Literature Background
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, according to
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and one's SOGIE is viewed as
intrinsic to one's humanity and must not be used as a justification for discrimination or
abuse (ICJ 2007).
Each person's sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression (SOGIE) are in
distinct characteristics. It is critical to distinguish between these terms in order to better
understand how prejudice affects people beyond the assumptions of treating the SOGIE
term as a whole. The ability for emotional and sexual attraction to other people, whether
of the same gender, another gender, or even more than one gender, is referred to as
sexual orientation (Karsay, Santos, and Mosquera 2016). Gender identity, on the other
hand, is defined as each person's strongly felt gender experience, which may or may
not correlate to their biological sex assigned at birth (Karsay, et. al. 2016). Dressing,
speech, and mannerisms that show one's gender are examples of this (Karsay, et. al.
2016). This is in relation to gender expressions, which are the exterior manifestations of
gender that may be noticed in their mannerisms and how they dress, as well as their
choice of name, pronoun usage, haircut, and bodily traits (Karsay, et al. 2016).
People who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, as well as those who are
questioning their SOGIE or the (LGBTQ+) continue to confront challenges all around the
world. Examples include a lack of job possibilities (Sears & Mallory, 2011), bias when
seeking health treatment (Winter, 2012), housing (Grant, Mottet & Tanis, 2011), and
education (Grant, Mottet & Tanis, 2011). (Burns, 2011).
Further, the lack of an umbrella organization, a lack of awareness among the
LGBTQ+ community concerning SOGIE concepts, and a lack of unity owing to
socioeconomic divisions were also mentioned as problems for the LGBTQ+ movement.
This is in light of the fact that LGBTQ+ communities and individuals continue to face
social and political hurdles, as well as the fact that there are few research on LGBTQ+
rights in the Philippines.
The general population is unwilling to learn about SOGIE issues and still holds
preconceptions about this minority group. One typical example is misgendering the
transgender and bisexual community. People do not think that a transgendered woman
is a real woman. Even individuals who are familiar with SOGIE assume that the world is
only made up of gays and lesbians. One possible reason for this binary mindset is that
there are just two words in Tagalog (the Filipino language) for gay (bakla) and lesbian
(tomboy), with no equivalent terminology for transgender or bisexuality. As a result,
many people believe that these two minorities do not exist, and that they express
themselves in different ways solely to be sexually appealing. (J Public Health Policy
Planning, 2(3), 9-17, 2018).
Sexual minorities, according to Dermer, Smith, and Barto (2010), are a group
that includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people, as well as people
who are questioning their sexuality. This term also includes anyone whose sexual
orientation, gender identity, and expression (SOGIE) fall outside of what dominant
society considers ‘normal' or typical.
Recent studies reveal that, as a result of stigma and discrimination, sexual
minorities feel higher psychological distress than heterosexuals, despite the study and
work that has been done to promote their well-being. Homosexuals are more likely to be
diagnosed with serious depression, generalized anxiety, substance abuse, mental
disorders, and suicide ideation than heterosexuals (Lewis, Derlega, Brown, & Rose,
2009). According to one study, LGBTQ+ people have more psychiatric symptoms than
heterosexual people, use recreational drugs more frequently, are more likely to have
alcohol-related difficulties, and seek mental health services more frequently than
heterosexual people (King et al., 2003). Susan Cochran, an epidemiologist, and Vickie
Mays, a psychologist, investigated the root causes of mental disorders in sexual
minorities and found substantial evidence that discrimination has a role in the
exacerbation of anxiety, depression, and other stress-related mental health problems.
Although these data do not prove that discrimination causes mental health problems,
they do show that the social stigma experienced by sexual minorities is significant
(Cochran & Mays, 2009).
From the study of Tang X, Poudel AN, 2018 “Exploring challenges and problems
faced by LGBT students in Philippines” conducted in University of the Philippines,
Diliman Campus, the researchers found out that many participants gave emphasis on
education and sensation of more people to improve current discrimination against
LGBTQ+ community. According to them nothing improves unless they are not aware
about Sexual Orientation, Gender Identification and Expression (SOGIE) issues. They
think there are still a number of misconception about the LGBT community and these
misconception should be removed by educating and sensitizing more people.
Moreover, the main gist if this study is to to educate everyone so they would
understand the LGBTQ+ community and their rights. If the public can be educated, it will
become much easier, as these conception like SOGIE are sort of difficult to understand.
