QC pride council to convene after transgender’s harassment

MANILA, Philippines — Mayor Joy Belmonte will convene the Quezon City Pride Council today following the harassment of transgender Gretchen Diez at a mall in the city earlier this week.

The council, which is co-chaired by Belmonte and Vice Mayor Gian Sotto, has the oversight function over the implementation of the comprehensive anti-discrimination ordinance.

“The QC Pride Council is the primary initiative of the local government to formulate programs for members of the LGBTQ+,” Belmonte said in Filipino, referring to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community.

“Aside from the designation of gender neutral toilets, there are a lot of other initiatives that have to be strengthened to ensure that the rights of the LGBTQ+ are protected,” she added.

These include the conduct of gender sensitivity training for all companies to discuss the topic of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, Belmonte said.

Earlier, Belmonte condemned the harassment of Diez, who was handcuffed and brought to the police station after she recorded her confrontation with a janitress who barred her from using the women’s restroom.

Belmonte said the management of Farmer’s Plaza in Cubao violated a provision of the city’s Gender Fair Ordinance that requires establishments to have gender neutral restrooms.

Passed in 2014, Quezon City Ordinance No. 2357 sought to eliminate all forms of discrimination “that offend the equal protection clause of the Bill of Rights enshrined in the Constitution.”