FILE PHOTO: Senator Rosa Hontiveros. INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines — As the world celebrates Pride Month this June, Senator Risa Hontiveros vowed to “carve the runway to pass the SOGIE Equality Bill at long last” in the 19th Congress.
Hontiveros said she will use her fresh term in the Senate to push for the passage of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Equality bill.
“We will take this to the finish line no matter how long we have to fight with you. This victory will be sweetest because we will win it together,” she said in a statement Wednesday.
The measure seeks to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.
“I’m ready to get back to work. We will use this 19th Congress to carve the runway to pass the SOGIE Equality Bill at long last. We will use this as a fresh opportunity to renew and prioritize our fight for ALL sexualities and genders. Oo, kasama tayong mga heterosexual cisgender sa laban ng mga LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) kapatid natin” Hontiveros said.
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“Praktikal lang naman ang SOGIE Equality Bill. In line ito sa diwa ng Konstitusyon at sa diwa ng pagiging Pilipino natin [The SOGIE bill is practical. This is in line with the essence of the Constitution and with our being Filipino],” she added.
Hontiveros stressed that the bill ensures “safe schools, accessible healthcare, and sufficient livelihood for more Filipinos.”
“Mga buhay ang nakataya dito dahil usapang basic proteksyon ito para sa ating lahat [Lives are what is at stake here because we are talking about basic protection for all]. Yes, everyone is included in equality,” she said.
“As we face the difficulties of navigating the ruins of a post-pandemic world, this is our chance to build something good and lasting. Ito na ang pagkakataon natin gawin namang tama at patas ang mga institusyon natin [This is the chance to correct and make our institution fair],” she added.
Further, Hontiveros said it was time to “begin the process of healing the wound created by the gap in our laws that has allowed for bullying, ostracization, and violence to way too many Filipinos.”
“It is time we forge a country that includes all, loves all,” she said.
Hontiveros also highlighted the need for members of the LGBTQIA+ community to “feel at ease” and “to be safe.”
“Mga mahal, you are more than Pride Day or Pride Month. You have every right to exist as you are in the day to day. You deserve these grand celebrations, these spaces of resistance; but you also deserve the ordinary moments, sa pang araw-araw,” she said.
“The everyday chance to be yourselves when you wake up to your family, when you take your coffee, when you meet your friends, when you go to work, in joy and sadness, in sickness and in health. You deserve to feel at ease. You deserve to be safe,” the reelected senator added.
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