Gay rights in the Philippines

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Homosexuality is increasingly being tolerated in the Philippines^[1]. However this tolerance is tempered by the strong influence of the Catholic church and macho culture. Most Filipinos appear to be comfortable with gays as long as they fit to certain stereotypes and behave according to accepted, non-threatening norms. Effeminate gays are seen in places like theatres or beauty parlors, but not as serious doctors or teachers.

There is a vibrant gay scene in the Philippines with several bars, clubs and saunas in Manila as well as various gay rights organizations. The main gay rights organisations in the Philippines are Progay-Philippines, founded in 1993, which led the first Gay March in Asia in 1994, LAGABLAB, the Lesbian and Gay Legislative Advocacy Network established in 1999 and STRAP (Society of Transsexual WOMEN of the Philippines), a Manila-based support group for women of transsexual experience and transgenders established in 2002.

Contents 1 Laws against Homosexuality 2 Historical Developments 2.1 1992 2.2 1994 2.3 1995 2.4 1996 2.5 1997 2.6 1998 2.7 1999 2.8 2000 2.9 2001 2.10 2002 2.11 2004 2.12 2005 2.13 2006 2.14 2007 3 Anti Discrimination Laws 4 Anti-Same Sex and Transsexual Marriage Bills 5 See also 6 External links

[edit] Laws against Homosexuality

Homosexuality was decriminalized in Gays are banned from the military.

[edit] Historical Developments

[edit] 1992

A lesbian formation, called the Lesbian Collective, marched during the International Women's Day. This marks the first demonstration attended by an organized sector of the LGBT community.

[edit] 1994

The Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) and PRO-Gay marched in Quezon City to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots

The University of the Philippines in Diliman and the De La Salle University initiated the first gay literature courses in the country. Neil Garcia offered the course in UP Diliman, while Ronald Baytan offered the course in La Salle

Gay pride reached the print media. Oca Atadero of PRO-Gay began the column Gay Rap in Mr. & Mrs. Magazine, while Neil Garcia started writing in Gayzette, a column in the now defunct The Evening Star.

Ladlad, the first anthology of Philippine gay writing, was released. The editors were Danton Remoto and Neil Garcia.

[edit] 1995

The Late Rep. Calalay (District 1 of Quezon City) filed a bill that sought to recognize the LGBT community as a sector. The bill allowed for the participation of the LGBT sector in the party-list elections.

The various LGBT organizations and individuals consulted for the Calalay bill started discussions on the creation of LEGACY, or the Lesbian and Gay Citizens Alliance. The Alliance did not materialize.

Gay Rap became Rainbow Rap, a joint column of Oca Atadero and Malu Marin in Mr. & Mrs. Magazine.

[edit] 1996

The Pride March was first celebrated with the participation of the whole LGBT community. It was organized by ReachOut, which for the next two years would also organize the succeeding Pride Marches. The theme was Solidarity.

The Womyn Supporting Womyn Centre organized the First National Lesbian Rights Conference in Cavite.

[edit] 1997

The first Gay and Lesbian Leaders Conference was held in February.

UP Babaylan, the first LGBT organization in the University of the Philippines in Diliman, organized the first Gay and Lesbian Youth Conference. The first LGBT Student Congress was also held in June.

Pride and Power was the theme of the Pride March.

In December 1997, The 1st National Convention of Lesbian and Gay Leaders was held.

The University of the Philippines in Diliman elected its first gay Chairperson, Percival Cendana of UP Babaylan.

[edit] 1998

Akbayan Citizens Action Party, a party-list organization competing for the 1998 elections, consulted the community to develop its LGBT agenda. It is the first political party in the Philippines that has included an LGBT agenda in its platform for governance. The consultation has also been instrumental in the creation of the first LGBT lobby group.

In June, the Pride March was held with the theme Freedom. The March begun as part of the 1998 Philippine Centennial Celebration in Luneta, and spun off to have its own parade in Malate.

The first Asian Lesbian Network Conference was held in UP. It was organized by Can't Live in the Closet (CLIC) and Womyn Supporting Womyn Center (WSWC), with around 9 countries represented in the conference.

Several LGBT organizations and individuals joined the rally during Estrada first State of the Nation Address (SONA)

Discussions among several LGBT organizations and individuals begun to create the Lesbian and Gay Legislative Advocacy Network, or LAGABLAB. It was formally launched in 1999.

Tibok, the first anthology of lesbian writing, was released.

The Philippine LGBT community sent its contingent to the Gay Games in Amsterdam.

[edit] 1999

The Lesbian and Gay Rights Act of 1999, a bill by Rep. Angara-Castillo, was filed in Congress. The bill, the first of its kind because of its comprehensive coverage (it includes domestic partnership), received several criticisms from the community, particularly LAGABLAB, because of its flaws and because of the authors failure to incorporate LAGABLAB proposed revisions.

