MANILA, Philippines — The trans woman who experienced discrimination at a mall in Quezon City has filed a complaint against the establishment’s management for violating the city’s anti-discrimination ordinance.
Gretchen Diez filed a complaint against the Araneta Center Inc. for violating the Quezon City Gender Fair Ordinance before the Quezon City Pride Council Friday.
Diez also want to hold accountable the Starline Security Agency and the sanitation services agences that contracted the cleaning staff who was involved in the incident.
“What happened to me is disappointing, especially in Quezon City where they have the Gender Fair Ordinance. But I have received promises of support from the Quezon City Pride Council,” Diez was quoted as saying in a briefing before the filing of the complaint.
Diez: What happened to me is disappointing. Especially in Quezon City where they have the Gender Fair Ordinance. But I have received promises of support from the Quezon City Pride Council.#SOGIEEqualityNow#LetThemPeeInPeace#ResistTogether
— ????Metro Manila Pride (@mmprideorg) August 16, 2019
Diez was verbally harassed by a cleaning staff of the Farmers Plaza and was prevented from using the women’s restroom to pee on August 13. Diez, who documented the incident by taking videos, was then handcuffed and brought to Camp Karingal.
The Gender-Fair Ordinance, which was signed by then-Mayor Herbert Bautista in 2014, penalizes discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, which includes heckling, verbal or non-verbal ridicule and vilification as well as the refusal of services and accommodations based on a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE).
The ordinance also requires government agencies, private offices and commercial establishments to “designate toilet rooms and lavatories labelled as all gender [comfort rooms].”
It also directs all private offices and commercial establishments located in the city to conduct gender sensitivity training or orientation for all employees.
The management of Farmers Plaza apologized for the discrimination faced by Diez on Wednesday, noting “it is an unfortunate incident that Farmers Plaza management would like to assure the public we could never condone.”
The incident prompted a renewed push for the passage of the SOGIE Equality bill, which the 17th Congress failed to approve.
The proposed legislation was meant to address, penalize and prohibit “discrimination, marginalization and violence on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression” and to promote non-discrimination through government programs and initiatives. — Gaea Katreena Cabico