QC councilors bat for gay rights parade

MANILA, Philippines—Two Quezon City councilors are pushing for the holding in June of “gay pride” march in the city to attest to the local government’s commitment to upholding the rights of all Filipinos, particularly the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

Second district councilors Julienne Alyson Rae Medalla and Eden Medina, in their proposed council resolution, cited the Quezon City policy of working for the elimination of all forms of discrimination,  specifically those based on sex or sexual orientation.

The proposed resolution has been referred to the committees on tourism and laws.

The councilors proposed the march in light of a previous ordinance that created the Quezon City protection center for women, children, lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders who are victims or survivors of violence and abuse.

In December last year, Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista signed an ordinance establishing the facilities more than two months after the city council passed the measure creating a crisis center for LGBTs. The ordinance transformed the women’s and children’s crisis center at the Quezon City General Hospital into the “Quezon City protection center for victim-survivors of gender-based violence and abuse.”

Under the ordinance, victims of gender-based violence need special safeguards and care through appropriate medical, psychological, and legal protection against all forms of abuse.

The one-stop crisis center for victim-survivors of gender-based violence, a special unit under the office of the vice mayor, will provide complete intervention and protection services to abused victims and their families including medical and police assistance, medico-legal, legal, and psychological services.

It will also serve as a center for information pertaining to gender-based violence and abuse in Quezon City. While the crisis center will give referrals to shelters for victim-survivors, it will also recommend rehabilitation centers for offenders and perpetrators of the abuse.

The councilors said that a gay pride march, conducted annually in different parts of the country, encourages support for the LGBT community, thus, “It is an honor for the Quezon City government to show its support to the LGBTs in their serious call to end discrimination against the LGBT community.”

They said that gay pride marches draw thousands of participants from different LGBT organizations and their supporters. Thus, the councilors pointed out, it would be a fitting initiative for the Quezon City government in upholding the rights of all Filipinos especially those discriminated against.

The second district councilors concluded that a gay pride march in June would be a “testament of Quezon City’s commitment to uphold the rights of all Filipinos” including the LGBT community.