’s… •Yeah, promoting his political agenda so… yeah, niloko niya kami, in a way. How the 28 •Technically, PFTM is non-partisan. We The situation of the are not politically involved but our organization on LGBT, and stance with this would be on a personal a personal level government level of each member. Of course a lot of is disappointed attitude affect us are probably not devastated but very but will the very… what do you call this, uhm… continue it’s organization there’s a word in my mouth but I can’t activities. put it out… •Disappointed, there you go. We are disappointed with her but, still it is not going to stop us from doing what we are doing. So we are still going to be married you know, with the blessing of the law or not.
110 The major 36 •I think that what we need is funds. We Funds need for the could do advocacy, and all those events, fight for the but in the end we need support by funds. organization’s Because that is how we reach out, that’s goals something we cannot exclude. Also, in terms of within the community is we need more visibility, and in order to be more visible is to hold more events so it all connects. In the end, we need more opportunities to show who we are and to present within and outside the community and to continue what we do, not just being a pioneer organization but also to lead as an example within other transgender organizations.
111 Camilo de Guzman UP Babaylan DIliman Interview Breakdown
Themes Paragraph Text Interpretation Number Goals of the 2 •ever since it started, it was more of a Safe space and organization safe space for the LGBT students. Tapos advocacy over time it transformed into a more centered for the advocacy-based organization. LGBT rights. Activities of 2 •o in the organization, we take part in As it is the many different mobilizations, many organization different lobbying efforts, along with different political parties to forward the LGBT rights. Actually, recently, we have been very active, partnered with the office of Sen Risa Hontiveros as our gender-equality champion, to fight for yhe SOGIE equality bill in the Senate. Here in the university, we are also the organizers of UP Pride, for the past 10/11 years. Last year actually, we were calling for the passing of the SOGIE Equality Bill. And we also had a UP Fair night dedicated to forwarding the gender equality and SOGIE equality bill.
112 Government 4 •Well, as a very religious country, the The LGBT attitude separation between the church and state community is towards the is barely there. Sometimes, we see that a viewed as a LGBT lot of their opinions, a lot of where they political community are coming from is based on a religious capital, and not background. Obviously, we are not really respected against religious freedom, however, as a when you use that to go against—to community. impede on the rights of other people— then that’s where it becomes problematic, specially if you are in a position of power. We cannot keep using religion as the reason for everything because there is supposed to be a separation, and not everyone follows that religion. Specially with Duterte, who is very misogyinstic, who is very sexist. It not only just affects women but the LGBT community in general, and obviously we know Pacquiao’s saying na “gays are worse than animals” ganon. Those things, they think na it’s harmless, or they think na it is just their opinions. It would be okay if it is just their opinions as a person, if they don’t like LGBT people then they don’t have to. But as people with positions and power, they have influence, and them imparting that kind of opinion to the people makes everyone very suscep— everyone be influenced by them. They will think na ah they have this power and they have this notion then it’s okay to be like that, they use that opinion, that kind of— they use their personal opinions in legislation which is very wrong because your personal prejudice should not affect how you do your job. So not only do they influence the people who are not in the government but also those in government as well. That’s why the SOGIE equality bill has been 19 years in the process, it has always been, it has never fully gone this far. And now with the ending of the congress, it might actually be delayed once again. So that’s actually the big parts. Your personal opinions, affecting big change on others.
113 How the 16 •We have always been participating in The situation of the these kinds of things; in legislation, in organization LGBT, and ordinances, in the safe spaces bill, increases it’s government actually. We have always been active in activities due to attitude affect these. And I think for Duterte, Pacquiao, the negative the it just makes us work harder, it just actions of the organization shows us that there is still a long way to government. go. Even if we feel like here in the university, we’re already fine, we are not that discriminated. We see that there is still much work to be done and that pushes us forward. I know that it is sad to say that what they are saying are pushing us but that just shows us that we have to push harder and with Geraldine Roman, on marriage equality, it just shows us that there are a lot of steps that we have to go through and that we cannot stop now. This is a time that LGBT advocacy becomes mainstream, becomes really popular; like the Asin in the Metro Manila Pride, we can see that a lot of people are getting more engaged in this. All of that, it pushes us to move forward, even if the SOGIE Equality bill does not get passed in this Congress, we are not going to stop. We have to build back from the ground, up.
