ONCE, in a writing workshop, an older writer advised a young poet to write “larger” issues, such as problems of the nation, poverty, injustice. He said his compulsion to write comes in the form of a ghostly presence of the national hero Dr. Jose Rizal watching over his shoulder. He said he could not, in conscience, be confounded by his personal problems while larger matters loom around him. The young poet, he said, should outgrow writing about his gayness and sexuality, and write instead of bigger things, such as perhaps love of country. But to his advice, the young poet impatiently responded, “But the gay issue is an issue of social justice.” While he waxed poetic about his coming out, his sexuality, it was a political assertion of some sort, he said. The rhetorical situation, he said, included an injustice, discrimination, still rearing their ugly heads in the community out there.
The exchanges between the two writers pretty much illustrate the point why the need to highlight June as being the choice LGBT Pride Month for most countries in the world. While other communities pick other times of the year for their pride month, some inspired by milestone policy decisions concerning the sector. The thing simply needed to be talked about.
Taiwan is the latest among countries to approve same-sex marriage after long years of lobbying by the LGBT sector. The passed version of the law superseded the conservative ones that only viewed the partnerships as “same-sex family relationships” or “same-sex unions,” rather than “marriages.”
The older writer in our story represents a good sector in the community that does not quite comprehend the full depth and width of the issues concerning the LGBT community.
In the Philippines, the biggest stumbling block is the Family Code, which defines marriage as “a special contract of permanent union between a man and a woman.” Another hurdle is, of course, the church.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier this month got the flak from the LGBT community after saying, in a speech before the Filipino community in Tokyo, Japan, that he used to be gay, but was “cured” of it because of beautiful women, nothing short of saying queer means sick.
LGBT activists responded by saying the President’s statement was “counterproductive and demeaning.” The World Health Organization had since reclassified homosexuality as a “disorder” into “sexual orientation.”
To recall, in 2017, in an LGBT community gathering in Davao City, the President clarified that although he had nothing against same-sex marriage, the law however needs to be amended. Since then, mainstream talks of policies concerning the community had retreated into nil.
Which is why the Pride Month becomes another important occasion to make noise, to toss into the discussion table LGBT issues again until some concrete policy steps take place. Activists and policy-makers must continue the discussion.
Meantime, this paper throws the Korean finger hearts to the community.