Commissioners Nicodemus Ferrer, Lucenito Tagle and Elias Yusoph must have had brunch with Mr. Isagani Cruz.
You must have heard it all by now. In an 8-page decision signed by the 3 wise men of the Comelec or the Apocalypse, Ang Ladlad party's application for accreditation in the party list to run in the May elections was rejected on the grounds that "it tolerates immorality, which offends religious beliefs."
I don't even know where to begin.
Ang Ladlad, headed by Ateneo professor, Danton Remoto, claims to represent the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transegender (LGBT) community. The party seeks representation in the house to push for laws which would protect the rights of the LGBT community since they too are law abiding citizens of this country. And in this country, even non-law abiding citizens have rights.
Coming from an all-boys Catholic school in the province, I know for a fact that a lot of us are not very tolerant of homosexuals. There was this one incident where a classmate of mine got pushed into a canal simply because he was gay. The sad thing is, everyone thought it was funny. I thought it was funny. The sight of that boy drenched in black water. The stink. He deserved it. He was gay. How ignorant was I then. How common is this scene? The LGBT has been prosecuted for being who they are so many times that it has become a common sight and yes, accepted.
They're not even pushing for gay marriage, for godsakes. They know the country's not ready for that, said Danton Remoto in 2007, when they were also first rejected by the COMELEC for failing to complete the requirements. They just want to enjoy their rights mandated in the Philippine Constitution which states that in the eyes of the law everyone, including the LGBT, is equal. They deserve the same protection that everyone enjoys from the state.
For, ahem, credibility, the Commissioners quoted the Bible and the Koran. Following the logic that led to this decision: the Bible and the Koran says homosexuality is a sin and is immoral. Thus Ang Ladlad is immoral. And so let's not give them a chance of being represented in the congress.
Brilliantly, the decision also mentioned how they meant to protect the youth, you know, from the immorality of homosexuality. Because it spreads like a disease.
I am not going to go against the arguments of the Church or any other religion here. I have my own opinions on that, which will take up a whole other entry. (Although the way I was taught, my Church is a very tolerant and loving church. It would not want harm on anyone. ANYONE)
The question is not whether the Church, the Bible or the Koran is right. The question is, why is this government citing the Bible and the Koran when they should be looking into the Philippine Constitution. I don't recall having been taught in class that to be gay is against the law. I haven't seen anyone put in jail for being a lesbian. Though I have seen people punched in the gut for being one.
Even the Commision of Human Rights know what I'm talking about.
CHR said however that the poll body's decision "smacks of prejudice and discrimination."
"Homosexuality is not a counterculture. It is part of the diversity of Philippine culture.
Homosexuals are part of the Filipino family and unavoidably must be part of our politics," CHR chair Leila De Lima was quoted in the statement as saying.
"There is no governmental policy which characterizes homosexuality as illegal nor immoral," De Lima said.
"There is or can be no basis in law to deny the registration of the party, directly or indirectly, on the grounds of homosexuality, much less on homosexuality equated to immorality. To make assertions based on their homosexuality is patently discriminatory," she said.
The statement highlighted as its basis the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which it said both focus on the equality of all peoples. from here
The COMELEC needs to wake up and smell the blood on their hands.
Let me end with a forwarded letter from my previous officemate.
LTTE ito ni Dr. Guy Claudio
Dear Editor,
Is there anyway to impeach the following Comelec Comisssioners: Nicodemo T. Ferrer, Lucinito N. Tagle and Elias R. Yusoph?
They must be impeached because they have openly decided to turn the country into a religious state instead of a secular one. I am referring of course to their decision to outlaw Ladlad on the basis of upholding religious beliefs. They quote the Bible and the Koran forgetting that they should consult the Philippine Constitution instead. Only in the Philippines would we have high government officials who state that obedience to religious beliefs trumps other more cogent legal provisions as a basis for policy.