The Pride March was held with the theme Marching for Our Human Rights in the New Millennium. This was the first time that the March was organized by several organizations and not by one organization alone. For the first time also, the celebration lasted for a month.

The first festival of LGBT films was held in July. It was called the Pink Film Festival.

LAGABLAB joined the demonstration against Estrada's second SONA.

ManilaOUT, the first LGBT newspaper, was launched.

Can't Live in the Closet (CLIC) released the first Lesbian Primer.

[edit] 2000

The Anti-Discrimination Bill, a product of several months of discussions in LAGABLAB, was filed through Senator Miriam Santiago and Akbayan Rep. Etta Rosales. The bill would penalize discrimination based on sexual orientation.

[edit] 2001

LAGABLAB, along with Amnesty International-Pilipinas, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), Lesbian Advocates in the Philippines (LEAP) and other supportive organizations and individuals launched the "Stop Discrimination Now" Campaign to boost lobbying efforts and get the attention of Philippine legislators to approve the Anti-Discrimination Bill 6416.

[edit] 2002

The Society of Transsexual WOMEN of the Philippines (STRAP) was formed. It is the first transsexual women's support group in the Philippines. their website is www.tsphilippines.com

[edit] 2004

House Bill 6416, a proposed legislation that seeks to criminalize discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity was approved by the Congress. However, the Senate failed to approve it.

[edit] 2005

New People's Army conducted the first same-sex marriage in the Philippines in February. [1]

[edit] 2006

Four anti-discrimination bills have been submitted and are pending before the Senate and Congress.

Three anti-same sex marriage bills have been introduced and are pending before the Senate and Congress.

On September 15, the first Filipino LGBT political party Ang Ladlad (Tagalog for Come out), filed its petition for accreditation as a party-list group before the COMELEC to seek representation in the May 2007 party-list elections.

[edit] 2007

The COMELEC turns down the accreditation of Ang Ladlad as a party-list for the May 2007 congressional elections. The group has elevated the issue to the Supreme Court, though it is unlikely that a decision will come in time for the group to be able to participate in the election.

[edit] Anti Discrimination Laws

Following a campaign by Amnesty International Philippines a comprehensive bill was put before the House of Representative Committee in December 2001 which would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation. In January 2004, while the lower house of the Philippine legislature approved House Bill 6416, the bill did not find a sponsor in the upper house (Senate). The 12th Congress ends with the May 2004 national elections and the 13th Congress begins in June 2004.

In 2006, four Anti-Discrimination bills were submitted in the Senate and Congress. The three bills are Senate Bill No. 165 by Sen. Loi Estrada, Senate Bill No 1641 by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, and Senate Bill No. 1738 by Sen. Ramon Revilla, Jr. They were all referred to the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resources Development. Of the three bills, SBN 1738 is the most comprehensive. It is also the same as House Bill 634, a counterpart bill filed by AKBAYAN Representatives Loretta Ann Rosales, Mario Aguja, and Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, which was already approved by the House of Representatives Committee on Civil, Political, and Human Rights. Ruvic Rea, first filipina transsexual barangay captain from Tayabas, Quezon filed sex assault case against two municipal councilors from Lucban, Quezon. Rea supported by GAYs and lesbians association. She won over two suspects and now Rea has given by the British embassy a marriage visa.

[edit] Anti-Same Sex and Transsexual Marriage Bills

In June 2006, 3 bills have been introduced in the Congress and Senate that would prevent marriage involving transgenders, contracted in the Philippines or abroad, and bar recognition of marriages or domestic partnership between two people of the same biological sex contracted in countries that legally recognize such relationships. The measures have been brought forward as legislators react to recent local court rulings allowing transsexuals to change their legal status from male to female.

House Bill 1245 would amend the country’s Family Code to limit marriage to ‘natural born males and natural born females’ only. In the Senate, meanwhile, Senate Bill No. 1276 sponsored by Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago would bar same-sex marriages performed outside the country from receiving legal recognition in the Philippines. Senate Bill No. 1575 filed by Senator Rodolfo Biazon is the Senate counterpart of HB 1245 filed by his son, Rep. Rozzano Rufino “Ruffy” Biazon.

HB 1245 is pending in the House Committee on Revision of Laws, while SBN 1276 and SBN 1575 are pending in the Senate Committee on Youth, Women and Family Relations. [2]

Due to religious freedom, gay religious organisations technically can perform a legally unvalid wedding, like the Metropolitan Community Church who contracts so called "Holy Unions" among their members. (See note ^[2])

[edit] See also

• Homosexuality in the Philippines

[edit] External links

• Pro-gay Official Website
• LAGABLAB Official Blog
• Ang Ladlad Official Website
• STRAP Official Website
• Can?t Live in The Closet(Lesbian Org)
• MCC Philippines Official Website
• Transgender in the Philippines: An Overview