Expect rough sailing on Sogie bill – Escudero
SENATE President Francis Escudero expects the proposed Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (Sogie) equality bill to «face rough sailing» in the Senate.
Escudero was asked to comment on the call of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for Congress to pass the Sogie bill.
The measure calls for the protection of all persons, regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.
Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero (Joseph B. Vidal/Senate Social Media Unit)«Unless the proponents of the Sogie bill accede to some amendments, it will continue to face rough sailing in the Senate,» Escudero said in a text message Monday.
On the other hand, he sees the anti-discrimination bill as having a better chance of getting approved.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros disagrees with Escudero, saying 19 senators support the proposed Sogie equality law.
AdvertisementSenate Bill 139, or the proposed Sogie Equality Act, filed by Hontiveros in July 2022, passed the committee level in December of that year, but had been pending for second reading.
SB 139 will protect foremost LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) persons from discrimination and harassment in schools, workplaces, and public spaces.
«Nineteen of my colleagues signed the committee report on the Sogie Equality Bill. That should speak to its acceptability across the aisle,» Hontiveros said in a statement.
She said she has asked Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino to look into the committee report, which has remained pending in the Committee on Rules, «and he has promised to do so.»
AdvertisementHontiveros expressed hope that the new Senate leadership «would stand up for our LGBTQ+ community this Pride Month and to their daily lives as individuals.»
Pride Month is traditionally celebrated in June by the LGBTQ+ community due to its historic link to Stonewall in 1969 in New York City, which signaled LGBTQ+ activism.
«For the United Nations Population Fund, Pride Month is a call to action. It's a time to amplify our commitment to ensuring that every individual, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, is entitled to their human rights, including access to
