IN THE past week, there have been intense discussions on LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual,

trans, and queer) rights in the Philippines.

This after Gretchen Diez, a transgender woman, allegedly experienced discrimination at the
Farmer’s Plaza Mall in Cubao, Quezon City on August 13. In a news report by Philippine
Star on August 15, 2019, Diez was arrested and then detained at a police station for 11 hours
after she entered the mall’s women’s restroom.

It was reported on SunStar Philippines that on August 16, Diez filed a complaint against
Araneta Center Inc., Starline Security Agency Inc., and the sanitation services agency
contracted by the Araneta Center for supposedly violating the Quezon City Gender Fair
Ordinance.

After Diez posted a video of the incident, a discussion was launched over social media with
political figures even commenting on the incident.

Bataan first district Rep. Geraldine Roman and Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas have
filed a resolution in Congress for the investigation of the incident. Roman is the first
transgender woman to be elected to Congress.

On Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte has met with Diez. Together with her was Roman.
However, the Palace has yet to disclose what was discussed in the meeting.

The discussion of LGBTQ rights in the country is a sensitive matter. We can visibly see how
generally “accepting” the country has been with the LGBTQ community with the presence of
known icons. However, the community continues to face discrimination here and there. For
example, transgender women are commonly catcalled or mocked by people when they walk
along the streets. Over social media, it is also common to see slurs thrown at members of the
LGBTQ community.

In a bid to stop discrimination towards the LGBTQ community, the Sexual Orientation,
Gender Identity and Expression Equality (Sogie) bill, also known as the Anti-Discrimination
Act, was proposed in the Congress and the Senate. In the Congress, House Bill 4982 was
filed by representatives Emmeline Y. Aglipay-Villar, Kaka J. Bag-ao, and Roman during the
17th Congress. In the Senate, Senate Bill 1271 was filed by Senator Risa Hontiveros also
during the 17th Congress.

The Sogie Bill was approved by the House of Representatives in 2017, but its version in the
Senate experienced delays during the interpellation period. Hontiveros has refiled the bill in
the 18th Congress.

According to its Senate Version, the Sogie Bill seeks to “address all forms of discrimination
and violence on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity and to promote human
dignity.”
As it is hotly debated within the halls of Congress and the Senate, the bill is also being hotly
debated among Filipinos. Some oppose the bill fearing that it may step on the different
religious beliefs and practices in the country. Supporters of the bill say that there is a need to
pass the bill citing equal rights for the LGBTQ community.

While there are good intentions for the crafting of the bill, in a way that it calls for the
protection of the rights of the LGBTQ community, the proponents must strike a balance
between the needs of the LGBTQ community and the sentiments of those who oppose the
bill. Proponents of the bill must also consider and respect the stance of those who oppose the
bill as some of their comments towards the bill also makes sense.

One thing is sure, the Sogie Bill is facing an uphill battle in the halls of Congress just like
how the LGBTQ is struggling to fight discrimination.

MANILA, Philippines — Muling nanawagan ang ilang sektor na maisabatas na ang

mga panukalang magpapataw ng parusa sa magsasagawa ng diskriminasyong
nakabatay sa "sexual orientation" at "gender identity or expression" (SOGIE bill) —
bagay na proprotekta sa mga lesbyana, bakla, bisexual, transgender atbp.

Naging mainit ang diskusyon dito kamakailan matapos arestuhin ang isang
transwoman sa isang mall sa Quezon City na nais gumamit ng banyo ng babae kahit
may anti-discrimination ordinance na umiiral sa lungsod.

Kinilala siya bilang si Gretchen Custodio Diez.

Sa kasalukuyan, may dalawang panukala na tumatalakay sa SOGIE:

 Senate Bill 159, o Anti-Discrimination Act, sa Senado

 House Bill 258, o SOGIE Equality Act, sa Kamara

Pero bilang konsepto, ano ba talaga ang SOGIE?

Isyu ng 'sexual orientation'

Magkamukha ang pakahulugan dito ng dalawang panukala ngunit may
kaonting pagkakaiba.

Tinutukoy nito ang direksyon ng emosyonal at sekswal na pagkaakit o gawi

ng isang tao.

Sa SB 159 ni Sen. Risa Hontiveros, inihati niya ito  sa tatlo:

  Homosexual orientation - pagka-akit sa kaparehong sex
 Bisexual orientation - pagka-akit sa parehong sex
 Heterosexual orientation - pagka-akit sa kaibang sex

Sa HB 258 ng Bayan Muna party-list, dinagdagan nila ito ng ika-apat:

 Asexual orientation - kawalan ng sexual attraction o pagkaakit

kaninuman

Kaiba sa gender expression at identidad, tumutukoy ang "sex" sa mga "male,"

"female" o "intersex" na nakabatay sa ari, gonads at chromosome patterns ng
isang tao.

Ang mga intersex ay may mga katangian ng sex na hindi pasok sa

karaniwang ideya ng katawang male o female.

Usapin ng 'gender'
Maaaring hatiin sa dalawang susing konsepto ang gender: expression at
identity.

Ayon sa SB 159, ang gender expression ay ang sumusunod: 

"[O]utward manifestations of the cultural traits that enable a person to identify

as male or female according to patterns that, at a particular moment in history,
a given society defines as gender appropriate."

Ito naman ang gender expression ayon sa HB 258:

"[T]he way a person communicates gender identity to others through behavior,

clothing, hairstyles, communication or speech pattern, or body
characteristics."

Magkamukha naman ang pakahulugan nila sa gender identity, na personal na

pagkakakilanlan sa sarili sa pamamagitan ng pananamit, kagustuhan at pag-
uugali kaugnay ng mga "masculine" at "feminine" conventions.

Oras na hindi tumugma ang male o female identity ng isang tao sa kanyang
"sex," kinikilalang transgender ang isang tao.

Sa sitwasyon ni Diez, isa siyang transwoman dahil kinikilala niya ang sarili
bilang babae habang pang-lalaki ang orihinal niyang pangangatawan.
Iba ang transwomen sa mga bakla. Kinikilala ng bakla ang sarili bilang lalaki
habang lalaki rin ang gusto.

Iba rin ang transmen sa mga lesbyana. Kinikilala ng lesbyana ang sarili bilang
babae habang babae rin ang gusto.

Gayunpaman, hindi nangangahulugan na pinili lang ng mga trans na maging

kung sino sila.

Posibleng magkagusto ang transwoman sa isang cis female (babaeng tugma

ang identity sa sex) kahit tinitignan niya ang sarili bilang babae.

Posible ring magkagusto ang transman sa isang cis male (lalaking tugma ang
identity sa sex) kahit tinitignan niya ang sarili bilang lalaki.

Marami pang ibang kategorya ng gender maliban sa mga nabanggit.

Parusa kung maipasa ang anti-SOGIE bill

Kung maisasabatas ang SB 159 o HB 258, depende sa sitwasyon, maaaring
patawan ng multang P100,000 hanggang P500,000 ang mga lalabag nito.

Pwede ring makulong ng mula isang taon hanggang 12 taon ang mga
nabanggit