MANILA, Philippines – Is there hope for the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression and Sex Characteristics Equality Act, better known as the SOGIE bill, to be passed by the 19th Congress?  

The controversial bill has been languishing in the Philippine legislature for more than two decades as key lawmakers allied with religious organizations have succeeded in blocking the measure. In recent years, online hate and disinformation have also entered the picture and made the fight to pass the legislation even more difficult. 

How did the anti-SOGIE communities online exponentially grow from then? What are the dangerous and false narratives that have been peddled around the bill? How do these impact LGBTQ+ members and advocates in real life? 

In partnership with data consultancy Nerve, we recently released an investigative piece which tackled all these questions. The same story was also lauded by the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, saying the story is “commendable for its data-driven presentation and well-researched, original insights into the topic.”

Disinformation on SOGIE bill spreads as Filipino queers face real-world discrimination

To further discuss this topic, we are inviting Rappler+ members to an exclusive online briefing on this latest investigative work with disinformation researcher Don Kevin Hapal at 6:30 pm Manila time, on Tuesday, March 14. 

Sign up for Rappler+ at rappler.com/plus to join the discussion, receive exclusive content, and access our online events. – Rappler.com