Bakla Ako, May Reklamo?

The Gay Hall of Shame list of the Human Rights Watch didn’t seem to make re-elected Congressman Bienvenido Abante budge. Abante is one of the men on the hall of shame list, alongside the Pope and US President Dubya Bush, among others.

Representative Abante, in a recent interview with the Inquirer, said that he would “always block” the anti-discrimination bill — whether or not he regains the chairmanship post of the Committee on Civil and Human Rights.

For someone who claims that he did not impose his moral beliefs on others, a statement like: “(Being) gay is a lifestyle, it’s not a gender. If you’re going to give them [additional] rights, then we might as well give rights to prostitutes,” sure sounds too illogical. If you equate sexual orientation with the world’s oldest profession, there sure is something wrong with your logic. This representative needs to get his facts straight (pun not intended).

Furthermore, Abante claims that the LGBT community in the Philippines were already guaranteed equal rights under the law. I say Mr. Abante needs to be oriented on the existing laws of the country (the Philippine Congress Website is a good place to start, by the way).

If his statement is true, how come then that many “equal employment opportunity” companies do not allow cross-dressing? How come there are still many educational institutions who refuse acceptance of gay students? How come some of these schools are still allowed to have their students sign a “pink” form contracting them not to act on their sexuality (i.e. not show effeminate actions, not have relationships with other boys/men, not to openly state they’re homosexuals)? How come law enforcement agencies still treat incarcerated homosexuals or those who are arrested, differently? How come some establishments still kick out customers on the basis of their sexuality?

The gay rights bill, Abante said, would never get his backing because it was in “preparation for a gay marriage bill.”

Abante further claimed that the anti-discrimination bill was a prelude to a Gay Marriage Bill. He probably has not read all the provisions of HB 634, because there is no provision for anything related to gay marriage in that bill. Also, Abante said that the gay marriage laws in the US and Canada all started with the gay rights bill. There may be some truth to it, but again, Mr. Abante is eating his words. Why? For someone who says he does not impose his own moral beliefs on anyone, a condescending statement like: “Look at what happened in the US and Canada, where gay marriages are now allowed in some parts. It all started with the gay rights bill,” sounds morally imposing to me.

Abante clearly has gone off-topic about the Anti-Discrimination Bill. He claims that he has talked to some gay men in his constituency about gay marriage and these gay men said they were not interested in it. But hey, are we talking about a gay marriage law? No. We are talking about discrimination against the LGBT community. Moreover, just because some of his constituents were not interested in the idea doesn’t mean that all gay men and women in the country aren’t interested as well. He doesn’t even have the facts and the numbers to back his claim that even gay people would not want to get married. Oh, and like Abante, I’m digressing.

Oh and amidst all these, Abante says: “I’m not against homosexuals. I’m a man, I’m a human being and there are only two genders. We don’t always have to follow what other countries do.” I wonder what he means by this. Globalization? Free Trade? Separation of State and Church (Abante, by the way, is a pastor of a Christian church)? Human Rights?

The next Congress will open soon, and I hope when the time comes that this bill is read for passing, I hope Mr. Atras-Abante comes up with valid excuses rebuttals, facts, numbers, and reasons not to pass this bill. I don’t know about you, but a biblical excuse just won’t do it for me. I hope members of the 14th (?) Congress aren’t as discriminatory as this “representative.”

I thank you.

(Download a PDF copy of the Anti-Discrimination Bill here)