Discrimination against gays

(published Philippine Daily Inquirer, June 1, 2004)

THE STATEMENT of Marissa Laguardia, chairpersonof the Movie and Television Review andClassification Board (MTRCB), censuring thetelevision show "The Buzz" for airing a lesbianwedding, shows how a portion of our Philippinesociety obstinately preaches intolerance withoutrealizing that they are breeding hatred,discrimination and violence against lesbians,gays, bisexuals and transsexuals (LGBTs), all ofwhom are entitled to equal treatment under thePhilippine Constitution. Her statementillustrated how some people refuse to heed theinternational trend toward recognizing the rightsof LGBTs.

The International Covenant on Civil and PoliticalRights (ICCPR) protects LGBTs againstdiscrimination. In the 2003 ConcludingObservations on the Philippines, the Human RightsCommittee (HRC), the United Nations Committeetasked to monitor the implementation of theICCPR, urged the Philippine government to "takethe necessary steps to adopt legislationexplicitly prohibiting discrimination" and "topursue its efforts to counter all forms ofdiscrimination" pertaining to sexual orientation.The Committee further urged the Philippines to"strengthen human rights education to forestallmanifestations of intolerance anddiscrimination." Contrary to Marissa Laguardia's statement that"homosexuality is an abnormality," the HRCrecognized, in its General Comment 19, that theconcept and structure of family may differ fromstate to state and that the right to marry andfound a family may be based on diversedefinitions of families and relationships.

The Philippine government and its officials havethe duty to fulfill its obligations underinternational laws. Ms Laguardia, as an officialof the MTRCB, is duty bound to protect LGBTsagainst discrimination.--CLARA RITA A. PADILLA