Ben&Ben’s PatNes Engagement and LGBTQIA+ Rights in the Philippines
LGBTQIA+ rights in the Philippines has a long way to go.
ICYMI: Ben&Ben’s bassist Pat Lasaten and keyboardist Agnes Reoda are getting married soon!
The musicians were engaged in July 2022, but the news wasn’t made public until the end of that year. So far, they haven’t announced when and where they would be married.
Currently, the Philippines does not recognize nor legalize same-sex marriage. What’s more, the Philippine Constitution does not have an existing law that protects members of the LGBTQIA+ community from discrimination and violence.
The SOGIESC Equality Bill and where it is today
The Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Equality Bill was first proposed in Congress in 2000. It aims to end gender-based discrimination by penalizing people who are involved in such activities. Over twenty years later, the bill is still “in limbo,” as stated by Philippine senator Risa Hontiveros, who is one of its primary sponsors.
Rep. Geraldine Roman, the first transgender Filipina in Congress, filed her own version of the Anti-Discrimination Bill as soon as she was elected to office. She stated that focusing on SOGIESC equality was “to send a message to society that it is time to recognize…Filipinos who just happen to be members of the LGBT community.”
Of course, the SOGIESC Equality Bill is still met with much resistance, immediately associating its inclusions with same-sex civil unions. Other than religious organizations, even different sectors of government are still not in favor of it. The Philippines’ Justice Secretary, Boying Remulla, has stated that the country is “not ready” for same-sex marriages and even the SOGIESC bill itself.
Does the SOGIESC Bill necessarily equate to legalizing same-sex marriages or civil unions?
One of the biggest misconceptions of the SOGIESC Equality Bill is that it automatically legalizes same-sex marriages–but it’s not the main focus of the bill. According to Vince Liban of UP Babaylan, the longest-running LGBTQIA+ student organization in Asia, “There are people who don’t get accepted in jobs because they have a different SOGIE from the typical heterosexual cisgender people.”
In the US, in contrast, President Joe Biden signed into law the Respect for Marriage Act in early 2023. While it doesn’t necessarily guarantee a same-sex couple’s right to marry, it grants same-sex unions equal federal benefits with heterosexual couples. In addition, states are also mandated to recognize same-sex marriages across state lines.
Ultimately, the Philippines has a long way to go in protecting its citizens, regardless of their SOGIESC. But while we wait for the bill to be passed, members and allies of the LGBTQIA+ can support non-profit groups such as UP Babaylan and campaign for equality across all its citizens. After all, LGBTQIA+ rights are human rights.
“Love is the currency of our struggle. Love will always win.”
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