114 The major 22 •Education, of course. Education in Proper need for the general that would lead to education education about fight for the about the LGBT struggle because the issue. organization’s obviously, we need public clamor. We goals need people to understand that these rights should not be impeded on, that we deserve our rights. Even if you are not LGBT, you should know, people should know that this affects everyone. And the SOGIE Equality Bill is not just for the LGBT community, it is based on SOGIE and everyone has SOGIE. We need to educate people, we need the resources to educate them, because our public education is flawed. How are we going to be teaching these different complicated terms if we cannot even provide basic education? And that will get public clamor, we need the senators to listen, we need the people in power to listen to the struggles of the LGBT community. And to understand that their religions, their opinions, that has to be on theirs. There has to be a distinction from the state and the church. It is very much attitude checks talaga in everyone that just because you are misogynistic, you are like that, do not put it on us. That kind of attitude has no place in our government, has no place anywhere. Specially, if you are a person in power, you cannot put that on us, you cannot have that kind of attitude because the consequences are all on us—our rights, we are being killed, we are being discriminated, we are being kicked out of our homes—and that attitude just forwards that. It influences people to act that way. ••
115 Bernadette Neri Bahaghari Metro Manila Interview Breakdown
Themes Paragrap Text Interpretation h Number Goals of the 2, •itinutulak niya yung organisasyon na Comprehensive organization kilalanin din kung ano pa yun ibang mga understanding issue ng mga LGBT, hindi lang basta of the LGBT bilang mga LGBT kundi LGBT sa mga problems in the partikular na sektor na kinabibilangan nila; Philippines. yung nga LGBT na mangagawa, guro, propesyonal, at iba pa
116 Activities of 4 •naglulunsad yung Bahaghari ng iba’t- As it is the ibang aktibidad, meron kaming mga organization gawaing pag-aaral; kunwari meron kaming talakayan tungkol sa SOGIE, pero sa konteksto ng Pilipinas kasi kadalasan Western yung literature na nakukuha natin dito, so, sinisikap siya at ano to ‘no, on- going process siya at ina-update siya hanggang sa makabuo tayo talaga ng— hindi ibig sabihin dinidisregard yung mga naunang pag-aaral na, mahalaga sila pero hindi lang tayo basta kumukuha at inilalapat iyon sa atin kasi mayroon tayong sariling kasaysayan, at iba yung konteksto ng isang third world country na colonized kung ilalapat lang natin basta ang articulation ng isang western country na first world at imperialist pa. So ganun siya, nagbibigay kami ng ganung pag-aaral. Meron kaming draft na ng LGBT situationer, ganyan. Pambansang sitwasyon nga ng LGBT pero dahil wala ngang datos ‘no, na matatagpuan masyado kasi wala naman sa forms ng pamahalaan ang LGBT so, invisible yung data kaugnay non. So, kami halimabawa, ang p a m a m a r a a n k u n g p a a n o k a m i nakakahanap ng datos ay yung bahagi ng pag-aaral at pagbibigay ng pag-aaral, pagpapaunlad din ng mga kurso na ibinibigay namin ay yung BMI, Basic Mass Integration. Nakiki-integrate kami sa manggagawa nang sa gayon ay mas makilala namin hindi lang yung struggle primarily ng mga manggagawa para sa sweldo, regularisasyon etc, plus ano pa yung mga nangyayari kung ikaw ay isang manggagawang LGBT. So, nakakakuha kami ng mga case study kumbaga, so ganon yung proseso. Nagbibigay kami ng ganun ‘no, pag-aaral at pakikipamuhay. Mayroon din kaming, syempre hindi lahat ng tao ay makapagbabasa, at hindi lahat ng tao ay maaabot mo nang personal ‘no, so ang isang pamamaraan kung paano ito sinisikap na mabridge ng Bahaghari ay sa pamamagitan ng mga kultural na gawain. Tuwing May 17, o yung IDAHOT, yun