CAGAYAN de Oro City Councilor Girlie Balaba has vowed to fast-track her version of the anti-discrimination ordinance to promote compassion toward the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer plus (LGBTQ+) community in the city.

Balaba said this is to avoid the incident in Quezon City where a transgender woman was detained for trying to pee in a comfort room for women in a mall.

Balaba said her ordinance will include all minority groups in the society, but will mainly focus on the LGBTQ+ side.

"Gamay nga butang lang unta ang CR, hatagan lang unta ug respeto kung unsa iyang preference. This is about humanity," she said.

Balaba, whose campaign promise is to advance LGBT rights, said she plans to include in the ordinance a gender neutral comfort room in all business establishments in the city.

Jam Dacer, a transgender woman from Barangay Pagatpat, said the same incident has happened to her and her transgender women friends in a mall in Cagayan de Oro City.

Dacer said she had tried to use the CR for women thrice and was told to get out by mall maintenance personnel.

"Mapugos nalang mi sa lalaki, pero before mi mangihi, icheck sa namo kung mingaw kay daghan pud, kanchawan man mi. Kung crowded gyud, muadto nalang mi sa laing mall para mag-CR," Dacer said.

Dacer hopes that every business in the city build a gender neutral restroom for members of the LGBT community like her.

"Dili man siguro sala kung gusto mi mangihi kung asa mi komportable," she added.

Meanwhile, Balaba also said the ordinance will not only cover the LGBTQ+ community but also those minorities that are in disadvantage in the mainstream society.

"The anti-discrimination ordinance will include against gender inequality, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, (people with different) race/faith," she said.