President Duterte hosted a thanksgiving party for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in Malacañang Tuesday.
The President administered the oath of office of national officials of LGBT Pilipinas Inc. and exchanged pleasantries with its members at the Malacañang Heroes Hall.
LGBT Pilipinas, chaired by Faustino “Bubsie” Sabarez III, is a non-government organization that is among the prime movers of the proposed Anti-Discrimination Act and the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression bill, according to the group’s Facebook page.
Also seen during the thanksgiving party was Gretchen Diez, a transgender woman who gained unexpected prominence after being barred from entering a women’s comfort room in a mall in Cubao, Quezon City last August.
The restroom incident involving Diez has prompted renewed call for the passage of SOGIE bill in the 18th Congress.
The SOGIE measure, which aims to protect the rights of individuals against discrimination, was approved by the House of Representatives in 2017, but its version in the Senate only reached the period of interpellations.
Duterte on Sept. 10 promised to certify SOGIE bill as urgent to make LGBT community “happy.”
A day later, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo clarified that the Chief Executive was referring to the anti-discrimination bill that will serve as “enlarged version of whatever bill you have in mind,” including the proposed SOGIE law.
The President shared with members of LGBT Pilipinas that he recently signed an executive order on the creation of an Inter-Agency Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, who was also present at the thanksgiving party, said yesterday.
“Ibinahagi ng Pangulo na pinirmahan na niya kamakailan ang executive order na nagtatatag ng Inter-Agency Committee on Diversity and Inclusion,” Go said in a Facebook post.
“Para kay Tatay Digong at Kuya Bong, lahat ng Pilipino, ano man ang kasarian, ay may mga karapatang dapat kilalanin ng lipunan,” he added. (PNA)
