The University of the Philippines – Los Baños released a memorandum to recognize LGBTQIA people’s lived names, pronouns and titles, particularly its students, teachers/educators, and other employees.
Memorandum No. 080 s. 2022 specifically affirms transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) people’s names, pronouns and titles, which is seen as a win by the school’s LGBTQIA organization, UPLB Babaylan, that stressed that this is to be celebrated.
“Maliit mang bagay kung titignan ang mga ito, malaki naman ang gampanin nito sa pagsusulong ng pagkakapantay-pantay sa loob ng ating unibersidad (This may be seen as a small thing, but its impact is big in promoting equality in the university),” UPLB Babaylan stated. “Nawa’y magpatuloy pa ito sa iba pang campus, unibersidad, at paaralan nang sa gayon ay matapos na ang diskriminasyon at opresyon laban sa LGBTQ+ sa mga institusyong pang-edukasyon (Hopefully such efforts will continue in other campuses, universities and schools so that we can end discrimination and oppression against LGBTQIA people in educational institutions).”
But UPLB Babaylan recognize that “wag sana tayong malinlang na dito na nagtatapos ang ating laban. Bagkus, ito ay simula pa lamang ng ating patuloy na pagtindig, pagtitipon, at paggaod ng mga hakbangin para sa mas malawakang polisiya para sa mas inklusibo at pantay-pantay na kapaligiran at lipunan. Kung kaya, hinihikayat namin na patuloy tayong lumaban para sa karapatan ng isa’t-isa at sama-samang magwagi laban sa macho-pyudal at patriyarkal na sistemang umiiral sa ating lipunan (we should not be deceived into believing that the fight stops with this. Instead, this is just a start of our continuing fight to continue standing up, gather and taking steps for the development of broader policies to create a more equitable society. So we encourage everyone to continue the fight so everyone has equal right to battle macho-feudal and patriarchal systems existing in society).”
