OVER THE RAINBOW: STUDENTS REACTION TO THE SOGIE BILL

A RESEARCH PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF SENIOR HIGH

SCHOOL IN LUNA VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for Automotive Strand in Practical Research 1

BY

Asuncion,Reynald

Balanon, Jayson

Chandrasekar, Mark Aravind

Cortez, Aries

Lauriaga, Tyrone

Madarang, Jelou

Nebres, Justine

Nuesca, Froilan
 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

A. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The SOGIE Bill (also known as the Anti-Discrimination Bill on the Basis of Sexual Orientation,

Gender Identity, and Expression) is a proposed law in the Philippines that seeks to protect

individuals from discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity, and

expression. The bill aims to prohibit discriminatory practices in various areas, such as

employment, education, health care, and access to public services and accommodations. It also

seeks to promote equal opportunities and treatment for all individuals regardless of their SOGIE,

and to provide legal remedies for victims of discrimination. The SOGIE Bill has been the subject

of much debate and controversy in the Philippines, with some groups opposing it on religious or

cultural grounds, while others advocate for its passage as a necessary step towards greater

inclusivity and respect for human rights.

House Bill No. 4982 or "An act prohibiting Discrimination on the Basis of Sexual Orientation or

Gender Identity or Expression (SOGIE) and Providing Penalties Therefore” is the first of its kind

in our country. Other anti-discrimination bills have been filled in the past, but these were never

SOGIE- specific, lumping the lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, and queer sector with others

such as the different applied or the indigenous groups. It is the first version filed by the late

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Akbayan Representative Etta Rosales. The SOGIE

equality bill is meant to fulfill the rights set forth in the 1987 constitution, particularly the equal

protection clause. It recognizes the LGBTQ+ as equals and ensures that their rights are protected

in as much as everyone's is. The bill also acknowledges the Philippine duties under international
law particularly the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil

and Political Rights.

The Philippine city of Mandaluyong has approved an ordinance to protect the rights of lesbian,

gay, bisexual, and transgender people from discrimination, the latest in a slew of local laws

passed across the country. Mandaluyong's anti-discrimination ordinance "prohibits such

discriminatory acts as denying or limiting employment-related access; denying access to public

programs or services, refusing admission, expelling or dismissing a person from educational

institutions due to their SOGIE (sexual orientation, gender identity and expression)" It is also

prohibits verbal or written abuse, unjust detention involuntary confinement, denying access to

facilities; and illegalizing formations of groups that incite SOGIE-related discrimination

The passage of these local ordinance are important because LGBT Filipinos, while widely

accepted in Philippine society, still face discrimination. This is particularly true for LGBT

students as well as LGBT people living with HIV, many of whom suffer even more from

mistreatment by families, employers or colleagues. While the ordinance does not specifically

address HIV-related discrimination, most HIV infections in the Philippines occur among LGBT

people, particularly men who have sex with men. The Philippines has the fastest growing HIV

epidemic in the Asia-Pacific region, and a third of all new HIV infections are recorded in Metro

Manila, which is composed of 16 towns and cities, including Mandaluyong.

The wave of local ordinance stands in stark contrast to the Philippine legislature, which has not

passed similar anti-discrimination legislation. While the lower House passed a version of anti-

LGBT discrimination bill in September, its senate version faces stiff opposition from religious

group and conservative senators. The recently appointed Senate president, Senator Vincent Sotto
III, a religious conservatives supported by the Catholic Church because of his outspoken

opposition to LGBT equality legislation, is likely to strongly oppose any legislation aimed to

protect the rights of LGBT people.

LGBT rights advocates believe the strategy to ban SOGIE discrimination could offset at the local

level the absence of such legislation at the national level. But those local laws are also to

challenge to the Philippines government to take the initiative to pass national anti- LGBT

discrimination legislation to ensure that all Filipinos enjoy the rights guaranteed them under the

country's constitution and international human rights law.

B. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study aims to know the reaction of the Senior High School Teachers and Student about the

SOGIE Equality Bill. Specifically, it sought to:

1. Is SOGIE Bill good to our society? Yes or No?

2. What are the possible effects of the SOGIE Bill to the community if this will become the

law?

3. Do you think SOGIE Bill can help LGBTQ members to fight for their rights to our

society?

Yes or No?

C. Significance of the Study

In the study, the following are benefited:

To the members of the LGBTQ community along the Philippines, they can fight for their rights

against the people who bully and discriminate them. The SOGIE Equality Bill can help the

LGBTQ community to freely do what they want to do without interrupting and bothering them

as long as they are doing the right things.

To the citizens of the Philippines, they need to know the rights of the LGBTQ members so that

they can avoid satire and underestimating them. They should always know that everyone is equal

and should treat other people especially the LGBTQ members in a good way so that peace will

remain in the world and in our heart.

To lessen or solve the problems about discrimination on the LGBTQ and attain peace so that the

members of the LGBTQ community could have a better place, not just a better place but a best

place to live in.

D. Assumption

1. Yes, the SOGIE Bill is good to society because this bill can help the society to lessen or

solve discrimination.

2. If SOGIE Bill will be approved and become law, the good effects are the discrimination

and inequality will be lessened and hopefully it will be vanished in our country. On the

other hand, the bad effects are it maybe that some of the members of LGBTQ will abuse

their rights

3. Yes the SOGIE Bill could help the LGBTQ members to fight for their rights.
 CHAPTER II

RELATED REVIEW LITERATURE

The SOGIE (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression) Bill is a proposed piece of

legislation in the Philippines that aims to protect the rights of individuals based on their sexual

orientation and gender identity. While there is limited literature specifically focused on the

SOGIE Bill, there are several studies and articles that discuss related topics and issues. Here are

some examples:

1. "Beyond the Binary: The Legal Landscape for Transgender Filipinos' by Mark Joseph G.

Tandoy, published in the Philippine Law Journal in 2019. This article provides an overview of

the legal challenges faced by transgender individuals in the Philippines and highlights the need

for legal protection against discrimination based on gender identity and expression.

2. "The Philippine LGBT Rights Movement: A Historical Overview" by Michael L. Tan,

published in the Asian Journal of Social Science in 2019. This article traces the history of the

LGBT rights movement in the Philippines and discusses the challenges faced by the community,

including discrimination and a lack of legal protection.

3. "SOGIE Equality Bill and Discrimination Against LGBT Persons in the Philippines" by

Rowena V. Guanzon, published in the Philippine Political Science Journal in 2019. This article

discusses the need for the SOGIE Bill and provides a legal analysis of its provisions.
4. "The SOGIE Equality Bill: A Comparative Analysis with International Human Rights

Standards" by Maria Paz E. Nenninger, published in the Philippine Law Journal in 2019. This

article compares the provisions of the SOGIE Bill with international human rights standards and

argues that the bill is necessary to promote equality and non-discrimination.

5. "The SOGIE Equality Bill and the Catholic Church in the Philippines" by Jayeel Serrano

Cornelio, published in the Journal of LGBT Youth in 2020. This article examines the opposition

of the Catholic Church to the SOGIE Bill and analyzes the reasons behind it. These are just a few

examples of the literature available on the SOGIE Bill and related issues. There may be more

recent studies and articles published since my knowledge cutoff in 2021.