LGBT or LGBTQ

 Each person has his or her unique characteristics and background.

 Each LGBT person has unique experiences (common yet different).
 Generalizing terms only encourages stereotyping and assumptions.

WHAT IS THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY?

 The LGBTQ community (also known as the LGBTQ community, GLBT community, or the
gay community) is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,
LGBT organizations, and subcultures, united by a common culture and social
movements.
 These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality.
 The term pride or sometimes gay pride expresses the LGBT community's identity and
collective strength; pride parades provide both a prime example of the use and a
demonstration of the general meaning of the term.
 Groups that may be considered part of the LGBT community include gay villages, LGBT
rights organizations, LGBT employee groups at companies, LGBT student groups in
schools and universities, and LGBT-affirming religious groups.

SOURCE:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_community

LGBTQ POPULATION

 According to an international research, 10% of the world's population are theoretically part
of the LGBT community, out or not, including as many as 12 million Filipinos who may
experience discrimination based on who they are.
LGBTQ IN THE PHILIPPINES

Should society accept LGBTQ?

  One study, titled "The Global Divide on Homosexuality", ranked the Philippines as one
of the most gay-friendly nations in Asia by the Pew Research Center.  The country
ranked as the 10th most gay-friendly nation covering 39 countries in a 2013 global
survey and showed that 73% of adult Filipinos agreed with the statement that
"homosexuality should be accepted by society".

 However, another study in 2014, titled "Global Morality", by the same organization
showed Filipinos highly disfavour homosexuality when asked "is homosexuality morally
acceptable, unacceptable, or is not a moral issue", with 65% responded it is
'unacceptable', only 25% responded with 'acceptable', and 9% said 'it is not a moral
issue'

SOURCE:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_the_Philippines#:~:text=According%20to%20an
%20international%20research,based%20on%20who%20they%20are.
LGBTQ Defined

Lesbian:

 Women who primarily choose to partner with women.

Gay:

 Refers to men who primarily choose to partner with men.

 Some lesbians prefer this term.

Bisexual

 Individuals who choose to partner on the basis of characteristics other than gender.
 Individuals who prefer to partner with men and women.

Transgender

 An umbrella term for people who do not conform to conventional notions of male or female
gender.
 Generally refers to a person whose gender identity does not match their assigned birth gender.
 Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation (attraction to people of a
specific gender.)

Queer

 Refers to individuals who use a broader label to indicate a non-heterosexual status.

 Contingent upon generation and/or geography this term can be either perceived as
affirming or derogatory. (Eliason et al., 2011).
 Growing number of individuals, especially youth, identify with this term because they
experience their identity as more fluid and inclusive than the traditional sexual orientation
categories.

DID YOU KNOW?

 21% of LGBTQ students say bullying is the biggest problem at school

 51% of LGBT employees are not out at work
 40% of homeless teens are part of the LGBT community
 25% of LGBTQ teens are rejected by their own family
 22% of LGBTQ members living in nursing homes feel they can be open about their gender
identity with staff
 LGBT community is 1.5x more likely to have social anxiety or depression than their heterosexual
counterparts
WHAT TYPES OF DISCRIMINATION PLAGUES THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY?

Discrimination against the LGBTQ community includes, but is not limited to:

 Abuse (Both physical and verbal)

 Exclusion from social or professional events or activities
 Ignoring claims of LGBTG members regarding physical or mental abuse
 Unfair treatment in the workplace by employers and co – workers
 Indirect abuse, such as graffiti and gossip

EXAMPLES OF SOCIAL ISSUES :

1. Bullying/ harassment at school

 In the Philippines, students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) too often find
that their schooling experience is marred by bullying, discrimination, lack of access to LGBT-
related information, and in some cases, physical or sexual assault. These abuses can cause deep
and lasting harm and curtail students’ right to education, protected under Philippine and
international law.

