Councilor dilly-dallies on SOGIE, same-sex marriage

By: Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Bacolod City Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr., chair of committee on human rights, said he is currently unable to make a stand on the proposed Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Equality and the same-sex marriage bills.

Gamboa said it is high-time to take into consideration the issues involving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and others (LGBTQ+) community as they have started voicing out their sentiments.

While he respects the city’s LGBTQ community, Gamboa hoped they would also respect the customs and traditions of the community as a whole.

Gamboa made the pronouncements in the light of his proposed ordinance which seeks the formation of an Anti-Discrimination Council.

He said they would hold another public hearing on the proposal and he expects that it will be passed by the Sangguniang Panlungsod before end of September.

The SOGIE equality bill came into the spotlight earlier this month after transgender woman Gretchen Diez was detained by police following a brief misunderstanding when she was denied using the female comfort room.

If passed into law, the SOGIE bill will prohibit stigmatizing the LGBTQ in media and denying a person access to an institution, service, or establishment based on his or her sexual orientation.