Power of the pink peso

A month ago, gay impersonator Inday Garutay (real name: Christopher Borja) was already inside the Aruba Bar at Metrowalk to meet a friend and a producer of a show in Japan. With her was her partner. After using the ladies’ toilet, restaurant supervisor Tintin Aguilar rushed to Inday and told her to leave the restaurant. Aguilar allegedly told Inday that Aruba has a dress code and that cross-dressers like her are not allowed to enter the bar.

The words have more pepper in Tagalog. "Mayroon po kaming dress code dito. Bawal po ang cross-dresser. Bawal po ang mga taong katulad mo." It seemed strange, because Inday was already inside the establishment when asked to leave. Moreover, Inday only cross-dresses when he has a show. In short, his cross-dressing is a function of his profession. But since Aguilar was unrelenting, Inday just left. And even if it were not a function of his work, what of it?

Akbayan, Lagablab, Ang Ladlad, Rainbow Rights, and Strap (Society of Transsexual Women in the Philippines) rallied around the cause of Inday Garutay. Civil Case No. 70883-PSG was filed before the Pasig Regional Trial Court. Akbayan lawyer Jae de la Cruz is representing Inday. De la Cruz said the issue is not about defending the right to wear skirts, "but the case is all about equality." The complaint states that "while private establishments do have the right to impose a dress code, it may not – in the guise of implementing such a dress code – discriminate against individuals on the basis of his or her personal condition, i.e., sexual orientation."

Inday also attended the general assembly of Ang Ladlad and said that, now, he understands why lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBTs) are marching on the streets for their rights. "Ngayon ko lang naintindihan na kapag ginawa pala sa iyo ito, ang buong pagkatao mo ang kanilang niyuyurakan," said Inday. During the meeting, he was wearing a plain shirt and jeans.

In their statement, Rainbow Rights noted that the Philippines is a signatory to several international agreements that uphold the human rights of and equal protection for all people. The same equal protection is also enshrined in the Bill of Rights of the Philippine Constitution. The State is further given the duty of ensuring the fundamental equality before the law of women and men.

Inday’s experience makes it clear that we need to pass the Anti-Discrimination Bill, which is pending in Congress as H.B. 634 of Rep. Etta Rosales, and S.B. Nos. 1641 of Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago and 1738 of Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. The passage of the Anti-Discrimination Bill is important since it defines and penalizes practices that discriminate against the LGBT Filipinos. The Senate was supposed to hold a committee hearing on the Anti-Discrimination Bills recently.

We are also taxpayers and citizens of the country and what we demand are equal rights, not special rights.

In the interest of fair play, we tried to communicate with Jasper Chua, the manager of Aruba Bar, for their official comments on the issue, but he declined, saying that the case is already in court. But he promised to give me a statement at the appropriate time. I am, of course, waiting for their words of wisdom with bated breath.

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Last July 18, while a storm howled and the rain fell, I attended a fund-raising concert for Albert Paolo Doña, age 11. Albert has bone cancer (osteo-sarcoma), a dislocated arm and a fracture. He needs continuous non-toxic herbal therapy (B17 drip, immuno-therapy) and immune-system reviving herbal medication.

You see, the young boy’s body seems too young to take conventional chemotherapy sessions that he underwent twice. He has been to hospitals in Manila and Quezon City, where he was given strong antibiotics among other strong measures – to no avail.

And so that night, friends and strangers alike came together to listen to Cookie Chua, whose voice still haunts you like a memory especially on that cold night, a voice that is a combo of honey poured on sandpaper. In between swigs of – was that brandy? – Cookie’s voice rose, turning pitch-perfect with songs like Moon River. I was just buying my lunch at the Ateneo cafeteria when somebody I didn’t know came to me, showed me the fund-raising ticket, and when I saw it was a young child, I bought a ticket. This country may be going to the dogs, but I still believe that hope resides in the young.

Those who want to help Pao could contact his father, Arsenio Doña, at 924-2095. You may also e-mail him at archie_dona@yahoo.com. The family lives at 111 B9, Pook Polaris, UP Diliman, Quezon City, at the rear of the University Hostel, former PCED.

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