 Despite prohibitions on bullying, for example, students across the Philippines described patterns
of bullying and mistreatment that went unchecked by school staff. Carlos M., a 19-year-old gay
student from Olongapo City, said: “When I was in high school, they’d push me, punch me. When
I’d get out of school, they’d follow me [and] push me, call me ‘gay,’ ‘faggot,’ things like that.”
While verbal bullying appeared to be the most prevalent problem that LGBT students faced,
physical bullying and sexualized harassment were also worryingly common—and while students
were most often the culprits, teachers ignored or participated in bullying as well. The effects of
this bullying were devastating to the youth who were targeted.

 Benjie A., a 20-year-old gay man in Manila who was bullied throughout his education, said, “I
was depressed, I was bullied, I didn’t know my sexuality, I felt unloved, and I felt alone all the
time. And I had friends, but I still felt so lonely. I was listing ways to die.”

 Marisol D., a 21-year-old transgender woman, said, “When I was in high school, there was a
teacher who always went around and if you had long hair, she would call you up to the front of
the class and cut your hair in front of the students. That happened to me many times. It made
me feel terrible: I cried because I saw my classmates watching me getting my hair cut.

Source: https://www.hrw.org/report/2017/06/21/just-let-us-be/discrimination-against-lgbt-students-
philippines
 2. Discrimination in the workplace

According to a new United Nations study, high levels of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex
(LGBTI) people – 21 percent of respondents in China, 30 percent in the Philippines and 23 percent in
Thailand – reported being harassed, bullied or discriminated against by others while at work because of
their sexual orientation, gender identity, expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC).

3. Employment

Survey finds that Filipino companies are not accepting of LGBTQ+

SOURCE:

https://cnnphilippines.com/life/culture/2018/11/14/Filipino-companies-not-accepting-LGBTQ.html

4. Business related benefits as insurance retirement

5. Lack if supportive services for LGBT elder and teens

ROOT OF LGBT DISCRIMINATION

 Homophobia
 Heterosexism
 Heteronormativity

HOMOPHOBIA

Irrational fear, aversion, discomfort, and dislike of LGBT people that leads to:

1. Discrimination
2. Violence
3. Victimization:

‘it grosses me out when two guys kiss’

HETEROSEXISM

Ideological belief system that maintains:

 Heterosexuality is inherently superior.

 All people despite their unique differences are to adapt and behave like heterosexuals.
 Any other sexual orientation is considered wrong or less than.
 Mainstay in many religious, cultural, and institution settings.

Example: Assuming that everyone has or is interested in having an opposite-sex partner.

  A continuum of fixed irrational beliefs and adherence to traditional values that accepts
heterosexuality as the normative standard.
 Opposite sex attractions and partnerships are the only acceptable norm.
 These beliefs fuel discrimination against LGBT people.

HETERONORMATIVITY

 Norming phenomenon whereby heterosexuality is woven into the fabric of culture and society
as the expected and normal sexual orientation (Morrison & Dinkle, 2012).
 Heteronormativity is a heterosexual societal default that influences how individuals perceive
and interact with the environment.

THE CASE OF JENIFFER LAUDE

Gender Equality in the Philippines: The LGBTQ Community and Their Fight for Freedom

On October 11, 2014, a transgender woman was found lifeless while her body was slumped on the floor,
her neck covered with injuries, and her head leaning against a toilet bowl in the bathroom of a hotel in
Olongapo City, the Philippines. The prime suspect of her murder was a 19-year old US Marine Pfc. who
was in the Philippines for a joint military exercise under the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between
the United States of America (USA) and the Philippines. According to the investigations, the suspect
checked in with her for sexual services. Then he found out that his sex partner was a trans woman,
which triggered the murder. This is a hate crime against the transgender woman. This horrendous case
was a wake-up call sent not only to the Philippines, but also to the whole world about the threats and
dangers the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) communities are facing.

Source: http://www.kfaw.or.jp/correspondents/docs/24-3_Philippine_E.pdf

The Anti-Discrimination Act was filed in the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 2013. This bill
aims to eliminate all forms of discrimination which offends the equal protection clause in the Bill of
Rights. According to the proposed bill, discrimination “shall be understood to imply any distinction,
exclusion, restriction or preference, which is based on any ground such as sex, sexual orientation,
gender identity..., and which has the purpose or effect of...impairing the recognition...by all persons of
an equal footing of all rights and freedoms.” Unfortunately, the bill remains in a pending stage due to
countering efforts by the Catholic Church.

