Sogie Bill: So, G?

This paper is about the Sogie Bill, the misconceptions and facts. It was written to enlighten people
about this certain issues and clear the misinformation that surrounds the social media that leads them an
abrupt negative thoughts about it.

The Bill has something to do with the LGBTQ+ community. Accordingly, it is intended to prevent such
economic and accommodation-related acts of discrimination against people based on their sexual
orientation, gender identity or expression. There’s a lot of issues spreading connected to Sogie Bill
especially on social media. Mostly are fake news and misinformation that leads ‘’netizens’’ create
misconceptions and posts false bearing contexts which so called information drive.

Does Sogie Bill violates the rights of other people? In the early 1900’s Filipino women sought the right
to vote, which Filipino men already had. Filemon Sotto advocated this and co-sponsored a bill to allow
women the right of suffrage. It wasn’t until 1937 that bill was passed. Did the men lose their right to
vote? No, women were just given the same rights, being a Filipino citizen. The Sogie Bill proposes equal
access for members of the LGBTQ+ community to basic rights and services that everyone also has.Some
of the discriminatory acts it prohibits include: using SOGIE as criteria for hiring, demotion, or dismissal if
workers; denying access to health services, public establishments, and public facilities; and using person’s
SOGIE to deny admission or push expulsion in an educational institution and deny application to
government licences, permits, and similar documents.

It may be applicable if this bill can harm other people, does giving the LGBTQ+ community some rights
giving a hard time accomplishing something? Does it makes you a less person? If not, then what?

Does the Sogie Bill focuses on marriage equality? The deny application to government licences, permits
and similar documents but except for marriage license.

Does the Sogie Bill is an attack on religious freedom? First, the Bill started from declaring that the State-
-which is free from religious ideology, separates itself from any church--must recognize the fundamental
right of every person regardless of sex, color, culture, ethnicity, gender, "religion" (emphasis is mine),
and others to be free from any form of discrimination [S.B. no. 1271, Section 2, paragraph 1] by citing
United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights [paragraph 2]. To argue that this bill discriminates
heterosexual social-political position is contradictory to the first declaration in Section 2 which cleary
affirmed a proposition which includes upholding any individual religious preference; and being straight
(heterosexual), as an inclusion to any individual sexual and gender orientation.

Yes, I practice my religious belief which is a fundamental right to me, and the State shall give its efforts
to uphold my right to believe. To close look, the extent of Section 2 will even support my heterosexuality
and religious belief contrary to popular take on this issue considering heterosexuality as a sexual
orientation and secular Christianity as a religious belief. But that does not mean that the State shall
support my right to believe that it is my religious duty to discriminate other beliefs which include sexual
orientation and gender identity.

All the Sections in the S.B no. 1271 clearly state that the State shall extend efforts to address any form of
discrimination "on the basis" (emphasis is mine) of sexual orientation and gender identity. Thus, every
person shall be free from any exclusion and restriction [Section 3, paragraph A] because of his/her sexual
orientation or identity. That means, you don't restrict and exclude a person in any institution such as
educational, business, etc. just because of his/her sexual orientation and gender identity, e.g., the
disclosure of sexual orientation as a criteria for hiring, promotion, designation, etc., [S.B 1271, Section 5,
paragraph B]. In the first place, you don't hire because of gender, you hire and promote because of
competence. The Bill also includes the disclosure of not admitting a person or expelling a person on the
basis of his/her sexual orientation and gender orientation in any educational and training institutions [S.B.
no. 1271, Section 5, paragraph C]. In the first place, you exclude a student because of proven
misbehavior not because he/she considers himself/herself belonging to any sexual orientation and gender
expression. I even know numerous religious educational institutions--a Christian school for instance--
which accept gays and lesbians as students. Importantly, the Bill seeks to end the denial to admit any
person in public and private health services on the basis of the persons' sexual orientation and gender
[S.B. no. 1271, section 5, paragraph F]. In the first place, as a medical officer and physician, you don't
admit a patient because he is a straight male or a straight female but because he/she is in need of
medical attention. More importantly, the Bill seeks to end physical and verbal assaults on the basis of
sexual orientation and gender expression [S.B. no. 1271, section 5, paragraph J]. In the first place, it is
unlawful to physically and verbally assault anyone at any place regardless of any persons' sexual
orientation and gender expression.

Well, Philippines is a Catholic country so maybe it’s just normal that people are reacting like that with the
said issue. Since some of the religious practices are against about the LGBTQ+ . But maybe it’s time to
accept the fact that people who are gay are existing and we cannot do anything about it. We can’t even
make them straight right? So what are we gonna do with that? Are we just going to hate them for the
rest of our lives? Are we gonna discriminate their existence despite of their personality just because they
are gay? Isn’t it we people who discriminate them are more cruel than them? Do you think they want to
become what they are right now? They are just human being like us that have feelings and want some
freedom to express themselves without hurting anyone. And if some gays causes problem in the society
we shouldn’t generalize them, it’s just like saying that if one guy cheated on his girlfriend, all boys are
already a cheater. Make sense right?
 Does SOGIE Equality Bill allows a change of gender-markers in the birth certificate? It’s actually
another fake news that surrounds on the social medias. Maybe it's time to actually read the SOGIE
Equality Bill and find out if there's any reference to gender-markers in the birth certificate. Because
actually there is NONE.

Unlike sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, the sex—classification of a person as
male or female—of an infant is assigned at birth based on the appearance of their external anatomy. This
is the one found in our birth certificates—and never mentioned in any revision of the proposed SOGIE
Equality Bill.

Does SOGIE Equality Bill would make more people gay?

Giving them equal rights doesn't make them lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender people, non-binaries,
or queers. Anyone can actually answer this question, does this bill can transform you into being a gay? I
guess not, unless you already are.

Those are only few questions that are often misconceptions of people about Sogie. Those misconceptions
may lead them to disagree more about the said bill, so we should learn about a certain issue before
reacting and commenting on them. We also shouldn’t share people informations that we are not sure
because it might fall to having people make believe on those misconceptions.

Some people may not be still in favor implementing the Sogie. We cannot do anything already about that,
it’s just that they shouldn’t hate the people who belong to LGBTQ+ community. Generalizing them may
not be part of any law implemented right now but we as a human being responsible enough to other
people’s feeling. Treating them as a human being too, free from judgement based on what they are, who
they are, as long as they didn’t hurt anyone physically, emotionally and mentally.

For others, it was just a small issue or problem to give too much attention with. There’s a lot more issues
the government should be prioritizing.
REFERENCES:

Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics at the Universal Periodic
Review

Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics at the Universal Periodic
Review

LGBT+ Terms and Definitions

SOGIE Spectrum
https://www.thetrevorproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Spectrum-B.pdf
 Concept Paper

(Sogie Bill: So G?)

Submitted By:

Calmona, Aldrich

Imbat, Jessaly