Gays, lesbians rally vs discrimination

Some 300 gays and lesbians marched in Malate, Manila, yesterday afternoon to reiterate their demand for lawmakers to stop the Charter change debate and instead focus on passing a pending bill that would outlaw discrimination.

Percy Cendana, deputy secretary general of the Akbayan Gay and Lesbian group, said in a radio interview that the legislators should just "go back to work" and not spend time in trying to convince other members of the House of Representatives to amend the Constitution.

Gay and lesbian groups celebrated their 12th "Gay Pride" parade yesterday, marching from Remedios Circle to nearby Rajah Sulaiman Park. To draw attention to their cause, some of the participants wore costumes and painted their faces. The parade also came with an Ati-Atihan band to make the atmosphere more festive.

Cendena said they have been pushing for the bill for several years now but it had always been put aside. There are still some solons that have voiced opposition to the bill such as Sixth District Rep. Benny Abante, a pastor.

To further rile the congressman, they decided to hold the demonstration in his own city, Manila.

Although more and more gays and lesbians are coming out into the open and have been generally accepted by society, others still complain of discrimination such as being denied employment because of their sexual preference or orientation.

Cendena talked of one school that does not accept homosexuals and even conducts "masculinity tests" for enrollees.

The rallyists demanded equal treatment, pointing out that some gays and lesbians have been recognized for their expertise in several fields. – Evelyn Macairan