Have no fear
Most people think this is all about letting us use the women’s restroom, when in fact, this is way, way deeper than bathroom use
SOGIE is not just an LGBT issue. This cannot be understated. Everybody — straight, gay, lesbian, trans, cis, queer, mothers, sons, neighbors, CEOs, senators, taho vendors — everbody has a SOGIE. The SOGIE Bill is for everyone. A lot has now been said about the bill, but do people really know what they are talking about? Most of what most people know about it comes from sensationalized memes on social media or from rants of friends of friends, few going truly in-depth with the details of what the bill proposes, and that’s where all the opposition is coming from. This first came to light after Gretchen Diez, a Filipina transwoman, was met with disrespect and violence after attempting to use the women’s restroom in a mall in Quezon City. Most people think this is all about letting us use the women’s restroom, when in fact, this is way, way deeper than bathroom use. The bill is not all about the trans-specific issue of which restroom to use. Far from it. The bill just provides us within the LGBTQ+ community with an opportunity to have the law finally protect us from intent.
The bill will not take away rights from people outside of the community. To be honest, it will provide them additional protection themselves, because these straight, cis, hetero-normative people have sexual identities and gender identities and expressions themselves.
Being cisgender is an identity. Being straight is a sexual orientation. If a straight person would be denied access to employment because an employer favors gay people, then the SOGIE bill would protect them.
Further examination of the bill in its current version in the Senate belies a lot of the myths being peddled by the naysayers out there.
The only reason some people think that this is an exclusively LGBTQ+ bill is because we are the ones who are more prone to harassment and discrimination, but really, this bill is for everyone.
Further examination of the bill in its current version in the Senate belies a lot of the myths being peddled by the naysayers out there.
The bill does not take away religious freedom from church groups, as there is a provision that specifically excludes religious speeches from discriminatory speech (not that anything “Godly” should ever contain any), unless it specifically directs and compels anybody to cause physical harm on or deprive life, limb and liberty from LGBTQ+ people.
The bill does not allow for a change of gender markers at birth, nor does it push for same-sex marriage (that is a different discussion altogether).
What it does is give us the peace of mind that we can be productive citizens of this country without our merits being tarnished by a small part of who we are.
It allows us to be a part of this beautiful country the way any tax-paying citizen should be. There are current laws that protect the actions that result in physical injuries or death, but none punishing the intent.
Redundant in some ways, necessary nonetheless. The law does provide for equal protection for everyone, but it also recognizes that marginalized groups exist, and that the law provides additional protection to the oppressed and marginalized.
Women, children, indigenous groups — all have been provided with additional protection because the disadvantages that has been given to them. No special rights, just the right to be given a chance to be on equal footing.
This is what we are asking for, nothing more. The few LGBTQ+ celebrities that we see on television are the exception, not the rule. To use them as examples to say that discrimination no longer exists is foolish and cruel.
Let’s not make this just about the bathroom issue. This is not just about Gretchen. This is about every gay person bullied in school, every lesbian denied employment, every trans woman beaten and killed, every queer person mocked and pushed to commit suicide.
But this not just for the gays, the lesbians, the queers. This is for the straight, the cis, the normative. There’s no reason to fear this bill passing into law. It won’t take away your fundamental rights. It does take away your right to be an asshole, which you really never had to begin with.