kasi nung 1990 idineklara na sa World Health Organization na hindi psychiatric disease yung homosexuality tapos eventually nadagdagan yun, so, May 17 siya. So worldwide ay kino-commemorate siya. Yun yung ginagawa ng Bahaghari, nagsimula siya nung isang taon kasi 2017 117 Government 8 •Buuin ko na lang siguro sa government, The LGBT attitude uhm, kung LGBT specific, meron tayong community is towards the tatlong bills na nakasalang ngayon sa viewed as a LGBT kongreso. Yung SOGIE Equality Act, political capital, community nakarating na siya ng senado pero hindi pa and not really siya ano. Yung isa naman, yung Civil respected as a Partnership Bill na kapag naaprubahan ito, community. pwede rin niya icover ano, yung mga Also, their LGBT couples ganyan. So etong dalawang concerns are ito, kung titingnan natin, maganda naman not taken siya doon sa--maganda yung layunin na seriously by the magkaroon ng isang pambansang batas na government. tutol ‘no sa discrimination sa iba’t-ibang larangan--paggawa, edukasyon, etc. Kasi sa kasalukuyan ang meron lang ay yung mga ordinances ng municipalities, yung iba ay barangay ADO, yung iba token, yung iba wala pa namang IRR, yung iba okay naman nagagamit siya, pero ang point ay kunyare nasa isang lugar ka na may ADO, may ordinance tapos lumipat ka sa lugar na dun ka naharass pero walang ordinance, hindi ka protected so, napakahalagang may isang pambansang ordinance diba? Maganda yung layunin gayunpaman, kapag binasa mo yung bill at kailangan mong basahin yung bill for your research, maraming loopholes yung kasalukuyang anyo nito, at yung bahaghari ay critical yungkanyang pagtingin, kasi nga hindi naman maaari na kunyari meron isa doon na may kapangyarihan ang magulang o kaya ay guardian ng isang underage na LGBT na idaan siya sa counseling. Bagamat di sinabing reparative counseling, ganoon yung buong phrase ng section. May mga ganon ‘no. Wala ring parusa para sa mga lumabag na institution ‘no, halimabawa nangkick out sila nang dahil sa LGBT yung student, walang measure para kung paano mo icocorrect ‘no yung institution na gumawa noon. So, parang walang pangil kumabga yung batas. Marami siyang loophole ng kawalan ng pangil ‘no. So kailangan pa siyang paunlarin. Kumbaga ang Bahaghari ay sumusuporta na magkaroon ng anti- discrimination law na pambansa, pero yung kasalukuyan nitong anyo ay kinakailangan pang ayusin at paunlarin. Gayon din yung kaso ‘no sa Civil Partnership Bill na kailangan mo ulit basahin, ganun din sobrang dami, na kung LGBT couple yan, marami rin siyang loopholes. Ang stand din ng Bahaghari 118 How the 10 •Siguro yung isang malinaw na effect The situation of niyan sa organization ay dumadami yung organization the LGBT, naoorganize, syempre mahirap ito para sa increases and and isang non-profit organization kasi wala holds it’s government naman kaming pera. Pero halimbawa, activities attitude dumadami pa rin yung mga LGBT na regardless of affect the gustong maging myembro ng Bahaghari sa how the organization ibang lugar dahil nakikita nila na pwede government palang hindi tayo manahimik, and I think acts. hindi lang ito para sa Bahaghari as an organization pero para rin sa ibang organizations, ganon din. Pag napupunta kami sa communities, sinasabihan kami, tayo tayo ng Bahaghari rito sa amin, halimbawa sa Cebu, mga ganyan. General Santos city, meron na rin kaming chapter doon. So parang, ang punto kasi diba, katulad ng lahat ng mamamayan at kahit na sinong tao, kapag ginigipit ka at natulak ka na sa pader, ganyan yung cliche pero totoo siya eh, kapag ginigipit ka na nang ginigipit at wala ka nang maatrasan, ang gagawin mo lang naman ay lumaban pero hindi mo siya magagawa nang mag-isa. Magsalita, hindi ka na mananahimik, hindi mo siya magagawa nang mag-isa so ang magiging resort, nagiging option ng mga tao ay huwag nang manahimik, pero mas may kapangyarihan ang boses ng nakararami. So, nag-oorganize no