LGBT rights in the Philippines

LGBT rights in the Philippines
LGBT rights in the Philippines
	Philippines
Status	Legal
Gender identity	Transgender people are not allowed to change legal gender
Military	Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people allowed to serve openly since 2009; Some restrictions on gender expression based on legal gender (ie. uniform)
Discrimination protections	None at the national level, but many anti-discrimination ordinances exist at the local government level in some parts of the country
Family rights
Recognition of relationships	None; same-sex civil union bills pending
Restrictions	No constitutional prohibition but the Family Code of the Philippines defined marriage as "a permanent special contract union between a man and a woman".
Adoption	Single individuals are allowed regardless of sexual orientation, but not for same-sex couples. Single LGBT adopters may sometimes be refused to adopt as unfit under "good moral character" criteria.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA+) people in the Republic of the Philippines have faced against a handful of numerous legal challenges, difficulties and hardships in their own native predominately catholic archipelagic homeland lying somewhere within the regional continent of Southeast Asia in the middle of the Malay Archipelago. The LGBTQIA+ group of individuals and communities of Filipinos are often viewed and treated usually with a wide encompassing range of diversely mixed thoughts and reactions by their own filipino families, relatives, friends, communities, educators, politicians, the government, religious leaders/groups and the rest of the general nationwide society of the philippines with either social acceptance or social opposition based on the personally inhibited attitudes, feelings, beliefs, opinions, viewpoints and worldviews of the diversely different racial, ethnic, cultural, traditional, political and religious groups of the southeast asian island's population expressions in their ways of life, living, believing and thinking through the morals, values, norms, mores, cultures, traditions, politics, education, religion and everything else in their own country that they so dearly adhere to.

Multiple varying attitudes, feelings, beliefs and opinions of non-LGBTQIA+ filipino individuals basing their own worldviews and viewpoints of their LGBTQIA+ counterparts can really depends on the local residents in the residences in certain areas and sides where they are living within the many rural or urban parts of a socially liberal or conservative community or communities of the general population living in the Philippines, either residing in a province, city, municipality or somewhere within the National Capital Region (Metro Manila) in a locally protected LGBT-friendly governmental administration, organization, institution, department, facility or office with the help being provided by their own families, relatives, friends, communities, educators, the political and religious leaders within their respective political parties and religious organizations with the law enforcement enforced and reinforced by their side to help and protect the LGBTQIA+ individuals and their community by offering with council services, therapy sessions, asylum retreats or safety shelters in order to safeguard them and gatekeep them form the dangerous situations of violent discriminatory mistreatments and attacks in a unsafe, hostile and deadly environment full of Anti-LGBTQIA+ violent subjugations to promote a wide variety of harmful and detrimental abuses, assaults and harassments through their own intent and motives against them based on the homophobia, biphobia and transphobia they have experienced, encountered, explored and endured throughout their entire lives.

LGBTQIA+ filipino individuals, groups or communities and their well trusted allies (their LGBT-friendly supportive families, relatives, friends, communities, educators, the politicians/governments and various religious leaders/groups) are sometimes or oftentimes faced with numerous amounts pro-LGBT administrations, legislations, bills and laws that are struggling to be passed on a full complete nationwide level to protect, respect, accept and support the legally equal rights of LGBT filipino communities in the Philippines, with their own rights in some parts of the country only existing on a local government level. Filipino individuals within the LGBTQIA+ community in the Philippines also have disadvantages and difficulties in trying to acquire to get their legal equally accessed rights within their own native country in southeast asia (same-sex marriage, civil unions, cohabitations, the right to start a family and have a child or children with pets of their own by many other means as necessary including through any adoption agencies and any other legal rights within many LGBTQIA+ community circles). They also have a higher rate of attempting suicide and developing suicidal ideations.^[5]^[6]

Many bills for LGBT rights have been proposed since, including an anti-discrimination bill, which has been debated since 2000.^[7] Despite failing to pass in the national government, many anti-discrimination ordinances exist at a local government level in eight provinces and various cities in the Philippines, including the capital Manila,^[8] and major cities such as Iloilo City, Cebu City,^[9] and Davao City.^[10]

Meanwhile, an anti-bullying law exists, which includes sexual orientation and gender identity as some of its prohibited grounds.^[11]

In 2022, two civil union bills have been refiled and proposed in Philippine Congress; both of which seek to recognize, provide benefits and protection for same-sex couples in the Philippines.^[12]^[13]

As a member of the United Nations, the Philippines is signatory to various international covenants promoting human rights including LGBT rights.^[14]

Alongside these developments, LGBT movements in the Philippines have been very active and gained some political representation.^[15]^[16]

^ "Padilla seeks to institutionalize same-sex union". Inquirer. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
^ "Civil partnerships for straight, same-sex couples pushed anew in House". The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
^ "CBCP exec: US should respect PHL law regarding same-sex marriage". GMA News. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
^ Abrenica, Jessica; Asuncion, Amabelle; Katigbak, Mona Francesca (June 2001). "Beyond Malakas and Maganda: Re-welcoming the Baybayan into the Filipino Family" (PDF). Philippine Law Journal. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 11, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
^ Suicide Ideaton and Suicide Attempt Among Young Lesbian and Bisexual Filipina Women:Evidence for Disparities in the Philippines by Eric Julian Manalastas
^ "Suicide Ideation and Suicide Attempt Among Young Lesbian and Bisexual Filipina Women: Evidence for Disparities in the Philippines". Researchgate.net.
^ "TIMELINE: SOGIE equality in the Philippines". RAPPLER. August 28, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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^ UNDP, USAID. Being LGBT in Asia: the Philippines Country Report. (Bangkok: USAID, 2014)
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[inquirer_Fernandez-1] "Padilla seeks to institutionalize same-sex union". Inquirer. Retrieved August 23, 2022.

[philstar_gregorio-2] "Civil partnerships for straight, same-sex couples pushed anew in House". The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 23, 2022.

[gmanetwork-3] "CBCP exec: US should respect PHL law regarding same-sex marriage". GMA News. Retrieved April 6, 2014.

[4] Abrenica, Jessica; Asuncion, Amabelle; Katigbak, Mona Francesca (June 2001). "Beyond Malakas and Maganda: Re-welcoming the Baybayan into the Filipino Family" (PDF). Philippine Law Journal. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 11, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2016.

[5] Suicide Ideaton and Suicide Attempt Among Young Lesbian and Bisexual Filipina Women:Evidence for Disparities in the Philippines by Eric Julian Manalastas

[6] "Suicide Ideation and Suicide Attempt Among Young Lesbian and Bisexual Filipina Women: Evidence for Disparities in the Philippines". Researchgate.net.

[7] "TIMELINE: SOGIE equality in the Philippines". RAPPLER. August 28, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2022.

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[:0-14] UNDP, USAID. Being LGBT in Asia: the Philippines Country Report. (Bangkok: USAID, 2014)

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