By Gabriela Baron
As Pride Month nears conclusion, the push for the passage of the sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) Equality Bill rages on.
Gabriela Women’s Partylist Rep. Arlene Brosas on Saturday, June 24, vowed to continue pushing for the passage of the SOGIESC Equality Bill.
“Hindi hiwalay ang laban ng LGBTQIA+ community sa laban ng iba pang sektor ng lipunan para sa sahod, trabaho, at karapatan,” Brosas said.
“Sa katunayan, doble pa nga ang pasan-pasan ng LGBTQIA+ community dahil bukod sa nararanasan nilang kahirapan, nakakaranas din sila ng matinding diskriminasyon dahil sa kanilang kasarian,” she added.
Last year, Gabriela Women’s Partylist filed the SOGIESC Equality Act of 2022 or House Bill No. 5551 which seeks to prohibit discrimination on the basis of their SOGIESC.
“The passage of the SOGIESC Equality Bill is long overdue. Every person, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression, deserves the same rights and opportunities as everyone else,” Brosas said.
“Karapatan ng bawat isa na makatamasa ng pantay na karapatan sa trabaho, batayang serbisyo, at iba pa ng walang takot at pangamba,” she added.
‘Long overdue’
In a separate statement, various LGBTQIA+ organizations, advocates, and allies also called for the passage of the bill.
The proposed measure, which had been filed first by late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago and then Akbayan Partylist Rep. Etta Rosales, has been pending in Congress for over two decades.
“Laws that defend and protect the lives of gender minorities from discrimination and hate have long been overdue,” the statement read.
“To our lawmakers and champions of equality, you are accountable to your sworn duty of passing legislations representative of our needs. Heed the call of the Filipino people: make our Philippine society free from the terror of being victimized through discrimination, violence, and killings on the basis of SOGIESC,” it further read.
The groups also called on local chief executives to pass anti-discrimination ordinances and other local legal mechanisms that “will ensure protection from SOGIESC-based violence.” – cf
