It gets better

I appeared in the music video of brilliant rapper Gloc 9 titled Sirena which tells the story of a young gay boy who unconditionally loves his father even if he beats him up and tries to drown him in a drum of water because he is an “embarrassment” to the family.

The young man’s story in the music video continues to happen in real life. It can be the story of your siblings, your relative, your friend, your next-door neighbor, and of countless ordinary gay people who suffer violence and discrimination because of their sexual orientation and gender identity. This is an elephant in the room.

For many years, homosexual love has been trivialized by bigots and homophobes as something less than human love. The World Health Organization (WHO) listed homosexuality as a disease but finally dropped it from its list in 1992. Homosexuality is not a dreaded, infectious disease that must be feared and avoided. Having been pathologized for ages, there are still some people today who think it’s contagious. This explains ignorant comments like, “Ayan, sama ng sama kasi sa mga bakla, naging bakla tuloy.” This is wrong and totally obsolete.

I am a staunch advocate of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) rights. I believe there is an urgent need to stop harassment and discrimination against lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT). The LGBT struggle is for equal rights/human rights not special rights.

God created all human beings equal. My love as a gay man is not inferior to any kind of human love. It is the same heart that beats for all. US President Barack Obama once declared that “our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like everyone else under the law — for if we are truly created equal, then surely, the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.”

So every time there is an opportunity for me to give my support to the LGBT community, I, most of the time, accept invitations just like in the recent taping of the It Gets Better video together with The Honorable Harry K. Thomas Jr., the US ambassador to the Philippines. To celebrate LGBT Pride this month, the US Embassy in Manila and Ambassador Thomas take part in the global effort to end discrimination and bullying of any form.

It was a great pleasure collaborating with Ambassador Thomas who is an active supporter of human rights, including LGBT rights. He has done immeasurable things to spread awareness about LGBT rights. In addition to hosting an annual Pride Reception to recognize the efforts and advancements in the LGBT community, the Ambassador continues to engage local media such as Outreach Magazine, bloggers and university groups. The ambassador also coordinates LGBT efforts for the US Embassy, most notably: Providing grant funding for capacity building on LGBT issues at the Commission on Human Rights, supporting an LGBT focus group between the US Department of Justice, the Philippine Supreme Court, and the Philippine Judicial Academy, and donating LGBT library materials to the University of the Philippines Center for Women’s Studies.

In September 2010, syndicated columnist and author Dan Savage together with his partner Terry Miller created a YouTube video. This was in response to the alarming suicide rates of teenagers who were bullied in school. The main goal was to create a personal way for supporters everywhere to send messages of encouragement to the LGBT youth that their lives will improve. That it can get better. That they are not alone in their battle against bullying and discrimination.

As stated in its official website, (http://www.itgetsbetter.org/pages/about-it-gets-better-project/), the It Gets Better Project “has received submissions from celebrities, organizations, activists, politicians and media personalities, including President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Adam Lambert, Anne Hathaway, Colin Farrell, Matthew Morrison of Glee, Joe Jonas, Joel Madden, Ke$ha, Sarah Silverman, Tim Gunn, Ellen DeGeneres, Suze Orman, the staffs of The Gap, Google, Facebook, Pixar, the Broadway community, and many more.”

It further stated, “The ItGetsBetter.org is a place where young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender can see how love and happiness can be a reality in their future. It’s a place where our straight allies can visit and support their friends and family members. It’s a place where people can share their stories, take the It Gets Better Project pledge and watch videos of love and support.”

Ambassador Thomas shared this story during the taping of the It Gets Better video: “In high school, I was bullied both verbally and physically by a senior classmate. Every day, I took two trains and a bus to school. During those rides I was abused so much that I had to alter my route just to avoid the harassment. No one should have to alter their lifestyle out of fear — no one. While those memories vividly remain, I can attest that it does get better. But more importantly I confess that I too have said things or done things that affected others in a negative way — everyone does. So while we stand up for those being bullied we must also look inside ourselves to stop those actions that make others feel threatened.”

If you are being discriminated or bullied, you must remember that you are not alone. Like what I said in the video, “whenever you feel like the world is against you, just know that you are not alone. There are people who love and support you. You have friends, family, co-workers and partners who stand with you in the fight against discrimination. So, embrace your individuality and stand up for equality everywhere. You are not alone. It can only get better.”

Here is the link to the It Gets Better video featuring Ambassador Thomas, myself and other embassy employees: 

http://youtu.be/0c1rhzgcol0