After National Gay Congress, politics as usual

I called it in August when a party was sponsored by a presidential candidate’s media wife in the concert venue owned by her husband.

Dubbed “#KeriBeks: The First National Gay Congress of the Philippines,” it was an evening of entertainment designed to make gay and bisexual men and transgender women feel celebrated (no bisexual women, lesbians, or trans men were invited), but where politicians also made their presence known as part of this night of happiness.

Many fell for it, of course. How could they not when it was a free event where their favorite stars were going to sing their favorite songs? Never mind that it was steeped in obvious political motives – free tickets to any show in the Araneta Coliseum are a prize on their own.

The venue was packed with a carefully screened audience (no LGBTQI advocates and activists allowed) and most of them went home joyful about the night’s cast of celebrity characters.

Ang saya-saya! (Such fun!) It’s party time!

The problem is that the LGBTQ community has been so marginalized that it’s easy for us to misinterpret a party with gay people as proof that we are loved. We are so hungry for acceptance that a politician posing for pictures with us must mean that they have our backs.

The reality couldn’t be further from the truth. The same face that presented itself as an ally of the gay community that evening just reiterated his stand the other day that he still believes we shouldn’t have what is readily available to all other citizens of a country he hopes to lead.

“May mga kamag-anak ako na close na close [who] have partners and nirerespeto ko sila, minamahal ko sila, tinatanggap ko sila. Bukas-puso, bukas-loob ang aking pagtrato sa kanila (I have relatives I am very close with who have partners I respect, I love them and accept them. I treat them with open heart and open self),” he said in a recent interview where he said that he is against same-sex marriage “as a matter of public policy.”

A matter of public policy

Another classic case of the old “I love you but you cannot have what I have” – a line we hear way too often that is not only illogical and hypocritical, but also bigoted and discriminatory. But public policy must rule!

In simpler terms, Mar Roxas is fine with his gay relatives’ relationships but wouldn’t want their families to be as secure as his because it’s bad for his political horizon. If he already feels this way about his relatives, you can just imagine how little he would care about those with whom he shares no ties.

Understandably, the approval of the Catholic Church is more coveted by politicians than that of the LGBTQI community, so it’s best to abide by their outdated wishes.

The funny thing is that the Catholic Church never sang and danced with the members of the gay community a few months ago and presented themselves as allies.

This political power couple did and were successful in making their audience believe their show of love and support was for real, instead of smoke and mirrors like I called it at that time.

At least his running mate was brave enough to voice her stand on same-sex unions, saying that the government has no right to dictate or interfere with whom you plan to spend your life.

A far contrast from her chosen presidential candidate, Leni Robredo at least showed some courage in standing up for what she believes is a fundamental human right regardless of her opinion’s backlash.

I don’t know why we would even expect more from Roxas. He is after all, the administration’s endorsed candidate, so we should expect more of the same kind of governance.

While he presents himself as clean and honest as our current president, we all know this kind of apparent conscientiousness has not trickled down to the rest of our country’s leadership. They know it, and the people know it. In this exciting election, voters are making the most vocal of stands.

Alternatives are gaining ground

This is why it is not surprising that alternative candidates are gaining ground, those who don’t have the same political constraints as well as those who promise the most absurd policies are somehow getting the ear of the people.

It’s because they are different and appear brave enough to go against the status quo no matter how the Church or administration feels about them.

Voters are tired of the same speeches and the same kind of governance that lead the country into the sorry pit it’s been in that simple traffic problems cannot be resolved because no one seems to be bothered that the taxpayers who finance this country’s operations cannot make it from home to work and back.

Why is there such strong support for Duterte? Or Poe? Or even Marcos Jr? Because these candidates appear to listen. They have tapped into what strikes a chord in people. They promise change by way of new policies that don’t fold according to the whim of those who might put them in power.

They present themselves as goal-oriented candidates who stand by their principles and don’t say things like they believe their gay relatives’ same-sex relationships should be respected but yet refuse to put this in law.

Whether or not these promises are real or these candidates’ intentions are genuine, the fact is that they are being considered new and refreshing by an exhausted population hungry for change.

The smart candidate will identify its voters’ most fundamental needs and its population’s most oppressed sectors and focus on concrete policies that will protect and improve their lives.

Gays are only good for parties

It doesn’t take a genius to know that the legalization of same-sex marriage is far from seeing the light of day in the Philippines where we can’t even divorce, address population control, or provide reproductive healthcare.

All the promises of improving the lives of those living in poverty do not hold water without birth control or the ability to divorce and remarry. Candidates who see divorce as anti-family are no better than those who refuse to see that reproductive healthcare and contraception are essential in the well-being of children and families. 

The LGBTQI community isn’t a single-issue population. An educated citizen wouldn’t vote for a candidate simply because of their stance on same-sex marriage.

But one who hides under the cover of loving his relatives but not wanting them to have legal protections? Sounds like the same familiar brand of hypocrisy that plays like an outdated repetitive song. Trust that Filipinos have heard it all.

Even without the mention of same-sex marriage, I have yet to see a presidential or vice presidential candidate actively push for the LGBT anti-discrimination law that only seeks equal protections for LGBT citizens.

We don’t seem to have a single ally who will stand up and say we are equal to the rest of the population and deserve laws that say so.

Sadly, there seem to be no takers when it comes to real issues that affect our LGBTQI citizens. Only parties to fool us into believing that we are heard. 

Vote wisely, folks. – Rappler.com