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First Posted on Inside Mindanao (www.insidemindanao.com) on November 14, 2009

Marginalized LGBT sector seeks voice in Philippine Congress
By Ellen Red

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals have long been marginalized in Philippine society.

The 2005 study led by Eric Julian Manalastas, faculty member of the Department of Psychology, UP Diliman, finds that one out of four Filipinos do not want LGBT individuals as neighbors; while four out of ten Filipinos consider being lesbian⁄gay as "can never be justified."

The recent 2009 study of Manalastas finds that "same–sex sexual orientation appears to be related to elevated suicide risk among young Filipina women."

"Sexual minority Filipina women were up to twice more likely to report having thought about committing suicide and having attempted to commit suicide, compared to heterosexual counterparts," the Manalastas study says.

The latest Manalastas study was based on the national survey of 8,922 Filipina ages 15 to 24 from 16 regions in the Philippines.

In 2007, to give voice to the marginalized LGBT sector, the group called Ang Ladlad LGBT Party filed before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) a petition for registration as a sectoral party under the party–list system of representation.

On the ground that Ang Ladlad did not have enough members nationwide, the Comelec rejected the 2007 petition of Ang Ladlad.

This year, gathering enough members nationwide, Ang Ladlad filed another petition aimed at getting the nod of the Comelec to accredit and allow the group to join the 2010 party list elections. In the latest petition, Ang Ladlad defines the LGBT community as "marginalized and under–represented sector that is particularly disadvantaged because of their sexual orientation and gender identity."

In its new petition, Ang Ladlad also defines sexual orientation as "intimate and sexual relations with, individuals of a different gender, of the same gender, or more than one gender."

Last November 11, the election body rejected anew the petition of Ang Ladlad holding that the "definition of the LGBT sector makes it crystal clear that petitioner tolerates immorality which offends religious beliefs."

In holding that Ang Ladlad "tolerates immorality which offends religious beliefs," the Comelec cited passages from the Bible and Koran.

The election body said: "Furthermore, should this Commission grant the petition, we will be exposing our youth to an environment that does not conform to the teachings of our faith. Lehman Strauss, a famous bible teacher and writer in the U.S.A said in one article that 'older practicing homosexuals are a threat to the youth'. As an agency of the government, ours too is the State's avowed duty under Section 13, Article II of the Constitution to protect our youth from moral and spiritual degradation."

JAN. 16, 2010 UPDATE: Last January 4, Ang Ladlad filed a petition before the Supreme Court asking for the reversal of the Comelec decision. Through a Temporary Restraining Order, the Supreme Court disallowed the Comelec from implementing its earlier decision against Ang Ladlad. The high court also ordered the poll body to include the name of Ang Ladlad in the official ballots.

END