A CALL TO EQUALITY:

Fight Discrimination Now!

9 August 2003

Violence and discrimination is a way of life for many Filipino lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders (LGBT). In every place, at any given time, there is occasion for violence and discrimination.

For some, it starts in the very place where they are supposed to be protected, perpetuated by persons they love and trust. Many Filipino LGBTs are denied of acceptance, understanding and love even by their own families, thus, it is common for many lesbian daughters and gay sons to experience physical and verbal abuse from their own family members.

Moreover, when they step into the outside world, they are susceptible to harassment from neighbors, bystanders, and even from their own friends -- they are subjected to taunts and ridicule, or worse, sexual assault and battering. There have also been reported cases in the past of murders that were due, or related, to the sexual orientation or gender identity of the victims.

Also, the culture of hatred and intolerance against lesbians and gays exists in schools and other educational institutions. In fact, some private schools implement mechanisms such as the "masculinity test," the result of which either prohibit entrance to the school or allow for the expulsion of lesbian and gay students. Other schools ban the creation or establishment of lesbian and gay student organizations. However, these cases do not always involve explicit discriminatory policies, so some schools and colleges misappropriate academic freedom to perpetuate covert anti-LGBT practices.

On the other hand, the LGBT struggle continues even in the workplace: from applying for a job, to keeping it, to asking for recognition and promotion, to asking for equal benefits for loved ones whose affiliation to us remains unacknowledged by employers.

In the light of all these, we, various lesbian and gay activists and organizations from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, with a unified voice, strongly denounce all acts of violence and discrimination committed against us. Likewise, we condemn under strong terms the failure and refusal of concerned government authorities to adequately address these issues.

We acknowledge that discrimination and violence against LGBT is a nationwide problem that crosses regional subdivisions and besets every member of the LGBT community -- and which alarmingly continues to escalate unchecked.

Since we refuse to continually live in fear, constantly under the shadow of danger, we also refuse to accept that our human rights can be trampled on, or can be disregarded, or are not worth fighting for. we believe that violence and discrimination against the LGBT - collectively or individually -- are serious problems that must be addressed forcefully, from all angles, and should involve the concerted efforts of organizations from all over the Philippines.

We further believe that national legislation is necessary to protect the rights and welfare of the LGBT community. Therefore, we specifically urge our legislators to enact immediately House Bill 2784 (otherwise known as the Anti-Discrimination Bill), which seeks to criminalize discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

We likewise strongly denounce the destructive sectarianism of the Vatican. We believe that its recent statements against the legal recognition of same-sex unions is a serious affront to our basic human rights and fundamental freedoms. Said "official statement" seeks to interfere wit the principle of separation of Church and State -- a fact legally enshrined in our Constitution. The persecution of the LGBT community, which the statement condones, is designed to attack our previous international and domestic commitments for the furtherance and respect of human rights.

Hence, we, the undersigned, have affixed our signatures to this document to signify our unified commitment to this call to put an immediate end to ALL forms of discrimination against lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders.

August 9, 2003, Quezon City, Philippines.

Signed:

Roberto San Miguel, The Library Foundation

Christine Joyce Salvatierra, INDIGO Philippines

Tisha Gonzalez, GAHUM Philippines (Cebu)

Adolfo Leonardo Timtim, GAHUM Philippines (Cebu)

Natividad Manauat, Lesbian Advocates Philippines

Alyssa Sasot, Society of Transgender Rights Advocacy Philippines

John Shane Aveno, Lalaking Binibini (LAKAMBINI, Bulacan)

Jessica Soto, Amnesty International Philippines 

Mark Anthony Arzaga (Bukidnon)

Marie Grace Canlas, ZOTO

Ronaldo Gangay, K2BGay

Eddie Batoon, Iwag Dabaw

Judan C. Vargas, SUBEAK - Aklan

Simeon Arias, Order of St. Aelred

This joint statement was forged by the participants to the Lesbian and Gay Legislative Advocacy Network Philippines (LAGABLAB-Pilipinas)-sponsored Human Rights Documentation seminar "Telling it Straight: Documenting the Filipino LGBT Experience" (with support from the Astraea Foundation). For more information about the project, please email LAGABLAB at lagablab@yahoo.com.