Source: http://www.kfaw.or.jp/correspondents/docs/24-3_Philippine_E.pdf
WHAT HAS THE PHILLIPPINE GOVERNMENT DONE TO PROTECT THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY?

( Insert diri ang mga laws. )

DISCRIMINATION PROTECTIONS

The Magna Carta for Public Social Workers addresses concerns regarding the discrimination of public
social workers because of their sexual orientation:

"Section 17. Rights of a Public Social Worker. – Public social workers shall have the following rights:

1.) Protection from discrimination on the grounds of sex, sexual orientation, age, political or religious
beliefs, civil status, physical characteristics/disability or ethnicity;

2.) Protection from any form of interference, intimidation, harassment, or punishment, to include, but
not limited to, arbitrary reassignment or termination of service, in the performance of his/her duties and
responsibilities";

The Magna Carta for Women also provides an insight regarding the state's duties towards maintaining
the rights of women, regardless of their sexual orientation:

"The State affirms women's rights as human rights and shall intensify its efforts to fulfill its duties under
international and domestic law to recognize, respect, protect, fulfill, and promote all human rights and
fundamental freedoms of women, especially marginalized women, in the economic, social, political,
cultural, and other fields without distinction or discrimination on account of class, age, sex, gender,
language, ethnicity, religion, ideology, disability, education, and status."

In 2001, an anti-discrimination bill banning discrimination based on sexual orientation was unanimously
approved by the House but it was stalled in the Senate, and ultimately died.

The only bill directly concerning discrimination against the LGBT community in the Philippines is the
Anti-Discrimination Bill, also known as the SOGIE Equality Bill. This bill seeks that all persons regardless
of sex, sexual orientation or gender identity be treated the same as everyone else, wherein conditions
do not differ in the privileges granted and the liabilities enforced. The bill was introduced by Hon. Kaka J.
Bag-ao, the District Representative of the Dinagat Islands, on July 1, 2013.

This bill seeks that all persons regardless of sex, sexual orientation or gender identity be treated the
same as everyone else, wherein conditions do not differ in the privileges granted and the liabilities
enforced. The bill was introduced by Hon. Kaka J. Bag-ao, the District Representative of the Dinagat
Islands, on July 1, 2013.

The bill has become one of the slowest-moving bills in the country's history. The passed house version of
the bill would have penalised discrimination with a fine of not less than ₱100,000 but not more than
₱500,000, or imprisonment of between one and six years, depending on the court's decision

SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_the_Philippines
 ANTI-BULLYING LAWS

Sexual orientation and gender identity are included as prohibited grounds of bullying in the
Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Anti-Bullying Law, approved by Congress in 2013.

Sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) was included in the Implementing Rules and Regulations
(IRR) of the Republic Act No. 10627, otherwise known, as the “Anti-Bullying Act of 2013″. The IRR was
signed on December 13 by Bro. Armin A. Luistro, FSC, Secretary of the Department of Education
(DepEd).

Under Rule II: Definition of Terms of the IRR, “bullying” is defined as “any severe, or repeated use by one
or more students of a written, verbal or electronic expression, or a physical act or gesture, or any
combination thereof, directed at another student that has the effect of actually causing or placing the
latter in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm or damage to his property; creating a hostile
environment at school for the other student; infringing on the rights of another student at school; or
materially and substantially disrupting the education process or the orderly operation of a school”.

SOURCE: https://outragemag.com/sogi-included-anti-bullying-act-2013-irr/

A LAW TO PROTECT THE FILIPINO LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY AGAINST DISCRIMINATION

SOGIE BILL or House Bill No. 4982:

http://congress.gov.ph/legisdocs/third_17/HBT4982.pdf

http://legacy.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/3106627964!.pdf