The Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill, also known as the Anti-Discrimination Bill (ADB), is a national legislation that seeks to prevent various economic and public accommodation-related acts of discrimination against Filipinos based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression. It was first filed in the Philippine Congress in the year 2000 — this 2021, it will have been 21 years since the bill's creation, yet it is no closer to becoming law. In fact, the SOGIE Equality Bill has officially become the longest-running bill under the Senate interpellation period in Philippine history.

The SOGIE Equality Bill has been the target of countless debates and a significant amount of pushback from conservative politicians since its inception. While these debates about the historic anti-discrimination bill rage on in these institutions, the people whom the bill would protect continue to face rampant violence on the ground. From the forcible removal from and arrest of transgender women for merely using the restroom, to the violent jailing of LGBTQ+ individuals holding a Pride March, to the pardon of the US Marine who murdered Filipino trans woman Jennifer Laude, to the continued, relentless killings of transgender people as exemplified by the recent murders of Ebeng Mayor and Junjie Bangkiao — it is clear that now more than ever, the LGBTQ+ community needs this legal protection, and it is the Philippine government’s responsibility to provide this protection for us.

While a single law will not outright eliminate incidents of harassment or discrimination, having legislation that not only targets discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, but also creates opportunities for education and learning on the plight of the LGBTQ+ community and incentivizes positive portrayal of us in media is, in fact a critical first step towards addressing the heteropatriarchal culture that takes away our opportunities, our dignity, and our lives.

In the wake of widespread abuses against the community, we demand that the Duterte administration certify the SOGIE Equality Bill as urgent! Let us stand together as a community and unite in our call - Pass the SOGIE Equality Bill now!