What is LGBTQ+?

LGBTQ is an acronym that stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer, and is used to designate a
community of people whose sexual or gender identities can create shared political and social concerns. The LGBTQ
acronym does not encompass everybody and different organisations may use fewer or more letters, for example,
an ‘I’ to indicate Intersex* people.

For the purpose of simplification the commonly accepted definitions of important terms and concepts have been
given below. But first it’s important to introduce the concept of ‘self-definition’. Essentially, it is important that
people preserve the right to self-define into any or none of the categories below. It is not for others to dictate how
we define, or which box society can most comfortably place us into.

Lesbian: A woman who is attracted to other women.

Gay: A man who is attracted to other men.

Bisexual: An individual who is attracted to both genders.

Trans: An umbrella term that seeks to incorporate individuals whose gender identities do not match their
biological sex, for example, somebody who is born male-bodied and identifies as a woman. The term ‘Trans’
includes those who are pre or post surgery and those who do not wish to undertake surgery to alter their sex.

A distinction is posed between sex (male/female) which is a biological given at birth, and gender (man/woman)
which is a sociological and psychological construction concerned with characteristics that are not biological.

Queer: Individuals who experience fluidity in their experience of sexuality or gender and therefore do not identify
strictly as LGB or T. The term ‘Queer’ can also include those who do not identify as either gender.

Further Useful Definitions:

Heterosexual: An individual who is attracted to members of the opposite gender.

Cisgendered: When an individual’s gender identity matches their biological sex.

*Intersex: An individual who is born with biological characteristics of both sexes. Intersex individuals are
sometimes included within the LGBTQ acronym.

Heteronormative: Heteronormativity is a set of lifestyle norms that imply that people fall into only one of two
distinct and complementary genders with each having certain natural roles in life, and that heterosexuality is the
only normal sexual orientation.

Asexuality: An asexual person is someone who doesn’t experience sexual attraction towards others, regardless of
gender. The general estimate is that 1% of the world’s population is asexual; this is based on a survey carried out
by Kinsey and is not held to be conclusive. Some asexuals do experience arousal and may or may not masturbate.
Some asexuals even have sex, often as a concession within a relationship. However, many asexuals are repulsed by
the idea of engaging in sex personally, or feel that it wouldn’t be ‘natural’ for them. This does not necessarily mean
that they hold negative opinions about sex in general, but it may influence their relationships.

*Proceeds to differentiate Sexual Orientation from Gender Identity*

To the family specialist/sociologist/antropologists, since it is the norm that a family is composed of a father
(male) and a mother (female) how can you teach or rather avoid confusion if a child is raised by same
sex parents?
Functionalist view on Same-Sex Families

Functionalist Perspective Theorists in this perspective examine how society maintains our social order. Émile
Durkheim argued that our social order depended on how well society could control individual behavior.
Our most basic human behavior—our sexuality—is controlled by society’s norms and values. Functionalists
identify how society upholds heterosexuality and a marital union between a man and a woman as ideal
normative behavior. This is also referred to as institutionalized heterosexuality, the set of ideas,
institutions, and relationships that define the heterosexual family as the societal norm (Lind 2004).
What is the New Right?
The New Right believes the family is the cornerstone of society. They see the ideal family is that of the nuclear unit,
a heterosexual relationship based on love and commitment with the reproduction of children. They believe the cause
of decline in the nuclear family is due to the change in society, which is threatening the norms of marriage. They
believe it shall all be resolved with the return of the traditional family norms.
How is society structured from a traditionalist or functionalist point of view?
As I said earlier functionalists believe rules and regulations guide society, they believe it forms the basis of consensus.
They see society structured like the human body; every part has an important role to play and a significant
contribution to give. Society can be separated into three separate classes; the ruling class and the working class (who
by functionalists are seen as equal members) and the underclass which includes same-sex relationships, single
parents etc. according to the beliefs of the New Right. So therefore from a functionalists point of view same-sex
relationships are what they’d call a temporary disturbance. So their solution is to have it challenged through the
legal system.
What is the traditional family then?
The traditional family is seen as the basis of a nuclear unit, mum, dad and kids!
So how do we define a family in the 21st Century?
There are still a lot of families all over the world that conforms to what society expects. But there is a rise in
alternative families. So, in what we call the real world a family can be defined as a range of social, cultural, economic
and symbolic meanings. There are several variations on what a family could be; it doesn’t always follow the basic
nuclear family. I think the definition a 21st Century family would be: A household in which 1 or 2 adults who have a
loving and committed relationship raise their children.
How does society treat the ‘underclass’?
In today’s society same-sex couples are becoming more and more common, and they contribute just as much to
society as the average heterosexual couple.
So why is it so hard for same-sex families to live like everyone else? Because society disapproves.

