Home of tolerance and equality

It was a parade as colorful as its origins and as vociferous as its cause. An estimated four thousand members and supporters of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community converged during the Pride March in Mandaue City last June 24, 2018.

The LGBTQ community, as well as those that are allies came out in full force in a city that has long been considered the home of tolerance and equality. Intended to show its support for the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Bill, still pending in Congress, the number of participants was unexpected but since it was supported by local executives, they have mustered such boldness to participate and be united in their call.

As other cities have already held their pride marches, we can always trace back how this worldwide move came into being. It is a tradition that goes back to the early 1970s, when cities began hosting events to commemorate the Stonewall Riots and highlight issues that our LGBTQ friends still face. The events also at times serve as demonstrations for legal rights such as same-sex marriage.

And if you are straight and choose to attend a Pride Parade, it’s important to remain respectful as an ally.

More profound than the display of colors and the impact it had on the viewers is the reality that people around the world face violence and inequality —and sometimes torture, even execution, because of who they love, how they look, or who they are. Sexual orientation and gender identity are integral aspects of our selves and should never lead to discrimination or abuse.

When LGBTQ people are denied full participation in society because of their identities, their human rights are violated, and those violations of human rights are likely to have a harmful effect on a country’s level of economic development. The inclusion allows them to achieve their economic potential when they can get education and training that improves their productivity and when they are treated equally in the labor market.

Greater rights and freedoms improve individual well-being by expanding individuals’ capabilities to be and do what they value. Greater economic development might make countries more likely to respect the rights of LGBTQ people, as they can freely organize and push for legal changes and as public opinion shifts to support greater individual autonomy and minority rights.

More studies would also point to a strong link between rights and development. First, the correlation between rights and economic development appears to vary across different rights. In particular, the analysis suggests that anti-discrimination laws covering sexual orientation have an especially strong correlation with GDP per capita. The importance of nondiscrimination laws could be related to their stronger connection to the treatment of LGBTQ people in the workplace and other settings that have direct economic relevance. Second, the correlation of additional LGBTQ rights and economic development is not simply the result of increasing gender equity within a country.

LGBTQ people in our country have a distinctive culture but limited legal rights. Generally tolerated, if not accepted, within Filipino society, but there is still widespread discrimination. But if we regard them as equal partners in all our undertakings, taking into account their enormous capabilities and potentials, and above all as thinking and loving individuals, no such label, division, and hindrances we can ever think of.