yung mga tao, so LGBT organizing, isa yun sa magandang nangyayari pero hindi siya maganda rin sa isang banda kasi grabe kasi yung nararanasan kaya ganoon ‘no, pero hindi naman porke grabe yung nararanasan saka ka lang mag-oorganize eh, hintayin mo pa bang mapunta ka sa ganong posisyon. Sa negatibo rin naman, dahil mahirap yung fund, at kadalasan ay mga personal na pera yung inilalabas, mahirap maghanap ng mga venue na local government kung ang nakaupo na local officials ay ano pa rin, conservative at very patriarchal yung kamulatan. Mahirap siya, so ang nangyayari, ang ginagawa namin ay nakikipag tie up kami with other NGOs. So, mas ganon ‘no, yung kalakaran, mas nagiging mahirap yung pag-oorganize dahil wala kang suporta mula sa pamahalaan. And in fact ayaw niya sayo, yung national sa particular, pero meron naman yung mga maliliit na pwede mong kausapi, halimbawa yung Commission on Human Rights, nakaka-ally namin sila. Sa May 17 dun gaganapin ‘no, at na-clinch 119 The major 40 •Siguro ano pa eh ‘no, reality siya na Proper need for the bagamat maraming gusto na maorganize education about fight for the na mga school, mga communities, the issue that organization’ halimbawa mga bakla ng Tondo, ganyan, would lead to s goals mga manggagawa ng Cavite, halimbawa, proper tapos meron ka ring mga studyante ng recognition of Cavite, yung isang malaking realidad din the LGBT nun ay mahirap siyang gawin kasi community, and halimbawa, yung mga manggagawa ng efficient mass Cavite, shifting yan, Laguna rin, kasi nag- organization. oorganize din kami sa mga export processing zones, kasi sobrang daming mga LGBT doon, so ano siya ‘no, shifting siya, so medyo mahirap yung usapin ng time parang ganyan. Na matutugunan iyon kung sana hindi sila mga contractual ganyan. Ang punto lang, yung tinatanaw ng bahaghari ay pagkakaroon ng isang lipunan na kumikilala sa karapatan ng kanyang mamamayan, ano man yung sector na kinabibilangan nila at kung maibibigay iyon, halimbawa, mabibigyan ng lupa ang magsasaka, magiging regular at may sapat at tamang sweldo at benepisyo ang manggagawa, hindi tinuturing na terorismo ang unyonismo at aktibismo, igagalang ang self- determination at ancestral domain ng mga katutubo at ibang basic settlements. Kung maibibigay iyon, yung basic democratic rights ng mamamayan, lalaya rin ang LGBT kasi kabilang sila doon eh, kabilang kami sa mga sector na iyon. At mas magiging maayos, bukas, at malaya yung pamumuhay ng lahat bilang mga Pilipino. LGBT man sila o hindi. Pero ayun nga, ang LGBT kinakailangan din silang magsalita sa ganong context din para makita na lagpas sa sarili natin yung ipinaglalaban natin, ganon. So ayon.
120 Annex 1
121 List of LGBT Organizations in the Philippines
122 123 124
125 Annex 2
126 • 90% of Catholic priests are gay, says Duterte By: Nestor Corrales - Reporter / @NCorralesINQ INQUIRER.net / 12:25 AM December 06, 2018
President Rodrigo Duterte, right, with Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, wait for the start of the Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas (PAFIOO) at the Rizal Hall in Malacañan Palace on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2019. (Photo from an RTVM video)
MANILA, Philippines — Almost 90 percent of Catholic priests are homosexuals, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday. Duterte made the remark as he again attacked the Catholic Church, which has been critical of his brutal war on drugs and anti-criminality campaign.
“The most hypocritical institution in the entire Philippines is the Catholic Church and the Pope knows that,” he said in a speech during the Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas in Malacañang. “No offense intended,” he added. “I have so many relatives who are gay. I have two brother-in-laws who are gay. But most of the priests there are homosexuals, almost 90 percent of you. So do not postulate on my morality.”
