LGBT Rights Are Human Rights by Mary Kristine Antonio & Isabelita Solamo

“ Sexual & bodily rights are universal human rights based on the inherent freedom, dignity, & equality of all human beings & they are central to the attainment of gender justice, women’s rights, & rights of all human beings of all sexual orientations & gender identities. The advancement of these rights is crucial for the advancement of democracy & the well being of our communities & development. It goes hand in hand with the struggle for economic rights & adequate standards of living for all.” – from the Core values of CSBR


Across cultures worldwide and for a time now, the LGBT movement has been challenging the dominant assumptions of the “universal” heterosexual institution. Heterosexuality as an institution is a set of ideas & practices. Of course, heterosexuality as a historical term is related to women’s reproductive role. Or put it another way, the coital ( read: penis & vagina) imperative is related to the reproductive imperative. So, for non-reproductive matters, how is the sex act socially constructed in relation to pleasure? There are many myths and we surely need to have sexuality education.

A proposed House Bill 1483 in the Philippine Congress defines sexual orientation as “ the direction of emotional sexual attraction or conduct. This can be people of the same sex (homosexual orientation) or towards people of both sexes ( bisexual orientation) or towards people of the opposite sex (heterosexual orientation).” The challenge, at hand, is to understand or to promote “alternative discourses” from other sexual orientations. What are the “others” which are outside the norm or the “charmed circle”? There is a hierarchy of sex acts and the hierachy has privileged heterosexual acts. Is heterosexuality the only paradigm for sexuality & sexual pleasure? Is coitus needed for sexual pleasure? In this sense, celibacy is also a form of sexuality. The patchwork of sexual pleasure is how to articulate that the coital imperative is not the sole pathway to sexual well being. The heterosexuals have a lot to learn from other sexual orientations.


Much of our world divides the right against hunger and the right to pleasure.
There is an artificial separation of needs between the poor women and rich women, between first world and third world countries: namely, that the first world needs freedom for sexual pleasure while the third world like the Philippines needs freedom from poverty. Feminist politics must be linked to all aspects of development. Women’s position in the global economy must relink to ethics to materiality of our bodies to the world.

Sexuality is so related to development. Sexuality can bring either happiness or hopelessness, well being or misery, or between life and death. For example, as an acknowledgment that indeed many people around the world are killed every year because of their sexual orientation, the good news in 2010 is that the outcome of voting at the United Nations which is to protect the Lesbians, Gay, Bi-sexuals & Transgenders (LGBT) people from extrajudicial executions has been finalized in the direction to restore the reference to sexual orientation.

The women’s movement has had great help from the LGBT community in the promotion of the salience of sexuality to women’s well being and in the campaign against violence. Homosexuality is not only a sexual preference; it is also a political act. Feminism which is the awareness that there is patriarchy and oppression of women is in itself an alternative to male power towards gender equality. It is in solidarity with our lesbian & gay friends who share the same vision and advocacy for human rights and bodily autonomy that we should lend our ears to what our LGBT community is saying.

In the 11th Congress, a bill for gays or the Anti Discrimination Bill (H.B. 2784) was filed under the auspices of the legislators who were members of the Committee on Human Rights. The authors were Rep. Etta Rosales in the House and Senator Miriam Santiago in the Senate. In the 15th Congress, House Bill 1483, a bill defining discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity was drafted. But, given the snail paced passage of sexuality laws in Congress, we are hopeful that our own Davao City which has been trailblazing in policies for women & disadvantaged sectors will pass an ordinance that will prevent discrimination against the LGBT people.

So, on the occasion of our international event dubbed as ONE DAY ONE STRUGGLE, by our Coalition For Sexual & Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR), PILIPINA Legal Resources Center in cooperation with PHILSSA is facilitating a policy forum on LGBT Rights as Human Rights on Nov 9, 2011 under the auspices of the office of Councilor Pilar Braga at the Davao City Legislative Council Offices.