President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. assured that the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and more (LGBTQ+) community will be free of discrimination and that their rights will be respected under his administration.
Marcos made the guarantee in a weekly vlog posted on his official Facebook page on Saturday night as he joined the celebration of Pride Month and pledged equal treatment for LGBTQ+ people.
He stated that hoisting the LGBTQ+ community's flag during Pride Month is necessary to show the continuing support, respect, and acknowledgement of the members vital role in society.
Pride Month is an annual global celebration held every June.
Marcos stated that the Philippines, as a "new and free" country, should be open-minded and support LGBTQ+ inclusiveness.
He believes that LGBTQ+ people ought to be recognized for their achievements in their chosen fields.
The LGBTQ+ community also hopes that the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Equality Act will be passed.
The House Committee on Women and Gender Equality adopted it in May after accepting the alternative draft, a consolidation of eight proposals, crafted by the technical working group.
However, the anti-discrimination statute eliminates rejection of a marriage license as a discriminatory act based on a person's sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or sex features.
Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, on the other hand, sees no need to pass the bill and has referred it to the Rules Committee which he leads.
