The Never-ending Fight

 

 Gretchen Diez: Sogie Equality bill?

   The history of the LGBTQ+ community is a bit complex as it was not perceived by society as norms. In recent years, the LGBTQ+ community has gain passage and international support particularly United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to acknowledge to have rights globally. Although it took longer to recognize the wrongdoings and the victims from the past. Inequality and discrimination for the LGBTQ+ community still remain a challenge in the Philippines. The struggle that is known in the country for almost 2 decades.

   According to (Martinez, 2019) 28 years old Gretchen Diez, a transgender woman from Novatas city goes viral in social media. A Facebook live video of Diez being arrested after being prevented from using a female restroom on August 13, 2019 (Tuesday) in Farmers Plaza, a Cubao Mall in Quezon city. Before getting arrested Diez at around 1 pm that day she fell in line for the women’s/ladies restroom, when a janitress blocked her way, told her to get out and use the men’s restroom instead. Diez took a video of the encounter and this made the janitress furious. Diez claimed that the malls janitress drag her out of the restroom to the security office to have her detained, cuffed, and humiliated them.

   “Tinapik po niya ‘yung cellphone ko, 3 beses, sabi po niya sa ‘kin, An’sarap tampalin ng mukha mo, bakla ka kase” (Diez, Transwoman Detained after being harassed for using ladies' toilet in QC mall, 2019).

   She was then brought to the Cubao Police station. Then the officers then brought her to the Quirino Memorial Medical Center for her medical test, after which she was transferred to the Quezon City Police District's Anti-Cybercrime Division in Camp Karingal. Then brought back to the Cubao Police station. Where she was planned to be filed by “unjust vexation” case. Instead, Diez was set free after the janitress dropped the complained, apologized and wrote a handwritten letter to Diez that she was willing to learn LGBTQ+ right. As well as the mall, apologized for such incident.

   "Sa akin lang po, 'yung para kang shoplifter na kinakaladkad sa loob ng mall, na nakatingin sa'yo 'yung mga tao na hawak ka…. Hindi ko po maintindihan sa isang supposedly gender-fair na city, may ganoon na tao na tatrato sa akin na para akong may ginawang krimen," a teary Diez told reporters on Tuesday. (Diez, 2019).

   Basically, she was verbally abused, violently handled, and illegally detained for insisting to use the ladies’ restroom in a city that has an anti-discrimination ordinance for LGBTQ+ members.

Criticism?

   But the incident didn’t just ended right there, Diez filed a complaint against Araneta Center, the company that owns the Farmer’s Plaza, before the the Quezon City Pride Council. Just after Farmers Plaza made a public apology in connection with the incident.

   A lot of controversies arose as Gretchen Diez expresses her willingness to run for public office after the incident.  Followed by pictures of her posing with Sens. Bong Go and Imee Marcos, both calling her “opportunistic”. However her intentions received a lot of criticisms by fellow Filipinos. And this got more controversial when Diez urges President Rodrigo Duterte to certify the Sogie Equality Bill, which protects the LGBTQ+ community, on August 16, 2019, accompanied by Quezon city Mayor Joy Belmonte. Although the case was still debatable.

   Ryan Borja Capitul (as cited in Malasig, 2019) states that “the bills are not necessary since there are already existing laws that safeguard the rights of citizens against discrimination.”

   Capitul(as cited in Malasig, 2019). argued that discrimination doesn’t limit itself to gender. There are victims that are discriminated against due to there height, but do we need an Anti-Short Stature Discrimination Act? Perhaps obese people, do we need an Anti-Obese Discrimination Act?.

   People with different perception and mindset makes this issue debatable. The fight for equality and discrimination still continues. What do you think?

References

Diez, G. (2019, August 13). Trans woman Gretchen Diez: I didnt think I'd be treated like a criminal. (R. Tolabong, Interviewer)

Diez, G. (2019, August 13). Transwoman Detained after being harassed for using ladies' toilet in QC mall. (ABS-CBN, Interviewer)

Malasig, J. (2019, August 29). Why an LGBTQ member strongly opposes the SOGIE bill. Retrieved from Interaksyon: http://www.interaksyon.com/politics-issues/2019/08/29/154073/sogie-bill-opposition-arguments/

Malasig, J. (2019, August 29). Why LGBTQ+ strongly opposes Sogie bill. Retrieved from Interaksyon: http://www.interaksyon.com/politics-issues/2019/08/29/154073/sogie-bill-opposition-arguments/

Martinez, C. (2019, August 16). Diez Officially Files Complaint Against Qc Mall. Retrieved from Manila Bulletin News: https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/08/16/diez-officially-files-complaint-against-qc-mall/

My socials: