Bumoto at Pahalagahan ang Ating Dangal / Vote for Pride
ni/by Bruce Portugal Amoroto
Nitong Miyerkoles, Nobyembre 11, 2009, ibinaba ng Commission on Elections ang desisyon nito kaugnay ng petisyon ng Ang Ladlad LGBT Party na lumahok sa 2010 National Elections. Sa walong pahinang hatol ng Comelec, sinabi na “this petition is dismissible on moral grounds” (ang petition ay hindi nararapat na pahintulutan dahil sa ilang usaping pang-moral).
Ipinaliwanag pa ng hatol ng Comelec na “petitioner tolerates immorality which offends religious beliefs” (pinaparayaan/pinapayagan ng petitioner ang imoralidad na nakasisira sa mga relihiyong paniniwala) kasabay ang pagbanggit ng ilang talata mula sa Bibliya at sa Koran. Binanggit din sa nasabing hatol na “we cannot compromise the well-being of the greater number of our people, especially the youth” (hindi natin maaring ilagay sa alanganin ang kapakanan ng maraming tao, lalu na ng mga kabataan).
Sa ganitong punto marami sa atin, lalu na mula sa komunidad ng mga lesbian, gay, bakla, bantut, bayot, bisexual, tomboy, transgender, transsexual, intersex (LGBTI) at iba pang sexual and gender minorities (SGM), ang galit na galit dahil sa naging desisyon at sa laman ng hatol ng Comelec. Marami sa atin ang nag-iisip na i-boycott ang darating na halalan.
Gayunpaman, bagama’t hindi naging makatao at makatarungan ang naging hatol na ito ng Comelec, sa aking palagay, dapat pa rin tayong bumotong lahat sa Mayo upang patunayan sa Comelec at sa sambayanang Pilipino na kahit na tayo ay LGBTI o SGM, meron tayong malasakit at may magagawa para mabago ang sistema ng pamamahala sa Pilipinas.
Ang Philippine Forum on Sports, Culture, Sexuality and Human Rights (TEAM PILIPINAS) ay naniniwala na dapat nating ipagtanggol ang ating mga karapatan at kalayaan at pahalagahan ang ating mga sariling dangal. Ang kampanya ng TEAM PILIPINAS na “VOTE FOR P.R.I.D.E. (Pinoys who Respect Rights, Identity, Diversity & Equality) ay naglalayong ibalik ang pagpapahalaga sa sariling dangal nating mga Pilipino at nating mga LGBTI at SGM.
Itinuro ng mga mananakop at ng mga banyaga sa ating mga Pilipino na huwag magpahalaga sa ating mga sarili, sa ang ating kultura at sa ating pagkakakilanlan. Itinuro naman sa atin ng relihiyon na huwag pag-usapan o pahalagahan ang ating kasarian at sekswalidad at ituring na imoral ang anuman sekswalidad na labas sa sakramento ng kasal sa pagitan ng isang lalake at isang babae. Itinuro sa atin na may malaking pakialam ang Simbahan lalu na sa mga usaping kaugnay ng kasarian at sekswalidad.
Pero ngayon, hinihingi ng panahon na lumaya tayo mula sa kaapihan ng mga baluktot na kaisipan hinggil sa kung ano ang moral at di-moral, kung ano ang sekswal at ang mga may kaugnayan sa kasarian. Hinihingi rin ng panahon na ibalik nating mga Pilipino at nating mga LGBTI ang pagpapahalaga natin sa ating mga sariling dangal. Ang “pride” ay hindi pagmamayabang, ito ay simpleng pagpapahalaga sa sariling dangal.
