Still small steps after more than two decades of fighting for LGBTQIA human rights.
In the House of Representatives, a version of the anti-discrimination bill – the SOGIESC Equality Bill – that eyes to protect the human rights of LGBTQIA Filipinos successfully hurdled the committee level after it was passed by the House Committee on Appropriations.
Similar to past anti-discrimination bills, the current anti-discrimination bill eyes to deal with discriminatory acts committed against people of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC), including:
- The production of materials promoting stigma or inciting violence and sexual abuse against any person or group on the basis of SOGIESC;
- Denying access to public services to any person on the basis of SOGIESC;
- Including SOGIESC as criteria for hiring, promotion, transfer, designation, work assignment, re-assignment, and dismissal;
- Refusing admission or expelling a person from any educational or training institution on the basis of SOGIESC; and
- Denying any person access to or use of establishments, facilities, utilities, or services open to the general public on the basis of SOGIESC.
‼️BREAKING‼️
Pumasa na sa House Committee on Appropriations ang ating SOGIESC Equality bill 🌈
Kasunod nito ay isasalang ang panukalang batas sa plenaryo.
Kapit lang tayo! Tuloy ang laban para sa pantay na karapatan! #SOGIEEqualityNow 🏳️🌈
— Gabriela Women's Party (@GabrielaWomenPL) February 13, 2024
The first anti-discrimination bill was lodged in Congress over 20 years ago.
With the passage of the bill in the committee level, it is now to be tabled in the plenary, though this will be dependent on the priorities of the House leadership.
