By Atty. Anthony Kay Karl Par Bersamira
Pride Month na naman. Panahon ng confetti, glitter, at biglang pag-appear ng mga taong allergic sa “SOGIE,” pero very comfortable sa rainbow pag may camera. Celebrate tayo, oo. Pero sa Pilipinas, kailangan din natin ng joy with receipts. Kasi kung support ka, dapat may policy, hindi puro pagkukunwari.
Politicians: “Fun Run, pero walang ‘Run’ sa Legislation”
Tuwing June, may mga politiko na parang may annual upgrade: from “family values” to “Love is love!” May fun run, may tarpaulin, may pa-speech na “inclusive tayo.” Pero pagkatapos ng Pride? Back to zero: walang batas, walang programa, walang pondo.
Legally speaking, the State can’t just treat LGBTQIA+ issues as optional aesthetics. The Supreme Court in Falcis, III v. Civil Registrar General (2019), it recognized that the LGBTQIA+ community has historically “borne the brunt of societal disapproval.” Meaning: hindi puwedeng gawing legal excuse ang “public morals” para i-exclude o i-ignore ang sektor. Moral disapproval is not a legitimate state interest to discriminate.
And yes, the Court itself noted na madaming anti-discrimination bills have been file, meaning, alam na ng gobyerno na may problema; ang tanong: kailan ang gawa?
So kapag may politiko na ang ambag sa Pride ay: (i) fun run; (ii) rainbow hoodie; and (iii) “Happy Pride!” post; pero pagdating sa actual protections: seen-zoned, …ang tawag doon: performative governance. Cute sa feed, useless sa life.
What is fun in a fun run when there’s no actual action plan?
“Allies” na content ang habol: “Clout but not in the bout”
May mga tao ring ally kuno na tuwing June lang lumalabas, parang seasonal fruit: available only while supplies last. Magpo-post ng “Protect trans lives,” pero pag may office group chat na may homophobic joke, tahimik. Pag may friend na na-discriminate, biglang “neutral” at “both sides.”
If you’re an “ally,” the bare minimum is: DON’T NORMALIZE DISCRIMINATION. The Court in Ladlad LGBT Party v. COMELEC (2010), was clear: government action (and by extension, social power) can’t be justified by moral dislike alone; targeting LGBTQIA+ people as a class raises equal protection issues.
Kung “ally” ka pero ang contribution mo ay engagement farming, you’re not helping; you’re harvesting. Naka-rainbow profile pic, pero “ayoko ng bading sa CR namin;” “Love wins” caption, pero “basta wag kayo OA;” “Support kita,” pero ang tanong lagi: “Sino sa inyo ang lalaki?”
Pride is not an aesthetic. It’s a demand for safety, dignity, and equal treatment.
Employers: “Rainbow lanyard is not a workplace policy, besh”
Let’s talk trabaho. Maraming kumpanya ang very generous: may rainbow lanyard, rainbow mousepad, rainbow Zoom background. Pero pag may employee na: (i) binabastos online; (ii) minamaliit dahil effeminate; (iii) pinipilit mag-out; (iv) tinatawanan sa pronouns; (v) or may supervisor na “joke lang naman” ang harassment, …biglang “Wala pa tayong policy diyan.”
Good news: meron nang malinaw na legal duties. Under the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Safe Spaces Act, employers must: (i) create an independent internal mechanism / CODI to investigate and address gender-based sexual harassment (GBSH); and (ii) develop and disseminate a workplace policy / code of conduct that (1) reiterates the prohibition, (2) lays down procedures, and (3) sets administrative penalties. Non-compliance can be inspected/enforced by DOLE.
Also, the Safe Spaces framework explicitly covers protection regardless of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity/expression, and even defines homophobic slurs and gender identity/expression-related concepts.
So yes: more than lanyards, dapat may CODI, may clear reporting channel, may penalties, may confidentiality, may anti-retaliation, at may training that doesn’t treat LGBTQIA+ concerns as “special requests.”
Because this is not “special treatment.” This is equal protection in the workplace, same logic bakit may policies for pregnancy, PWD accommodation, and safety: different risks, same dignity.
Hindi special treatment ang demand, bagkus: PANTAY NA KARAPATAN.
Pride Month takeaway: “Magsaya huwag maging tanga.”
Celebrate Pride. Sumayaw. Umiyak sa drag performances. Mag-reunion sa chosen family. Pero habang nagsasaya, also say this clearly: (i) To politicians: Wag niyo kaming gawing campaign backdrop. Kung ally ka, ipakita mo sa ordinansa, sa batas, at sa implementation; (ii) To clout allies: Kung kaya mong mag-post, kaya mo ring mag-call out at magpakita ng spine; and (iii) To employers: Stop treating inclusion as merch. The law expects mechanisms, policies, and accountability, not just rainbow accessories.
Pride is joy and JOY IS RESISTANCE. Pero sa Pilipinas, dagdag natin: JOY WITH LEGAL BACKBONE.
And remember: HINDI KA PALAMUTI; isa kang mamamayan: may dignidad, may boses, may karapatan, at may pananagutan ang lipunan.
