AT LAST! A laudable decision made by the Supreme Court to ban same-sex marriage in the Philippines. A unanimous vote of the High Court ended public debates on this forceful, well-funded, worldwide push by the LGBTQ+ community. The same-sex marriage push has seen victory in many countries, mainly western countries like the US, Canada, Western Europe, and recently, Australia.
Same sex marriage in Australia has been legal since December 9, 2017. Legislation to allow same-sex marriage, the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017, passed the Australian Parliament on December 7, 2017 and received royal assent from the Governor-General the following day. The law came into effect on December 9, immediately recognizing overseas same-sex marriages. The first same-sex wedding under Australian law was held on December 15, 2017. The passage of the law followed a voluntary postal survey of all Australians, in which 61.6 percent of respondents supported legalization of same-sex marriage.
The overwhelmingly high vote for the LGBTQ+ agenda can be explained by the fact that Sydney and other cities like New South Wales have reported high incidence of child sex abuse in State, Church and private volunteer run orphanages as well as high record of incest (mostly fathers turning their young daughters into sex mates), and reports of bestiality.
Why not Sogie Bill for Pinoys?
While same-sex marriage has been to rest in our High Court, the LGBTQ+ are still fighting for the legalization of the Sex Orientation Gender Information Education (Sogie) Bill. Even Bacolod has seen our city council file a version of this bill, authored by Wilson “Jun” Gamboa. Again, the worldwide push for this, and success in passage in the same countries that voted for same-sex marriage is extra-ordinary. Despite not being majority sector in such societies, the SOGIE was legalised by such countries like US, Canada, France, Scandinavian countries, Australia and Great Britain.
But what are the implications of the legalization of Sogie? For my Canadian niece, a principal, in Ontario, Canada, it meant being the subject of suit that sought her removal from her post, for trying to process a middle elementary school kid who one day declared in school, “I am no longer Elizabeth, I am Jack”. It is good that the Principal Union in her district sided with her, and worked for her transfer as principal in another district, populated by more Filipinos attuned to the Christian precept.
Pinoy-Canadian parents have struggled with this growing trend among their own youngsters. One hapless mother sought the help of her Catholic Bishop, but to no avail. In her case, and that of another parent, the Canadian Court ruled that the State has greater authority than the parents to determine “child’s right’ to “transgender even at age 11-12, and seek injection of sex hormones”.
The introduction of mandatory sex education in Britain, including teaching about same-sex relationships and transgender identity, has sparked a backlash from religious parents and faith schools that want to be able to opt out from the new rules. This first overhaul of sex and relationships education in Britain since 2000 sparked criticism from some religious parents and faith schools that want sex education and teaching about LGBT+ relationships to stay optional.
More than 100,000 people signed a petition arguing for the “fundamental right” to opt out of relationship and sex education, triggering a debate in Britain’s parliament. Parent petitions declared, “We have grave concerns about the physical, psychological and spiritual implications of teaching children about certain sexual and relational concepts... and believe that they have no place within a mandatory school curriculum”.
So, where to Pinoys? We should not blindly copy Western trends and shift in values, especially as they counter, our basic Christian, biblical beliefs: Sex is God given at birth, and biological, not “fluid”, subject to individual choice at later age. Same-sex marriage, should not be taught in schools, nor LGBTQ+.