Ang dangal na ito ay likas sa lahat ng tao at ang pagtatanggol dito ay tinitiyak ng Saligang Batas na naghalaw mula sa Pandaigdig na Pahayag ukol sa Karapatan ng Tao (Universal Declaration of Human Rights) na nagsasabing “All human beings born free and equal in dignity and rights” (Ang lahat ng tao’y isinilang na malaya at pantay-pantay sa karangalan at mga karapatan) at “All human rights are universal, interdependent, indivisible and interrelated” (Lahat ng mga karapatan ng tao ay unibersal, nagpapatibay sa isa’t isa, hindi mahahati at magkakaugnay).
Hindi makatarungan na gamitin ng Comelec ang Bibliya at ang Koran bilang batayan para kanilang hatol sapagkat higit sa lahat nakasaad sa ating Saligang Batas, sa Article II Section 6, ang pagkakahiwalay ng Simbahan at ng Estado. “The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable.”
Sa darating na Mayo, IBOTO AT PAHALAGAHAN NATIN ANG ATING MGA SARILING DANGAL! VOTE FOR PRIDE! Ipakita natin sa Comelec at sa sambayanan na naniniwala at ipinagtatanggol natin ang pagkakapantay-pantay ng lahat sa dangal, karapatan at kalayaan.
Ayoko sa TRAPO! Ayoko sa Elitistang Pulitika! Gusto ko ng Pagbabago! Yes to PRIDE in 2010!
This Wednesday, November 11, 2009, the Commission on Elections handed down its decision regarding the petition of Ang Ladlad LGBT Party to take part in the 2010 National Elections. In its 8-page decision, the Comelec stated that “this petition is dismissible on moral grounds”.
In the decision, the Comelec also elaborated that “petitioner tolerates immorality which offends religious beliefs” citing verses from the Bible and the Koran. The ruling also stated that “we cannot compromise the well-being of the greater number of our people, especially the youth”.
At this point, many of us, especially from the lesbian, gay, bakla, bantut, bayot, bisexual, tomboy, transgender, transsexual, intersex (LGBTI) community, are furious at the process and content of the Comelec’s ruling. Many of us are now thinking of boycotting the upcoming elections.
However, even though the Comelec ruling was inhumane and unjust, I believe we should still consider taking part in the May 2010 Elections and to prove to the Comelec and the Filipino nation that despite being LGBTIs and SGMs, we are concerned and capable of changing the system of governance in the Philippines.
Philippine Forum on Sports, Culture, Sexuality and Human Rights (TEAM PILIPINAS) believes that we should all protect our rights and freedoms and uphold our pride–to value our dignity. The TEAM PILIPINA campaign “VOTE FOR P.R.I.D.E. (Vote for Pinoys who Respect Rights, Identity, Diversity & Equality) aims to bring back the Filipinos’ and the Filipino LGBTIs’ sense of pride and valuation for one’s dignity.
We Filipinos were taught by the colonizers and foreigners not to value ourselves, our culture, our identity. Religion on the other hand taught us not to talk about or value our gender and sexuality and to regard as immoral any sexuality outside of the sacrament of marriage between a man and woman. We were also taught that the Church has a major role on the issues of sexuality and gender.
But time is now asking us to break free from the oppression of twisted mindsets related to what is moral, what is sexual and what is related to gender and sexuality. Time is also asking us to renew our pride as Filipinos and as LGBTIs and SGMs. Pride is not being arrogant nor boastful, it is simply valuation of one’s own dignity.
This dignity is inherent in all human beings and its protection is guaranteed by the Constitution that drew from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which says, “All human beings born free and equal in dignity and rights” and “All human rights are universal, interdependent, indivisible and interrelated”.
The Comelec’s use of the Bible and the Koran as bases for their ruling is unjust because first and foremost, our Constitution in Article II Section 6 states, “The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable.”
This coming May, VOTE FOR PRIDE! Let us show Comelec and the nation that we believe and we will protect everyone’s equality in dignity, rights and freedoms.
VOTE for PRIDE. Vote for Pinoys who Respect Rights, Identity, Diversity & Equality.
xx
Tags: 2010 elections, bruce amoroto, COMELEC, immorality, lgbt, team pilipinas, vote for pride, youth