Belmonte orders QC businesses to comply with Gender Fair Ordinance

MANILA, Philippines – Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has ordered businesses to strictly comply with the city’s Gender Fair Ordinance after a transgender woman was barred from entering the female’s restroom in a mall in Cubao.

“Ipinag-utos ko sa Business Permit and Licensing Department (BPLD) na siguraduhin na susunod, sa lalong madaling panahon, ang lahat ng business establishments sa ating Gender Fair Ordinance,” Belmonte said in a statement on Wednesday.

On Tuesday afternoon, Gretchen Custodio Diez, 28, was taken under police custody after a janitress prevented her from entering the ladies room.

READ: Transgender woman in women’s comfort room causes stir in QC mall

With this, Belmonte denounced the discrimination against Diez and other members of the Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) community, citing that Quezon City is the first local government to pass an ordinance that protects the rights of the LGBT community.

“We condemn this kind of discrimination towards members of the LGBT+ community. Ang Quezon City ay ang unang lungsod na may Gender Fair Ordinance upang protektahan ang karapatan ng mga miyembro ng LGBT+,” Belmonte said.

“Sa batas na ito, ipinagbabawal ng lungsod ang lahat ng uri ng diskriminasyon, at binibigyan ng proteksyon at paggalang ang dignidad at karapatang-pantao ng lahat, lalung-lalo na ang LGBT+,” she added.

READ: Belmonte to LGBT community: QC is your home

Under the Quezon City Gender-Fair Ordinance, the law prohibits any form of discrimination to any person on the basis of sexual preferences.