“We should be equality champions. Kasi ang paglaban sa karapatan ng LGBTQIA ay paglaban sa karapatan ng ating lahat. In a world and a society where it is already oppressive in nature, to fight is the only thing we have.”
This was the bold remark of Mx. Prince Harvey Arellano, Baklaya founder, spoke against the discrimination that the LGBTQIA+ experienced and how fighting for their rights can promote gender equality in a society during a forum entitled “bakLAYA: Para sa Lipunang Malaya” held at the MSU-GenSan AVR Library, March 13.
According to Mx. Arellano, “Baklaya” is a word derived from “bakla” and “malaya” where it aims to address the gap between policies and current laws that fails to provide solutions to current gender issues and gender equality.
“Bakla has been an inclusive term for all of the gender identities and expressions that we have. So that’s why we play on the word bakla, Baklaya Para sa Lipunang Malaya because in reality, tayong mga bakla mga LGBT are not yet free from discrimination, oppression, marginalization, and subordination,” the founder emphasized.
Moreover, Arellano added that after implementing this Baklaya series, they will transition to intensive policy lobbying, starting in Sultan Kudarat, from the local government unit to the provincial unit.
“It’s because it is very important that we engage our elected officials in these discussions kasi one of the priorities in the Philippine Youth Development Plan is social inclusion and equity as well. So that’s why doon nakahugot ang campaign ng baklaya talaga,” Arrelano said.
Furthermore, the talk of the current law student centered on the basic foundation of SOGIE so that it would instill in the minds of MSUans why there is a fight to push the SOGIE equality bill.
Different genders were specifically discussed, especially the LGBT community, wherein they experience prejudice within society that hinders them from expressing their true identity.
“It takes big courage for them to do it, especially in the society where we are being judged by the choices in our lives. Lalaki ka, ba’t ganyan ka? We should avoid making jokes about it. It’s really offensive in nature. When you think about it, we attack who they are, we attack their self-esteem, and we attack their well-being, and that is not part of our fight,” Arellano explained.
On the other hand, Allan B. Supilanas also centered the discussion of the event on defining the different gender classifications and highlighted the importance of the SOGIE bill being passed as a law.
“Hanggang hindi naipapasa ang SOGIE bill, talagang maha-hang yan siya. That’s why we are calling not just the university but everyone to impart noh doon sa panawagan na ipasa na ang SOGIE bill bilang pagbibigay proteksyon sa mga, hindi lang sa kabaklaan kundi para sa lahat,” Supilanas stressed.
The law student ended the talk by advising the MSUans attending to start making changes within themselves so that discrimination amongst LGBT or gender inequality will not become more prevalent in the future.
Meanwhile, Mx. Ramzel Ivan Hugh Delloro, one of the MSUans who took part in bringing Baklaya to MSU, has been aiming to contribute to a movement to fight for gender equality and for MSU to become a gender-inclusive university.
“I believe as we have finished this [Baklaya], it’s not a revelatory event that it’s going gender-inclusive overnight. But I really believe with the motivation and energy in the room, we are moving closer to that gender-inclusive university,” Delloro noted.
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