President parties with LGBT members

Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2019 08:28:28 +0000

PRESIDENT Duterte greets Gretchen Diez, a member of the LGBT Pilipinas Inc., during the thanksgiving gathering the Chief Executive he hosted in Malacañang. (Presidential photo)

President Duterte hosted a thanksgiving party for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in Malacañang Tuesday.

The President administered the oath of office of national officials of LGBT Pilipinas Inc. and exchanged pleasantries with its members at the Malacañang Heroes Hall.

LGBT Pilipinas, chaired by Faustino “Bubsie” Sabarez III, is a non-government organization that is among the prime movers of the proposed Anti-Discrimination Act and the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression bill, according to the group’s Facebook page.

Also seen during the thanksgiving party was Gretchen Diez, a transgender woman who gained unexpected prominence after being barred from entering a women’s comfort room in a mall in Cubao, Quezon City last August.

The restroom incident involving Diez has prompted renewed call for the passage of SOGIE bill in the 18th Congress.

The SOGIE measure, which aims to protect the rights of individuals against discrimination, was approved by the House of Representatives in 2017, but its version in the Senate only reached the period of interpellations.

Duterte on Sept. 10 promised to certify SOGIE bill as urgent to make LGBT community “happy.”

A day later, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo clarified that the Chief Executive was referring to the anti-discrimination bill that will serve as “enlarged version of whatever bill you have in mind,” including the proposed SOGIE law.

The President shared with members of LGBT Pi
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