According to conventional wisdom, research regarding outcomes for children of parents in same-sex relationships
shows “no difference.” For example, the American Psychological Association (APA) stated in 2005 that “not a single
study has found children of lesbian or gay parents to be disadvantaged in any significant respect relative to
children of heterosexual parents.”[1] This conclusion has been cited in the judicial proceedings on the nature of
marriage. For example, Judge Vaughn Walker’s decision regarding Proposition 8, California’s constitutional
amendment defining marriage, stated: “The research supporting this conclusion is accepted beyond serious debate
in the field of developmental psychology.”[2]

However, a number of researchers have pointed out significant methodological problems with the research that
would cast doubt on the conclusiveness of the “no difference” findings.[3] Even some researchers supportive of
same-sex parenting have acknowledged the significant methodological limitations in the research to
date.[4] Examples of the methodological problems are discussed below, as well as a profile of the recently released
New Family Structures Study, which has raised the bar on quality of research in this area. Given the magnitude of
the policy issues under debate, much more study is needed.

Source: http://www.heritage.org/marriage-and-family/report/impact-same-sex-parenting-children-
evaluating-the-research

What are the privileges and prejudices by the lgbts in PH society?

Schools should be safe places for everyone. But in the Philippines, students who are lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) too often find that their schooling experience is marred by bullying,
discrimination, lack of access to LGBT-related information, and in some cases, physical or sexual assault.
These abuses can cause deep and lasting harm and curtail students’ right to education, protected under
Philippine and international law. (Source: Human Rights Watch)

On the surface, the Philippines may appear to be one of the more “liberal” ASEAN countries when it
comes to the LGBT community.

Homosexuality is not criminalized, and a handful of anti-discrimination ordinances (both those

specifically protecting LGBT persons and more broadly-worded decrees) have been passed in some
cities, including Quezon City, Cebu City and Davao City, in recent years. In another win, in 2009 the
Philippines lifted a ban that had prevented openly gay and bisexual men and women from serving in the
military.

In a 2013 Pew Research Center report about global opinions of the LGBT community, more than 70
percent of Filipinos said homosexuality should be “accepted by society,” making the Philippines the
most “tolerant” nation surveyed in the Asia-Pacific region after Australia.

However, although “there is high tolerance here, there’s not real acceptance,” Ging Cristobal, a Manila-
based activist with the International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission, tells The Huffington Post.

Legal recognition and protection of LGBT people at the national level largely remains absent.

The debate on same-sex marriage has also proved controversial, with the Catholic Church and other
conservative groups speaking out vehemently against marriage equality — the Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines said in 2011 that the “church won’t tolerate same-sex marriage,” adding
that being LGBT is a “choice.”

“Without the right to marry, LGBT Filipinos are treated unequally in a whole host of ways in comparison
to heterosexual married couples,” according to the UNDP/USAID report. There remain “no clear rights
for either spouse in same-sex and transgender-heterosexual partnerships regarding hospital and prison
visitations, making medical and burial decisions, transfer of joint properties, custody of children,
insurance benefits, and other privileges accorded to married and unmarried opposite-sex couples,” the
report continued.

In addition, while a single LGBT person is allowed to adopt a child in the Philippines, two LGBT people
who identify as a domestic couple cannot. (https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/lgbt-
philippines_us_5614f92fe4b021e856d2d870)
Statistics of LGBTQ+ Population in the Philippines

No definitive undertaking has been done to determine the population of the LGBTQ+ community in the
Philippines. Although, there are some studies which can provide us with an estimate on just how many people
identify as neither male nor female but rather as part of the lgbt community.

“Experts” in the field of HIV/AIDS came up with a consensus on the estimated number of “males who have sex with
males” (MSMs) in the Philippines: it is from 379,799 to 804,280.

This is according to the 2005 HIV Estimates in the Philippines, a consensus report released by the Department of
Health, World Health Organization, the United Nations Joint Programme on the HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), and the Field
Epidemiology Training Program Alumni Foundation.

Don’t you think we, the Filipinos are just a slave of our own history? Of our own time? That we should broaden
our way of thinking on greater views of equality?

