The Philippines Needs an Andrew Cuomo

Gov. Cuomo with a thumbs-up for marriage

Andrew Cuomo, Governor of the state of New York, is an awesome guy.  He's straight, he's Catholic, and he's one of the biggest advocates for same-sex marriage in America today.

Gov. Cuomo was instrumental in the passage of New York's Marriage Equality Act last June, and he's being hailed as a hero by progressive groups across the country because he's not letting up in the fight for same-sex couples all across America.

Stepping up to the podium at the Empire State Pride Agenda's gala dinner on October 27, the governor received a standing ovation that lasted for more than one minute.  In his televised and highly publicized speech, Cuomo demanded with intensity in his voice that the discriminatory "Defense of Marriage Act" be repealed by U.S. Congress.  He also made a public call to his fellow governors across the country, to embrace equal rights and push for the legalization of same-sex marriage in their own statehouses.

"We need marriage equality in every state in this nation," said Cuomo boldly and unashamedly.  "Otherwise, no state really has equality, and we will not rest until it is a reality!"

The Philippines needs an Andrew Cuomo.  It desperately needs an influential, progressive, Catholic politician who is willing to stand up and boldly demand that all Filipinos be treated with dignity and equality, on all 7,107 islands.  For the sake of the future of equality in the Philippines, I hope there's a Filipino Andrew Cuomo out there somewhere, and I hope he or she steps up to the podium soon.

Per The New York Times, Oct. 28, 2011

Philippines: Asia's Only Christian Country. Bad Excuse.

I have to admit I've grown quite weary of hearing that the Philippines cannot, should not, and will not offer basic civil rights to same-sex couples because A) "It's Asia's only Christian country," and B) "It's a Catholic country."

These are poor excuses to treat a minority group of Filipinos as second-class citizens.

I hate to burst any bubbles, but for starters the Philippines is not the only majority-Christian country in Asia.  Since 2002 it has shared that distinction with East Timor, when that island nation gained its independence from Indonesia.  East Timor (official name Timor-Leste) is 97% Catholic in fact, which beats the Philippines' 80% Catholic rate.  If you count in other Christian denominations, comprising an additional 10% of the Philippines' population, then that takes you to 90% Christian.

Taiwan's Progressive Candidate for President

Dr. Tsai Ing-wen

Tsai Ing-wen is all about equality, and she's not afraid to fight for it.

As leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Ing-wen is a top contender for the presidency of Taiwan, and campaign season is in full swing in the country widely known as Asia's most progressive and gay-friendly.

Taiwan remains the only Asian country with nationwide anti-discrimination protections in place.  The first, banning sexual orientation discrimination in education, was passed by the Yuan (Taiwanese parliament) in 2003.  The second, which banned discrimination in the workplace, became law in 2007.   Additionally, LGBT rights issues have been a part of high school curricula since the passage of the Gender Equity Education Act of 2003.

Some Good Old Fashioned RH Bill Panic

For a more recent post on RH (and abortion) in the PH, click here.

Are they serious?  Are these for real?  When I saw these they absolutely blew my mind.  Do these people live in a constant state of fear, or what the hell?

When Boys Won't be Boys (Gender Nonconformity in Kids)

"A father has a feminine son who acts like a girl and says he wants to be a girl.  So one day this dad says to his son, 'Hey, come over here and tell me, are you a gay or are you a boy?'  The little boy says, 'I'm a girl, dad.'

The man grabs his son and shoves his head into a barrel full of water, holding him under.  When the boy comes up gasping for air, his dad says, 'One more time... You'd better change your answer... What are you?  A gay or a boy?!'  Again his son says, 'I'm a girl!'  'Oh really?' replies the dad, who proceeds to shove his child's head under the water yet again.

Happy Filipino Family Day!

The fourth Monday of September (the 26th) is designated as Family Day in the Philippines.  So may I wish you all a wonderful day with your families -- no matter what type of family you have!  Family Day also happens to be the culmination of the DSWD's National Family Week in the Philippines.

All families are equally valid and of equal value and worth.  No matter what your family looks like -- whether you're a traditional family with a mommy and daddy, a single parent family, a same-sex family with two mommies or two daddies, a step (blended) or adoptive family, or a grandparent family -- have a great day sharing the love and bond that makes a family a family.

Happy Family Day to ALL families out there, in the Philippines and beyond!

President Aquino on Same-sex Marriage

President Benigno Aquino III

I know that I usually write a lot of negative posts about the status quo in the Philippines.  It's not that I do so by choice, it's just because there's usually very little good news to report when it comes to LGBT rights in the country.  I wish I could post good and optimistic articles all the time, but, unfortunately, it's not a reality.

But President Aquino's trip to the U.S., which he just returned from early this morning, did manage to catch my attention because of something he said about same-sex couples... and it wasn't all bad.

During an open forum following his speech at the Asian Society in New York City, President Aquino was asked for his thoughts on same-sex marriage.  After obvious hesitation and attempts to wiggle out of the question, he finally relented and said this:

British Prime Minister: "It's Time for Marriage Equality"

David Cameron, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and leader of the Conservative Party, has announced his public support for same-sex marriage in the UK.

Yes indeed you read that right, he's a conservative.  But European conservatives are much, much different than Filipino conservatives, or even most American conservatives.  European conservatives may be fiscally conservative, but they typically aren't socially conservative right-wing moralists.  While conservative parties in the Philippines (and the Republican Party in the US) often infuse their dialogue with "religiousity" and church-talk, such is not the case among European conservatives.  As a European I say Thank God for that!