It was a sunny Wednesday morning. Everything was going on as usual; people rushing in the streets to get to their respective offices and schools, the shopping malls preparing to open, the little children already up playing in the streets.
In Intramuros, colleges and universities started to ring their bells for the first class. The small carinderias surrounding the entrance and exits of the schools were already open, ready for another day of business.
On the far end of the walled city stands Palacio Del Gobernador that houses the Comelec (Commission on Elections), the office that took the liberty to label the LGBT community as “immoral”. There was endless chanting.
***
It was November 25.
It has been fifteen days since the Comelec’s disqualification of Ang Ladlad’s petition to have a representation in the Congress as a party-list group.
***
“LGBT hindi immoral, ipaglaban ang dangal!” this was the words heard on that Wednesday morning.
Different LGBT organizations flocked together. From UP’s Babaylan, Task Force Pride – to other organizations who believed that the Comelec was wrong in giving those labels to Ang Ladlad, to the LGBT for that matter, the Akbayan party-list.
The sky was fashioned with rainbow umbrellas and colourful placards saying; “I find you bigotry immoral”, “Morality is not based on one gender”, “Im moral”, et cetera.
Speakers from different organizations voiced their views on the Comelec’s decision.
“We are here to let the Comelec know that their decision is wrong because this is against the separation of church and state”, Danton Remoto, chairman Ang Ladlad.
“This is a gross violation of Constitutional right to not be discriminated against and to enjoy equal protection laws”, Etta Rosales, chairman, Akbayan.
“Comelec magdesisyon na! Ang Ladlad ipasa na! Now na!”.
It was a loud chant, an attempt to break through the thick walls of Palacio del Gobernador.
***
And as the day quickly moves to the noise and heat of the noontime, the rally ended. The placards and banners were folded, the megaphone was switched off, the people, one by one headed their own ways with the hope that they have done something, that they have changed the wrong perception, that they made the people in Comelec realized that they have the same rights as any other Filipino’s do.
***
The rally was not for Comelec.
It was definitely not for Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer’s stone heart.
It was for the community.
It was for the transgenders who wakes up everyday and opens their humble beauty salon to make an honest living.
It was for the lesbians who wakes up everyday and tries their best to mix in with the crowd.
It was for the gays who everytime they make a single move or open their mouth are being judge.