History and Overview of LGBT Rights in the Philippines

In reviewing the history of LGBT advocacy in the Philippines, reference was made to the early existence of
transvestism and crossing gender in the 16th and 17th century with the babaylan, their disappearance under
Spanish colonialism and the emergence of different gender identities and sexual orientations in the 1960s. From
then, a gay culture rapidly evolved, although with stratification of identity and communities with the adoption of a
Western notion of “gay” by some, mostly wealthier gay men, and the adoption of an indigenous identity. Following
the emergence of gay literature and academic studies, the 90s saw the first demonstrations of political activism
with participation by LGBT communities and organizations in both LGBT-specific marches (pride marches) and
mainstream demonstrations such as International Women’s Day and the 1994 march protesting the Value Added
Tax. The spread of HIV lead to the establishment of key organizations in the early 1990s, at the same time as
lesbian organizations were also founded. LGBT-related writing was found in mainstream and community
publications and the end of the decade saw the first advocacy in the formal political realm with the formation of an
LGBT lobby group and the filing of an anti-discrimination bill. The new millennium saw the expansion of LGBT
organizations in both representation and activities, a rise in LGBT media, and the formation of the LGBT political
party Ang Ladlad. It was noted that challenges for the LGBT movement include the lack of an umbrella
organization, lack of understanding within the LGBT community about SOGI concepts, and a lack of unity due in
part because of class differences. This is within the context of continued social and political challenges for LGBT
communities and individuals and a lack of studies on LGBT rights in the Philippines. In reviewing LGBT rights in the
Philippines, it was noted that the Philippines is signatory to many relevant international covenants promoting
human rights, though LGBT rights are not always supported by the state. Same-sex activity is not criminalized and
sexual orientation is mentioned in various laws. The most important issue in terms of law is considered the lack of
an anti-discrimination bill. Numerous proposals have been made since the 90s without success. Proposed bills in
2013 relate to establishing an LGBT desk in police stations and to allowing same-sex couples to jointly own
property. In the absence of national legislation, anti-discrimination ordinances at the level of local government
units and cities have been recently passed. Transgender people are not allowed to legally change their identity,
first name and sex (intersex people are allowed to do this). At the level of policy, there are both pro and anti-LGBT
policies in various offices, institutions and private establishments. Positive policies include ordinances against
discrimination and gender-based violence and code of ethics that promote the respect of diversity and promoting
LGBT wellbeing. Negative policy relates to the discharge from the military on the basis of sexual orientation and
barring entry to nightclubs for cross-dressers. Cultural and social attitudes towards LGBT people are complex, with
signs of acceptance, particularly among the young, but questions of whether that acceptance is based on LGBT
Filipinos conforming to stereotypes and occupational niches. At the same time, LGBT Filipinos are still being
murdered with 28 LGBT-related killings in the f irst half of 2011. There is some LGBT representation on television
and other electronic media. Religion plays a major role in the lives of Filipinos with the strong influence of the
Roman Catholic Church. This affects LGBT people, though a survey suggests Filipinos are generally accepting of
LGBT people, even while the church opposes anti-discrimination policies and sometimes seeks to influence public
policy in a negative way. Christian “ex-gay” movements have a presence in the Philippines. There are a number of
churches established or led by the LGBT community. There is a dearth of information on the influence of smaller
religions on LGBT people, and on LGBT members of those churches.

On the idea of Civil Union as a substitute for Marriage

To address the practical legal problems faced by unmarried same-sex partners, some people advocate civil unions.

(“Civil union” is a generic term that includes a registered partnership, a civil partnership, and all other formally-
recognised personal union).

However, civil unions do not offer the same legal benefits as marriage, even when the law says they should. This
is because they are not as widely understood or respected. Several recent reports into the operation of civil
schemes in Europe and North America confirm that civil unions are not always recognised by hospitals, schools,
insurers and even government officials.

Lack of recognition is also a problem when civil union partners travel inter-state or internationally. But even if
a solution can be found to these practical problems, legal unions other than marriage do not give same-sex couples
the same social and cultural recognition that comes with marriage. In the words of American marriage equality
advocate, Beth Robinson, “nobody writes songs about civil unions”.

Worse, according to the reports mentioned above civil unions may actually encourage discrimination against
same-sex partners and downgrade the status of their relationships by entrenching a second-class status .

Civil rights historians like Barbara Cox have drawn the parallel between civil unions and former “Jim Crow laws” in
the American south.

“…restricting same-sex couples to civil unions is reminiscent of the racism that relegated African-Americans to
separate railroad cars and separate schools. Our society’s experiences with ‘separate and equal’ have shown that
separation can never result in equality because the separation is based on a belief that a distance needs to be
maintained between those in the privileged position and those placed in the inferior position.”

Civil unions have not only not fulfilled their promise of equal rights and respect for same-sex couples, they appear
to have made matters worse. Instead of eliminating discrimination they have entrenched it. Instead of removing
stigma they have inflamed it. Instead of being a step towards full equality they are a step away.

This is probably why same-sex couples consistently show they prefer marriageto other forms of legal recognition.
In US states where both marriage and civil unions are available to same-sex couples the result is always a higher
take-up rate for marriage.[xi]

This is consistent with Australian research which shows that only 25.6% of same-sex de facto partners would chose
to be in a civil union, and only 17.7% would remain as de factos. Of those currently in a state same-sex civil union
78.3% would prefer to be married under Australian law.
Alternatives to marriage are important for providing legal security and/or formal recognition for those partners
who do not wish to marry. In Australia we are lucky to have strong legal protections for cohabiting de facto couples
and some of the best state civil union schemes in the world. But there is one piece missing from the jigsaw of legal
options available to Australian couples. That piece is marriage for same-sex partners.

References:
[xi] “Marriage, registration and dissolution by same-sex couples in the U.S.”, The Williams Institute, July
2008, http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/research/marriage-and-couples-rights/marriage-registration-and-
dissolution-by-same-sex-couples-in-the-u-s/