BATAAN First District Representative Geraldine Roman is pushing for gender equality, equal opportunity and rights for the lesbian, gays, bisexual and transgender community which comprise about 10 percent of the country's population.

Roman was the guest speaker in the Rotary International District Conference held at L'Fisher Hotel in Bacolod City Friday, March 9.

Roman said: I recognized I come from a privileged situation where I have parents who love me, who have supported me and have accepted me for who I am and I received the best kind of education, yet I still suffered from discrimination.”

The lawmaker authored the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression Equality Bill, which was unanimously passed with 198 votes.

But there are efforts led by religious fundamentalists and groups that attempt to malign the good intentions of this bill, Roman said.

There is also an all-out effort by some Senators to kill the bill, Roman added.

This bill aims to protect the LGBT community from discrimination, the lawmaker said.

"I am against discrimination and I cannot understand why others cannot understand this. As a Christian, I do not understand why there is so much hatred and bigotry in their hearts when in my own understanding Christianity is about love, tolerance, and acceptance,” Roman said

The bill is now pending in the Senate.