The President made the remarks days after Pope Francis told gay priests to be celibate or leave the priesthood. He again blamed the stance of the Church, whom he described as “the idiots of our time,” for the for the growing population in the Philippines. “We are very poor. We have a runaway population,” he said. “It’s because of the Church. They have always been against family planning. But the priests and the bishops are also into it producing more Filipinos. The idiots of our times.” In a speech on Nov. 26, Duterte urged Catholics to stop going to church and just build their own chapel. The chief executive has been attacking the Church in his speeches, even calling it “full of shit.” He also earlier earned the ire of the public and the Catholics for calling God “stupid” and questioning the creation theory in the Bible. /atm
Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1060483/gay-priests-rodrigo- duterte#ixzz5mnTZxA00
127 Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte claims ’40 percent’ of rebels are gay
Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has been criticised after claiming that “40 percent” of Communist rebel fighters in his country are gay. The leader asked supporters at a campaign event in Laguna on Saturday (February 24): “Did you know that 40 percent of NPA (New People’s Army) fighters are gay?” according to Filipino newspaper The Philippine Star.
The question referred to the armed wing of the country’s Communist Party, which has been designated as a terrorist organisation by the Philippines and the US. Duterte also claimed that the NPA once handed over hostages to his son, Sebastian Duterte, because they wanted to seduce him.
“I was wondering why they wanted to turn over the captured soldiers to Baste,” he said, adding: “It turned out, those fools were after Baste.” Duterte told the crowd that while recounting the story to his father, Sebastian had claimed: “Four NPA rebels brought me to an area filled with coconut trees. All of them kissed me.” “So you were abused?” Duterte said he asked his son. “He said: ‘Yes, everyone kissed me.’ That’s okay. You now know how it feels to be kissed by gays. It feels better. That flirt!” Duterte added.
https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2019/02/26/philippines-president-rodrigo-duterte-40- percent-rebels-gay/
128 Duterte jokes he used to be gay, claims Trillanes is homosexual too
© Provided by Genesis Media Pres. Duterte says he used to be gay and claims Trillanes is homosexual too Editor’s Note: This article tackles subject matter that young and some sensitive readers may find unsettling. MSN advises to read this story with caution and proper guidance.
During his speech, President Rodrigo Duterte quipped that he used to be “gay.” KAMI learned that the President mocked opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and claimed that he is gay as well. In a video uploaded by the Philippine News Agency, the President made his remark during the campaign rally of PDP-Laban in Bacolod on Thursday night. “May tanong ako sa inyo, ha? ‘Wag kayo ma-insulto. Ako, bakla ako noon. Admitahin ko ‘yan. Oo, totoo. Ay, ayaw niyo maniwala, eh,” the President said. President Duterte then asked if there were gays in the audience. He said that they have nothing to be ashamed of. The President also noted that he has two brothers-in-law who are homosexuals, as well as his roommate in the YMCA. “Sinong bakla rito? Ngayon, marunong man kayo magbasa. Tanungin ko kayo. Si Trillanes ba, lalaki?” the President asked. The crowd had mixed reactions. The President said, “Trillanes, hindi ako nagsabi niya, ha. Tinatanong ko ‘yung mga sister ko na bakla.” “Kasi ikaw, halata kita. Oo, dalawa, tatlong tingin ko lang. Kasi ako, bakla,” the President quipped. As previously reported by KAMI, the President said that the LGBT members should not be ashamed of anything. He said that it was because God created all human beings, no matter what their gender is.
129 Duterte takes a swipe at Hilbay anew, says he’s gay April 17, 2019, 2:47 PM
By Genalyn Kabiling President Duterte has stepped up his attack against Otso Diretso senatorial candidates, this time, alleging that former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay was gay. “Si Hilbay, isang bak — ang girlfriend niya si Agot Isidro. Iyon namang boyfriend niya bakla [Hilbay is…His girlfriend is Agot Isidro. Her boyfriend is gay],” Duterte said during the PDP-Laban campaign rally in Cagayan province Tuesday night. Duterte also accused Hilbay of filling up the Office of the Solicitor General with homosexuals during his term. “P***** i**** Hilbay na ‘to. Naging solicitor general wala namang gawa, pinuno ‘yung opisina niya ng mga bakla [This son of a b*tch Hilbay. He did nothing when he was solicitor general. He filled his office with homosexuals],” he added.
