The Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill gained social media traction ever since trans woman Gretchen Diaz made headlines after being detained for entering her gender-affirming bathroom.  This ordeal opened up a whole conversation on protecting transgender lives, and how the LGBTQ+ community continues to be discriminated against based on their self-expression. 

This Pride Month 2023, it's important to know the importance of the SOGIESC bill for the LGBTQ+ community here in the Philippines. While several known television personalities are a part of this community (Vice Ganda, Paolo Ballesteros, Jake Zyrus, etc.), according to a survey done by Pew Research Center (2014), almost 75% of the country's population has conservative and homophobic views. Furthermore, Hapal (2023) says that the bill faces stiff opposition from religious groups and conservative politicians on the ground while disinformation about it festers online.

The recent online hearing regarding the bill presented more misconceptions about the gender orientation, the bill and the LGBTQIA+ community itself — even linking pedophilia and necrophillia. Additionally, during the hearing, several members of the LGBTQIA+ community shared stories of discrimination that happen not only in public restrooms but also in the workplace. Resource person Deg Daupan recounted that in one job interview, he was asked whether he was gay, and then to rate how gay he was “on a scale of 1 to 10.” Trans woman Roi Galfo said the discrimination she experienced at work made her think about suicide.

With the SOGIESC Bill, this not only protects people part of the LGBTQ community, but also people who get discriminated of sex, age, class, status, ethnicity, color, disability, religious and political beliefs, sexual orientation or gender identity, to be free from any form of discrimination. This is stated under the Senate Bill No. 689, Section 2 of the SOGIESC Bill.

So sign the petition and stand up for our Filipino LGBTQ+ folks!