Congress held a committee hearing for the Anti-Discrimination Bill yesterday, and by all definitions, the whole thing was pretty disastrous. The bill—which wants to provide equal rights and just treatment in school and the workplace and an avenue to make complaints, at least, for the LGBTQ sector in the Philippines—has been languishing in both Houses for so many years now, and the opposition that came to the table showed just exactly why that is… and why pretty much everyone against it is a bigot.
Just look at the worst arguments against it, from a Dr. Capitulo representing a group called Filipinos For Life and an Ansel Beluso representing Couples for Christ, and a self-proclaimed former gay man:
Even worse? After saying those things, they then have the gall to say:
Look at that. All dangerous stereotypes and backwards, outdated thinking when it comes to LGBTs. I mean, really, raising kids to accept homosexuality is normal is child abuse? What a ridiculous thing to say; whatever forced conversion therapy this guy must have gone through seems to be more abusive than the mindset he accuses.
And people should really drop this pretense of LGBT freedom affecting their beliefs, because nobody is oppressing any religious freedoms by giving them equality. That’s the rhetoric of spoiled and selfish man-children.
Fortunately, Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman, one of the principal authors and supporters of this bill and one of the most inspiring women in the world named by Time, isn’t going to take this one lying down. The fight isn’t over yet; in fact, it’s only just beginning.
In other news about the bill, proposed suggestions to it include media and private training about Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE), provisions about discrimination and abuse at home, and adding resources to the PNP to help deal with LGBT concerns. The bill has been rotting in Congress too long; let’s hope the new buzz arising from it be the push it really needs this time.