LGBT group asks Senate to end debates on SOGIE bill

Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) rights advocates rallied outside the Senate on Tuesday, seeking for the immediate passage of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity or Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill.

“End the debate on SOGIE equality bill, because it appears to be the bill with the longest period of interpellation,” Naomi Fontanos, executive director of Ganda Filipinas and member of the Lagablab Network told INQUIRER.net.

Fontanos said around 100 members of the LGBT community joined them in the protest dubbed as the “Equality Rally.” The rally, she said, was organized by Lagablab, which is a group of LGBT organizations coordinating with the Senate on the SOGIE bill.

“It was filed in December 2016, as of today, it has spent 621 days in the period of interpellation,” she claimed.

“That’s why we are calling on our senators, if they really believe that all Filipinos are equal, they should pass the SOGIE Equality Bill,” she added.

If enacted, the SOGIE bill is seen to end decades of struggle against discrimination due to sexual orientation.

INQUIRER.NET PHOTO/CATHY MIRANDA

However, Fontanos clarified that the SOGIE bill would not only help the LGBT community, as discrimination for ‘straight’ individuals also exists.

“We are pushing for the SOGIE bill because once it becomes a law, it would protect all Filipinos from discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression,” Fontanos explained.

“Everyone has a SOGIE, that’s why whoever you are, whether you are a member of the LGBT community or not, you can be a victim of discrimination. What we are advocating for in the SOGIE bill is equality of all,” she noted. /cbb