Duterte first made the allegations about Hilbay’s sexual orientation during the administration’s campaign event in Bukidnon last Saturday. He claimed that Hilbay “acts like a man” but was merely pretending to have a girlfriend. “Be true to yourself. You’re gay. Don’t hide behind a cover. You were made by God. God made a mistake. Just because he’s a God does not mean he is incapable of making mistakes,” he told Hilbay. The President, however, made it clear he had nothing against homosexuals as he jokingly claimed he was formerly gay. “Kayong mga bakla ‘wag kayong magalit sa akin ha. Bakla ako noon. Totoo [To the gays, don’t get angry with me. I was once gay. It’s true],” he said, drawing laughter from the audience in Cagayan. Apart from Hilbay, the President voiced his suspicion about the sexual orientation of another senatorial candidate, human rights lawyer Chel Diokno. “Chel Diokno, hindi mo nga malaman kung babae ba ito o lalaki [Chel Diokno, you don’t know if he’s a woman or a man],” he said. He also belittled the competence of Diokno, saying he was all about arrogance. “Dean ito ng College of Law ng La Salle. Never heard man ‘yan. Wala ito. Puro yabang [He is the dean of Las Salle College of Law. He’s never heard. He’s nothing. He’s full of arrogance],” he added. In the same speech, Duterte also expressed doubts on Senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s manhood. He noted that homosexuals usually have a keen sense of recognizing each other. “Si Trillanes, bakla o lalaki? [Is Trillanes a man or a woman?],” he asked the crowd. “Ayaw ninyong maniwala? Magtanong kayo ng kaibigan ninyong bakla. Sige, hinahamon ko kayo [You don’t want to believe? Ask your gay friends. I challenge you],” he added.
130 Duterte on Diokno, Hilbay names: ‘Di alam kung lalaki o babae’ Darryl John Esguerra MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte poked fun at the names of human rights lawyer Chel Diokno and former solicitor general Florin Hilbay as he again blasted the opposition’s senatorial candidates on Tuesday night in Koronadal City, South Cotabato. Speaking during the distribution of financial grants to beneficiaries of the government’s unconditional cash transfer program, Duterte said the names of Hilbay and Diokno sounded confusing. “Florin Hilbay. Hindi mo malaman kung lalaki pati babae. ‘Yang Chel Diokno, Florin… Ano ba ito? Member ng LGBT?” Duterte said, referring to the lesbian, gay, bi- sexual and transgender group. In a tweet on Wednesday morning, Hilbay responded to Duterte and made it clear that he’s a man. “Sir, lalake po, na naniniwalang hindi kabawasan ang maging member ng LGBT,” he wrote. “Pahinga na, sir. Salamat sa special mention, pero gabi na. Wishing you lots of rest,” he added. In the same speech, Duterte again slammed former Deputy Speaker Erin Tañada for allegedly defending communist rebels. Duterte first mocked the opposition Otso DIretso slate earlier this month, saying that they would “go straight to hell.” Only Marawi civic leader Samira Gutoc was spared from the President’s tirades due to her gender. Vice President Leni Robredo, who chairs the opposition Liberal Party (LP), said that drawing the President’s attention was a good sign for their candidates. Aside from Diokno, Hilbay, Tañada, and Gutoc, the other opposition candidates are Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, reelectionist Sen. Bam Aquino, election lawyer Romulo Macalintal, and former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas. /cbb
131 Annex 3
132 LGBT Terms Commonly Used in Metro Manila
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134 Manny Pacquiao provokes storm by calling gay people ‘worse than animals’
Guardian sportTue 16 Feb 2016 09.49 GMT This article is more than 3 years old • Pacquiao, running for senate in the Philippines, causes outrage • Boxer made comments in video posted on local TV5’s election site Manny Pacquiao compares people in same-sex relationships to animals Manny Pacquiao has provoked a storm of controversy in his home country after saying people in same-sex relationships “are worse than animals”. The 37-year-old, who is running for a seat in the Philippines senate in May’s elections as a conservative Christian, made the remark in a video posted on local TV5’s election site. “It’s common sense,” the eight times world champion, who later apologised, said. “Do you see animals mating with the same sex? Animals are better because they can distinguish male from female. If men mate with men and women mate with women they are worse than animals.” The country’s most popular gay comedian, Vice Ganda, posted #PrayForMannyPacquiao to his 6.7m followers on Twitter as he hit back at the boxer, adding: “Some people think they can judge people like God just because they’ve attended a prayer meeting and read the Bible. The senate needs experts on politics and law, not blind prophets.”
