LGBT People: We Need to Act Now!

Speak NOW or forver hold your peace...

“What would you do? …if you were thrown out of your house as a kid? …if you were beaten up in school and your teachers did nothing? …if you were fired from your job? …if you were banned from serving in our military? …if a landlord refused to rent to you? …if a doctor refused to treat you? …if you could not marry the person you love? …if your kids were taken away from you? …if the government denied... 1,100 benefits to you and your spouse, but not to other couples? …if the government deported your spouse? …if the hospital prevented you from saying good-bye as your partner lay dying alone? Welcome To Our Lives. We are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Americans.” 

 ~The Dallas Principles

The things mentioned above had already happened in the West. There is no doubt that these things will also happen in the Philippines. Some of it have already happened. I, for one, was kicked out from my house because my father couldn't accept that I am gay. I know students who were bullied not by their schoolmates, but by their teachers because of their sexual orientation. I have heard news and stories about people in the LGBT Community being killed because they were perceived as queers - weak, other than other motives behind. I have seen people who were shamed and looked down simply because they dress according to their gender identity. Sad to say, we are a people whom the general public give less value.

If we continue on being silent, then am pretty sure the rest of those things mentioned above will likely to happen. If we do not stand up against the prejudices, the bullying, the acts of discrimination against us and the community to which we are members, then expect that our great great great grandchildren will experience worse than what we have experienced. If we tolerate people shaming us, looking down on us, and stepping on to our dignity, then we'd die hiding, ashamed, undignified.

We are a people. Like those who call themselves straight, we are like them. We breathe the same air, need the same sun, walk on the same ground. We eat like they do. We get hurt like they do. We experience happiness, sadness, grief and pain like everyone does. We are entitled to rights which every human being is entitled to enjoy.Yet, we are still considered different.

Are we to wait for the worst to come before we act? Are we going to allow the discrimination against our community to continue? Are we just going to hide in the closet, afraid to tell the world who we really are? Are we just going to keep silent knowing the fact that people die because the public see them as different? Are we just going to sit in a corner and wait until bad things happen to us or to someone we know?

We need to act now. Now is the right time. If not, when?

Our lives as LGBT people will not be easy unless we work together and stand for our rights. We have to show the world that our time has come. We have to step out of the closet and shout to the world that we are proud of who we are and won't tolerate indignation.

We are who we are. We are a people.