If stupidity were a basis for impeachment, the proceedings would be quite short. Their display of ignorance of current scientific knowledge on sexuality is quite appalling. They should have taken the simple expedient of asking any psychiatrist or psychologist who upholds the standards of organizations like the World Health Organization or the American Psychiatric and Psychological Associations. They would have been told that homosexuality was delisted as a psychological pathology more than 30 years ago. They either did not bother to read for themselves or consulted the psychiatric association of the Taliban when they decided that homosexuality is an abnormality.
As a Filipino citizen who is neither Christian nor Muslim; as a practitioner and teacher in psychology and sexuality; as someone who cares that we do not look like backward bigots to the world community; I urge the impeachment of these men who have violated morals, scientific truths and our laws against discrimination.
I am so upset. I'm gay starting today and until Ladlad get accredited.
Sylvia Estrada Claudio, M.D. PhD.
Director, University Center for Women’s StudiesProfessor of Women and Development Studies
University of the Philippines
I am not going to go against the arguments of the Church or any other religion here. I have my own opinions on that, which will take up a whole other entry. (Although the way I was taught, my Church is a very tolerant and loving church. It would not want harm on anyone. ANYONE)
The question is not whether the Church, the Bible or the Koran is right. The question is, why is this government citing the Bible and the Koran when they should be looking into the Philippine Constitution. I don't recall having been taught in class that to be gay is against the law. I haven't seen anyone put in jail for being a lesbian. Though I have seen people punched in the gut for being one.
Even the Commision of Human Rights know what I'm talking about.
CHR said however that the poll body's decision "smacks of prejudice and discrimination."
"Homosexuality is not a counterculture. It is part of the diversity of Philippine culture.
Homosexuals are part of the Filipino family and unavoidably must be part of our politics," CHR chair Leila De Lima was quoted in the statement as saying.
"There is no governmental policy which characterizes homosexuality as illegal nor immoral," De Lima said.
"There is or can be no basis in law to deny the registration of the party, directly or indirectly, on the grounds of homosexuality, much less on homosexuality equated to immorality. To make assertions based on their homosexuality is patently discriminatory," she said.
The statement highlighted as its basis the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which it said both focus on the equality of all peoples. from here
The COMELEC needs to wake up and smell the blood on their hands.
Let me end with a forwarded letter from my previous officemate.
LTTE ito ni Dr. Guy Claudio
Dear Editor,
Is there anyway to impeach the following Comelec Comisssioners: Nicodemo T. Ferrer, Lucinito N. Tagle and Elias R. Yusoph?
They must be impeached because they have openly decided to turn the country into a religious state instead of a secular one. I am referring of course to their decision to outlaw Ladlad on the basis of upholding religious beliefs. They quote the Bible and the Koran forgetting that they should consult the Philippine Constitution instead. Only in the Philippines would we have high government officials who state that obedience to religious beliefs trumps other more cogent legal provisions as a basis for policy.
If stupidity were a basis for impeachment, the proceedings would be quite short. Their display of ignorance of current scientific knowledge on sexuality is quite appalling. They should have taken the simple expedient of asking any psychiatrist or psychologist who upholds the standards of organizations like the World Health Organization or the American Psychiatric and Psychological Associations. They would have been told that homosexuality was delisted as a psychological pathology more than 30 years ago. They either did not bother to read for themselves or consulted the psychiatric association of the Taliban when they decided that homosexuality is an abnormality.
As a Filipino citizen who is neither Christian nor Muslim; as a practitioner and teacher in psychology and sexuality; as someone who cares that we do not look like backward bigots to the world community; I urge the impeachment of these men who have violated morals, scientific truths and our laws against discrimination.
I am so upset. I'm gay starting today and until Ladlad get accredited.
Sylvia Estrada Claudio, M.D. PhD.
Director, University Center for Women’s StudiesProfessor of Women and Development Studies
University of the Philippines
I couldn't have said it better myself.
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