The singer Aiza Seguerra, who recently married her actress-girlfriend, called on voters to boycott Pacquiao, who is also preparing for his last fight in April, calling him an “ignorant, bigoted hypocrite”. Seguerra added: “You might have done our country proud but with your statement, you just showed the whole country why we shouldn’t vote for you.” Pacquiao, beaten by Floyd Mayweather in May last year, represents the province of Sarangani in the House of Representatives, though is often absent. In one of his few speeches, Pacquiao quoted heavily from the bible as he attempted to stop a proposed law, since passed, giving free condoms to the poor. Responding to the controversy via Instagram, Pacquiao initially posted an image of himself with his wife, quoting the Bible and writing: “I rather obey the Lord’s command than obeying the desire of the flesh. I’m not condemning anyone, but I’m just telling the truth of what the Bible says.” Manny Pacquiao responded to the controversy via Instagram. Later, though, he added an apology, saying: “I’m sorry for hurting people by comparing homosexuals to animals. Please forgive me for those I’ve hurt. I still stand on my belief that I’m against same sex marriage because of what the Bible says, but I’m not condemning LGBT. I love you all with the love of the Lord. God bless you all and I’m praying for you.” In January Tyson Fury was reminded of his “heavy responsibilities” by the British Boxing Board of Control for his controversial remarks about homosexuality.
135 Manny Pacquiao stands by his views against homosexuality: 'You know what I am telling is the truth' Chuck Schilken
Manny Pacquiao poses for photos with visitors after his training session at asports complex in General Santos, Philippines, on Friday. (Ted Aljibe / AFP/Getty Images) Manny Pacquiao has been through what would seem to be a PR nightmare over the last several days. He's made comments that have caused global outrage, issued a public apology, lost his sponsorship from Nike and then caused even more anger with quotes he posted on Instagram. Any of that would be enough to ruin anyone's week. But apparently not Pacquiao, who spoke with reporters Friday while training in General Santos, Philippines. "I'm happy," Pacquiao said when asked how the controversy has affected him. "I'm always happy because God is with me." Pacquiao was one of several candidates for the Philippine Senate who were asked their views on same-sex marriage during a recent interview broadcast by the Filipino television network TV5. "It's common sense. Will you see any animals where male is to male and female is to female?" Pacquiao answered. "The animals are better. They know how to distinguish male from female. If we approve [of] male on male, female on female, then man is worse than animals." On Tuesday he apologized for his statement but at the same time stood by his views. "I'm sorry for hurting people by comparing homosexuals to animals," he wrote on Instagram. "Please forgive me for those I've hurt. I still stand on my belief that I'm against same sex marriage because of what the Bible says, but I'm not condemning LGBT. I love you all with the love of the Lord. God Bless you all and I'm praying for you." Nike ended its business relationship with him the next day, calling his comments "abhorrent." Early Thursday morning, Pacquiao posted some Bible verses on Instagram. One of them, Leviticus 20:13, states in no uncertain terms that homosexuals should be killed: "If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads." Pacquiao's post was up for about two hours and got more than 18,000 likes before being deleted. And on Friday, Pacquiao still didn't back down. "What I am saying is right. I mean, I am just stating the truth, what the Bible says," the Nike-clad boxer told reporters. "What I did wrong was just comparing the people to animals, but you know what I am telling is the truth."
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