By Toni Gee Fernandez
President/Executive Director, Mujer-LGBT Organization
Dear Atty. Leni Gerona Robredo,
I write this with a heavy heart.
Many in the LGBTQIA+ community, including myself, have long seen you as an ally, as someone who made us feel seen, heard, and protected. That is why we stood behind you, rallied for you, and believed in your vision during your presidential campaign.
But your recent endorsement of Manny Pacquiao left us shocked and deeply hurt. He is a known opponent of the SOGIESC Equality Bill, and has even gone as far as comparing people like us to animals. His words and actions have caused pain and reinforced discrimination against members of our community.
So we ask: Why him? Why endorse someone who has openly and repeatedly stood against the very rights and dignity of the LGBTQIA+ community?
Your support of his candidacy feels like a contradiction to everything you once stood for – and it feels like a betrayal to those who believed in you.
We hope you can clarify your decision. We deserve that much.
With disappointment, yet still with hope,
Toni Gee
KakamPink
