THE DISCRIMINATORY PROPOSED LAW

The Philippines may be considered one of the most conservative and religious
nations in the world, yet many Filipinos still exhibit a traditional mentality that can lead to
misinterpretation and neglect of modern ideologies and minorities. A proposal for a law
that would guarantee heterosexuals the right to express their religious opinions against
the third-sex community has been circulating over the past week. Since we live in a
democracy with freedom of speech, I thought this bill unnecessary, and I feel its
passage could result in the following: a) the anti-gay rampage, b) the LGBTQIA+
community losing confidence in the government, and c) Inequality and stereotyping
becoming more prevalent. Does this legislation even make some changes for our
nation?

Numerous incidents of discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ community have

been reported and documented in the Philippines. Some of these incidents have
resulted in emotional and mental trauma for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, as
well as visible barriers and shackles that prevent them from expressing themselves and
speaking out about the discrimination they have experienced. In the last few weeks, a
bill has been proposed that grants heterosexuals the right to express their religious
ideas and sentiments against the LGBTQIA+ community. The section on heterosexual
people's rights identifies four rights that should be accorded to them, all about religious
expression. Specifically: a.) to freely practice, proclaim, and defend their religious
beliefs without interference; b.) to freely practice their religious profession with the right
to "exclude therefrom" people of different beliefs or faiths; c.) to "freely express and
communicate with others, public or privately" (this includes written text on social media,
verbal correspondences, and appearances in print and television media); and d.) to
freely run churches, businesses, schools, or workplaces. Reading the paragraphs and
parts of the proposed law reveals that these rights have already been enjoyed by
heterosexuals, as well as the entire Filipino community; this indicates that the bill, which
purports to defend the rights of heterosexuals, is more about religion.

The LGBTQIA+ community found this bill unnecessary because if it passes, the
anti-gay movement will become more relevant since religious heterosexuals use their
beliefs to promote hateful views. Being able to proclaim and practice their beliefs is
already something that religious people can do and have the right to do so; it also gives
them the confidence to do so since there is a law that will protect them from those who
will try to stop them from expressing themselves. I also see that this law may result in
the third-sex community losing their confidence and trust in their government because if
this law is passed, the community will find this insulting and discriminating since they
are fighting and seeking the law that will protect them and further escalated their rights
on freedom expressions as well as stabilize the gender equality for all; if this law
passed, the community will continue to rally and fight for the things that they deserved
but also develops some fears and anxiety to express themselves freely due to the
possible backlash that they will get from the religious heterosexual. The LGBTQIA+
community has no hatred toward God or religion. There are even LGBT churches, such
as MCC Table, that embrace everyone with open arms. It saddens me to speak this out,
but many gay people are also religious and have a close relationship with their faith.
The citizenry cannot continue to remind actual lawmakers who are drafting legislation
about the separation of church and state. If you are a politician with authority over
people, how do you not know that this is enshrined in our constitution and that this
separation is the reason why churches can practice without interference from the state?
At this point, I cannot see politicians who continue to use religion as a justification for
denying rights to queer people (such as the opposition to a bill against discrimination
based on SOGIE) and women (such as the opposition to the legalization of divorce) as
being anything other than willfully ignorant. Lastly, gender equality will no longer be
achieved if this law is passed, as it will permit some people to be more discriminatory
and violent towards the LGBTQIA+ community. Furthermore, gender discrimination will
become more prevalent, which may lead to a massive failure, and those who supported
the community may rally behind us and urge the government to find a solution to stop
the anti-gay rampage.

The LGBTQIA+ community has fought for gender equality and the legislation of
the SOGIE Bill for a very long time. I believe that it would be best if this law were
enacted to further promote a safe and secure community free of violence and
discrimination against minority groups such as the third-sex community. If the
"Heterosexual Act of 2022" is implemented, it might lead to the consequences I have
stated above. It could offer them more freedom of speech, but it could also lead to an
increase in discrimination against minorities such as the Atheist and LGBTQIA+
communities. The bill will restrict the LGBTQIA+ community's right to freedom of speech
and free from anxiety and fear. It is the government's primary responsibility to safeguard
its people and maintain equal rights for all Filipinos, regardless of their gender identity
and sexual orientation, thus it should do all possible to avoid mishaps and conflicts.