Philippine Gay Today

It was way back 1996, I do remember my first university paper article in Catalyst - (Official Publication of Polytechnic University of the Philippines); was regarding gay rights. During that time gay rights were underground movement. Those were the times when gay activist simply coming out to open and its takes a lot of courage to really coming out of the closet. I remember my first gay march, though I was not as transgender or cross dresser as others;I found myself joining the caravan of gays asking for gay rights. That was also the time that my father knew that I proactively joining gay rights activism.

"Gay rights is human rights and were human too." those were the battle cry of gays during that time. Which made me think deeper... how far can this kind of fight be fought?

Homosexuality in the Philippines was much tolerated and some instances the focus of bullying. Most Filipinos appear to be comfortable with gays as long as they fit to certain stereotypes and behave according to accepted, non-threatening norms. Progay-Philippines founded in 1993, which led the first Gay March in Asia. It was in 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.

The Lesbian and Gay Rights Act of 1999, a bill by Rep. Angara-Castillo, was filed in Congress because of its flaws and because of the authors’ failure to incorporate LAGABLAB proposed revisions.

Senator Miriam Santiago and Akbayan Rep. Etta Rosales authored and sponsored the Anti-Discrimination Bill the bill would penalize discrimination based on sexual orientation.

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.

In June 2006, 3 bills have been introduced in the Congress and Senate that would prevent marriage involving transgender, 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.

Due to religious freedom, gay religious organizations technically can perform a legally invalid wedding, like the Metropolitan Community Church who contracts so called "Holy Unions" among their members.

Recently, in New York - U.S marchers carried signs reading "New York Said Yes", "Promise Kept" and "Thank You Governor Cuomo".

Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York State, and a strong supporter of the bill, marched down Fifth Avenue along openly gay city council speaker Christine Quinn and NYC's Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who in the week prior to the vote, made phone calls urging citizens to call undecided Senators. As the approval of same-sex marriage by the New York Senate last Friday night was the obvious theme.

The Philippine gay rights has its own setting, being a very conservative country in terms of sexual orientation and issues, gay marriages were still a hopeful dreams with other. The initiative of Holy Unions might be good with others as they proactive the same sex relationship. In my own opinion we must be happy of what we have at the moment and not imitate ourselves with what they prefer.