Our Work Doesn't End

We were not kidding when we said we “get it from all sides”. Some people might say it’s that “victim complex” rising up again; but we as LGBTs know those “horror stories” are real because we “live” it everyday of our lives. Some of us may be “lucky” enough to simply be ignored by our families, laughed at behind our backs by our peers, but some of us can be subjected to the most violent treatment b y our own parents, deprived of our rights and humiliated in public, or even killed because of our sexual orientation or gender identity.

It’s one thing that people’s behaviour around LGBTs is dictated by generation upon generation of homophobia and prejudice. But it’s another thing when in this age of reason and enlightenment, some people still choose to perpetuate this injustice against sexual minorities.

Thus, I call to task people who have been given the power and authority to influence other people - people in the media and in the educational system.

When LADLAD sought to participate in the elections through the Party List system, it was refused accreditation by the COMELEC with sweeping statements labelling LGBTs as “immoral” and a “threat to the youth”. Now with university professors bribing students with extra credit just to oppose a ground-breaking piece of legislation that would mean better health and well-being for millions of poor families, and imposing a personal religious beliefs on students in a non-sectarian university, I wonder who is the real threat to our Filipino youth. I can understand the oldest, pontifical, etc.etc. university abiding by its denomination’s hierarchy and compelling its poor students to submit to the dictates of Catholic dogma. But I find it hard to believe that a public school, a State university at that, now allows teachers to set classroom rules by their Christian faith, tossing aside the basic principles of freedom of expression, self-determinism, and respect for human dignity which defined the halls of this great university.

While print media remains to be the Thinking Man’s material, television has gained ground more than we can imagine. While graphic visuals is its true power, its television’s ability to capture and hold the public’s attention is its controlling factor. Hence, the mere number of individuals it can reach is the real magnitude of its influence. So, when a show allows its personalities to lambast another pubic figure for his sexual orientation or gender identity, what message are the producers trying to convey? They may only care about getting the highest ratings for the controversy it generates, but I must ask - where is their sense of responsibility?

At the height of the Vice Ganda fiasco at a leading TV station, the general public chose sides and happily joined in the word-war. In the heated exchanges that followed, the marginalized sector Vice Ganda represented was dragged through the mire. Yet, that network could have done better and apologized to their viewers for the circus they created. Personally, all I can say is that guy Tado truly deserves his name.

Today, a morning show suddenly decided to do a feature on LGBT issues, particularly about coming out and being a “successful” LGBT. I reluctantly did an interview with them since I didn’t like the context of their topic. The premise of experiencing those “horror stories” and managing to survive it all was clearly misplaced. I even explained during my interview that the idea of success is relative, and maybe they just want to show how an “out” and openly-gay individual can lead a “normal”, ordinary life. But my own intention was to say something to all those young LGBTs; that even as they endure all the heartaches of discrimination and inequality, they can still grow up to be happy, useful, and productive human beings because they are intelligent and talented kids who have so much to share with other people.

Sadly, the segment producer decided not to use my taped interview and instead wanted me to show up for a LIVE interview this morning. That impromptu interview was already short-notice and I declined to appear on national TV because I too have a day-job to attend to. So the disaster this morning was probably partly my fault. They got this so-called psychology “expert” who said that LGBTs should “subject themselves to therapy so they can lead normal lives and have families”; that it’s all a matter of choice because “studies have shown that gays can live as straights”…Also, “LGBTs should worry about not having kids who can take care of them in their old age…”

Oh Boy! Have we got our work cut out for us..and that’s just for this week.