Discrimination by the Catholic Church

It is important to note the Philippines Catholic Church’s blatant campaign against LGBT persons and how
it contributes to the rampant discrimination and violence experienced by LGBT persons in the
Philippines.

 The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and Episcopal Commission
on Family and Life (EFCL) has been fervently demanding Congress for the removal of
“sex, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity” in the comprehensive anti-
discrimination ordinances filed in the Senate and in the House of Representatives,
claiming that its inclusion will only “create problems regarding ethics, marriage, the
family and religious freedom” and reasons that “the difference in sex or gender does not
belong to the same level as the difference in race, color, religion, or ethnicity”.

Misinformation about the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity in the anti
discrimination bills are being circulated to convince legislators and society that LGBT persons are
not discriminated against or abused and instead are depicting themselves as being oppressed in
order to gain public sympathy

 Antagonists of the anti-discrimination bill claim that the passage of an anti-discrimination

legislation will open the door for same-sex marriage. A provision allowing for same-sex
marriage was not present in the anti-discrimination bill at the time of its introduction first
filing and has never been added.

LGBTQ EQUALITY ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY

 The Catechism of the Catholic Church, a text which contains dogmas and teachings of the
Church, names “homosexual acts” as “intrinsically immoral and contrary to the natural law,” and
names “homosexual tendencies” as “objectively disordered.”
While the Catholic Church does not consider “homosexual orientation” sinful in and of itself, it
does have a very negative attitude toward it.
 The 1986 Letter states, “Although the particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin,
it is a more or less strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil; and thus the inclination
itself must be seen as an objective disorder.”

 The fact that Catholicism does not consider the “inclination” sinful is very different from more
fundamentalist Christian churches. It is one of the reasons that the Catholic Church has not
officially approved of reparative therapy. The Catechism further states that “Homosexual persons
are called to chastity.” However, the doctrine also specifies that, “Such persons must be accepted
with respect and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be
avoided.”
The actual experience of LGBTQ parishioners can vary widely across dioceses and parishes. Many
Catholic communities reach out to LGBTQ members to offer as full of a welcome as possible within the
limits of a Church policy that does not approve of same-sex relationships, even committed ones. Other
parishes have denied membership to LGBTQ individuals and families. There have also been recent
instances of LGBTQ employees in the United States being dismissed from Catholic schools and parishes
following the celebration of a same-sex couple’s marriage.

 There is no official policy regarding transgender individuals in the Catechism of the

Catholic Church, though doctrinal teachings clearly equate birth anatomy with gender.
The Vatican’s Extraordinary Synod, convened in October 2014, debated several issues
related to LGBTQ inclusion but did not address questions regarding transgender
church members. However, the experience of transgender Catholics varies depending
on their communities

 In September 2015, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith,
responsible for enforcing Catholic doctrine, did not permit a transgender man in Spain
to serve as a godfather effetively barring transgender Catholics from serving as a
baptismal sponsor. The statement concluded:

“The result is evident that this person does not possess the requisite of leading a life
conformed to the faith and to the position of godfather (CIC, can 874 §1,3), therefore
is not able to be admitted to the position of godmother nor godfather. One should not
see this as discrimination, but only the recognition of an objective absence of the
requisites that by their nature are necessary to assume the ecclesial responsibility of
being a godparent."