On September 20th, 2017 the House of Representatives of the Republic of the Philippines unanimously approved, on third and final reading, the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Equality bill, which aims to protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) persons in the country. PGA would like to congratulate the House on this momentous achievement, which seeks to significantly strengthen the legal protections of the members of the LGBT community in the Philippines.
Lawmakers voted 198-0 in favor of the SOGIE Equality bill (House Bill No. 4982), which was sponsored by Rep. Emmeline Villar, Rep. Kaka Bag-ao and Rep. Geraldine Roman. The bill prohibits and penalizes discriminatory acts based on SOGIE with a fine, or imprisonment of between one and six years, or both. It mandates existing women’s desks in police stations to be renamed as Women, Children, and LGBTQ++ Protection Desks, to attend to complaints. The measure also orders establishments to make available their existing toilets with facilities designated for persons with disabilities as gender-neutral toilets. It also prohibits publishing information seeking to reveal a person’s SOGIE without his or her consent.
“The fight for equality is the fight of all persons. And in this fight, our currency is the love for our fellow persons and the hope for a society that is more just, more open and more equal…my vote is a sweet yes to love, dignity and human rights,” said Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, co-sponsor of the SOGIE Equality bill.
The bill penalizes the following discriminatory acts based on SOGIE: gender profiling; denying or revoking a professional or other similar kind of license or clearance, except marriage license, issued by the government; denying access to public services, including military service; refusing admission or expelling a person from any educational or training institution; and denying a person access to public or private medical and other health services open to general public.
Rep. Geraldine Roman, also a co-sponsor, said: “We have shown that respect, humility, diplomacy, unity and the willingness to listen to one another, with neither judgement nor hubris, can work wonders.” And addressing her “brothers and sisters in LGBT community”, she added: “let us stay united in our quest for a diverse yet inclusive Philippines.”
PGA applauds the approval of the SOGIE Equality bill in the Philippines and reiterates its commitment to keep sensitizing, educating, empowering and inspiring parliamentarians in other countries around the world to become human rights champions and to advance anti-discrimination legislation based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and sex characteristics.
About PGA’s SOGI Campaign
PGA’s Global Parliamentary Campaign on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI Campaign) sensitizes parliamentarians about the human rights principles of equality and non-discrimination in international law and regional frameworks and encourages protective measures and legislative reforms that prevent and eliminate the stigma, discrimination and violence against the LGBTI community. For more information, please visit our LGBTI Inclusion site where one can download a joint publication by UNDP and PGA, “Advancing the Human Rights and Inclusion of LGBTI People: a Handbook for Parliamentarians.”
