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| Joseph 'Happily-ever-after' Abaya |
Abaya, who is the second-term Representative of Cavite's 1st District and is the great grandson of the Philippines' first president Emilio Aguinaldo, went on to say that gay couples can "live happily ever after," but mustn't insist on having equal rights like "normal" married couples.
"They are just not entitled to the rights and privileges of being married," he said. "Same sex marriage is violative of the law since the Family Code provides that marriage is always between man and a woman." Ergo, Abaya supports that same-sex unions of any kind are both illegal and unconstitutional.
What is most despicable in his statement, is his opinion that such couples must hush up and stop insisting on having equal rights like "normal" couples. You vile gay people, how dare you ask to be treated as equal citizens under the constitution?! How dare you stand up for your rights?! You must learn your place, stay out of sight, out of mind, and be quiet!
To his mind, Filipino same-sex couples are to live in silence with no rights, no protections, and no recognition. They must accept their second-class status. This is what he considers to be "happily ever after." Yes, doesn't that sound like pure bliss.
What a distasteful line of thought from a leader of a party with the word "Liberal" in it. I've written before of the apparent confusion among LP members about what the word liberal actually means. How a person can claim to be liberal, yet espouse prejudice, policies of intolerance, and oppose equality, is absolutely beyond me.
Recently, Rep. Rene Relampagos filed a bill that seeks to officially bar recognition of same-sex marriages contracted outside of the Philippines. Relampagos was a member of the LDP (a right-wing party) when he was voted into office, but last year switched his affiliation. Can you guess to which party he now belongs? That's right, the LP. Another discriminatory piece of legislation from a party that vows to "fight" discrimination.
If this is your stance, LP, please change the name of your party to something more in line with your views: The "Partway Liberal Party" perhaps? The "Not-Really-Liberal Liberal Party"? Or even the "Liberal-for-Everyone-Except-Gays Party"? So many choices.
Don't call yourself liberal unless you're actually liberal. It gives us genuine liberals out here a bad name.
Per Journal Online story.
