HAPI and HASH Launch an Awareness Campaign on the SOGIE Bill and HIV/AIDS
By Takudzwa Mazwienduna
Humanist Author
The Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (SOGIE) bill is one of the most progressive pieces of legislation in the Philippines. It is also known as the Anti-Discrimination Bill (ADB), which sums up its purpose. Considering that it was first drafted in the year 2000, one could say it was way ahead of its time and that the constitutionalism at the base of its principles is vital for any democracy. While this gorgeous piece of legislation adorns the Philippines’ constitution, it is surprising that today, 22 years after its introduction, LGBTQIA+ rights are still under threat.
The Philippines has a colorful history of tolerance towards people with different sexual orientations and gender identities. Unfortunately, this history also includes a few chapters of Western imperialism and acculturation (in the form of Christianity): a story that is all too common in most third-world countries. The SOGIE Bill was put in place to counter the homophobia and transphobia that stems from this colonial culture. Homophobic and transphobic incidents still occur regularly in the country despite this bill’s existence. The problem could lie with the lack of civic awareness, which makes sense because discrimination and hate both usually come from a position of ignorance. Humanist Alliance Philippines International (HAPI) joined forces with HIV and AIDS Support House (HASH) to raise awareness of this law, the logic behind it, and its background. They also took the opportunity to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, a virus that the public is usually just as ignorant about, hence why it carries just as much stigma and new cases keep showing up despite the medical breakthroughs of recent years.
Western culture is notorious for being a proponent of binary gender ideology. It is on the verge of reform today albeit with a lot of pushback from its conservatives who believe that this pushback on “traditional values” is misguided. Any anthropologist will point out that the notion of absolute traditional values should always be taken with a huge grain of salt. If these traditional values are dogmatic rather than progressive, they should be thrown out the window altogether. When conservatives talk about traditional values, their scope is very limited in scope with regard to history. The only history they are probably familiar with goes as far as the creation of their contemporary society. Mr. Steven Cross, the HAPI Pride Ambassador who co-chaired the event mentioned an incident of discrimination against a trans woman that was trending in the news that week. This person who discriminated against the trans woman is an example of a conservative whose knowledge of history only goes as far back as the Christianization of the Philippines. Cultural norms have changed or evolved over the generations, and holding on to dogmatic traditional values is very short-sighted. At this point, we should be asking ourselves which cultural attributes are progressive and which ones are dogmatic. This way, we will know which values to keep and the ones to discard.
The presentation also clarified the most common misconceptions surrounding transgender people. The binary gender ideology from the West, cemented by colonial education and religion has led most people to forget that gender is rather fluid. The session was an engaging exploration of what the general public knows about gender versus the facts. Common myths were undressed and insights into gender fluidity, identity, and expression were unveiled. It was satisfying to see this stream of consciousness awakening amongst the people who were gathered there. The public forums in which the so-called traditional values were probably made up a few generations before us probably looked a lot like this gathering where these dogmas were laid to rest.
Miss P from HASH took over the chair, educating people about HIV/AIDS. The most common myths about the virus are about its origins. A Soviet Union-era disinformation campaign now known as Operation Infektion has led many people to believe that it is all a conspiracy. The virus is not a conspiracy and the audience present was brought up to speed about the epidemiologic information encompassing its origins, how it infects people, the treatments available, and how to prevent it. The stigma that surrounds the virus was also deconstructed as the audience got to familiarize themselves with relatable famous figures who had the virus and also spread awareness about it. Free testing was available, and a clear roadmap was drawn on whether to take treatment or prevention measures. The best way to fight HIV/AIDS is to get tested.
