FEATURE / THESPECTRUM
SEPTEMBER TO OCTOBER 2016
PERSISTENT PASSING: The Fight for LGBT Anti-Discrimination Bill
9
ECOBOX
Of Spinterns Aplenty
From Vice Ganda’s well-loved sarcastic humor on It’s Showtime, Charice’s world-class hit singles, to Saturday late-night talks with Boy Abunda, one could say that the third sex is a staple in the common Filipino’s day-to-day living. However, permanence does not equate to acceptance. With the Philippines being ranked by US-based Pew Research Center on its survey titled “The Global Divide on Homosexuality” as the most Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT)-friendly country in Asia, comes the deliberate dismissal of people for the need to pass decrees that ensure the safety of the LGBT community. Although some of the richest and most influential Filipino entertainment stars are widelyaccepted LGBT members, the scope of approval does not extend to every average third sex constituent. This, too, often goes overlooked as ordinary LGBT persons often become the focal point of ridicule and violence. THE WAKE-UP CALL On the 11th of October 2014, 26-year old transwoman Jennifer Laude was found naked on the bathroom floor, with her head leaning on the rim of the toilet bowl inside her motel room in Olongapo City. Previously unaware of her transition, 19-year old U.S. Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton had strangled her to death, stating in court that he was “repulsed” and that he “feared he would be raped”, prompting him to “subdue” her in self-defense. Out of the 29 documented murders of transgendered people since 2008— that being the highest number of reported cases in the Southeast Asian region— only this one sensational case has managed to make the headlines. This, among other instances demonstrating a lack of awareness in the discrimination and vehemence done towards the LGBT community, has prompted Dinagat Islands Representative Kaka Bag-ao for the refiling of House Bill 51 or the Anti-Discrimination Act for the LGBT community. Along with Ifugao Representative Teodoro Baguilat Jr. and Bataan 1st District Representative Geraldine Roman, who is the first transgender woman elected as Philippine congresswoman, Bag-ao seeks to define and penalize
discriminatory practices on the basis of one’s sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI) in terms of: “hiring, firing and demotions; rejection or expulsion from any educational or training institution; giving harsher penalties, punishments, and requirements; refusal and revocation of honors, achievements and licenses; hindrance of use of public facilities; mandatory psychological tests; and harassment or refused protection by law enforcers”. Fines for violators can range from P100,000 to 500,000, or imprisoned for one to six years. Additionally, the court may require community service as punishment. “Prejudicial beliefs and policies based on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, workplaces, commercial establishments and public service limit the exercise and enjoyment of basic human rights and fundamental freedoms,” Bag-ao stated. “Surveys have already shown that a majority of Filipinos are in favor of passing a law that will protect LGBTs, but we have yet to see the manifestation of this support not just inside Congress, but even in the streets where they can march and be heard,” he added. A TIMELINE OF TRIES Throughout former President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III’s term during the 15th and 16th Congress, none of the filed bills on LGBT discrimination have been passed, including Bag-ao’s initial filing of the act under House Bill 110 during his term as representative of the Akbayan party list.
Nevertheless, the legislation of the bill was established as early as 1995, when Representative Rey Calalay filed a bill propositioning to acknowledge the third sex as a sector. Following the move was the formation of the Lesbian Gay Legislative Advocacy Network (LAGABLAB)— the country’s first LGBT lobby group, who also helped in the crafting of the Anti-Discrimination Bill under House Bill 6416 in 2000, filed by late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Akbayan Representative Etta Rosales. Consequently, Rosales filed another attempt (House Bill 5687), only reaching the second reading in the Lower House. Bag-ao stated that “the bill faced stiff opposition in the past and lacked a strong base of supportive legislators”. Meanwhile, Ging Cristobal of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission said that the Anti-Discrimination bill is at a standstill, adding that it is being opposed by legislators who are pressured by the Catholic Church and Catholic denominations. Although the existing versions of the bill do not include same-sex marriage in the provisions, most opposition groups think otherwise, thus the hesitation. “LGBT rights are not special rights, just human rights,” Cristobal countered. THE LASALLIAN LGBT COMMUNITY’S PERSPECTIVE Most Lasallian student members of the LGBT interviewed have said that although they are aware of the existence of such a bill, the
details regarding who are behind its authorization and re-filings are not clear to them. “All I can say is that I am very grateful to the people behind this bill. As a bisexual person, the pushing of this bill helps me believe and have faith that equality can possibly spread from one heart to another and every sorts of gender in this country,” said Tina Joy Dumalay, a third year AB Psychology student who is aware of the said bill being passed in Congress. “We cannot change the fact that close-minded people will always be there to hurt us [...] But the LGBTQ community will not be moved and shattered by this shallow perception. We aim to stand and embrace the rainbow way. This is what makes us a person,” Dumalay continued. Closet lesbian Nicole* added that, “We are still humans, and humans are ought to be respected. And as humans, we have rights. We are still the same in the eyes of God, but it’s what we do that separates us from Him.” Gay and pansexual sophomores Isaiah and Jamie* think that since the University of St. La Salle (USLS) is a Catholic School, the AntiDiscrimination bill has conflict towards religion. “Religion is somewhat tradition. The religious sector barely changes. They always stick with the tradition — the Bible and all that. They don’t adapt to the modern rule with what’s the trend— trends that are important and are crucial to human socio-cultural development,” they expanded. But the two of them believe in the safety of the LGBT community within campus premises, with everyone receiving equal academic and nonacademic opportunity. “We have not really seen tangible experience of discrimination and/ or bullies, but some teachers have their limitations and reservations on the topic of LGBTQA+.” In their opinion, as long as the LGBT community abide by the rules, just as everyone else would, they are safe. In terms of environment, USLS welcomes all. “It’s truly beyond our control if someone’s against LGBT. It’s inevitable. Most Lasallians, though, accept change, so we adapt to what’s new,” they concluded. Permanence does not equate to acceptance. Inclusiveness, however, paves a path that leads to it. *NOT THEIR REAL NAMES
Photo by theheartthrills.wordpress.com
By Starlene Joy B. Portillo | Illustrated by Cedric Lance Militar
By Lyle John B. Balana
Rambutan season has come and gone again. This fruit, which usually comes clad in red, is bought by bulk, split out of its thin skin to be enjoyed as a snack, and eaten in handfuls at a single sitting. But what, exactly, is the origin of this wonderful delicacy? Rambutan was originally a native to Malaysia, then seeded throughout Southeast Asia through migration and trade. Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Borneo all find this close relative of the lychee common, with Thailand being the greatest manufacturer of the fruit worldwide. However it is not as famous, nor as sought after, westwards. Its name is derived from “rambut”, a Malay word which means “hair”, referring to the flexible spines coating its skin. Rambutan trees only bear fruit twice a year, five to six years after being planted. It creates this fruit from petalless flowers lining its branches, resulting in dense clusters ready for picking and eating. It is said that eating rambutans straight from the branch is far better than eating those who had been already parted into individual fruits. The rambutan is composed of three areas. There is the aforementioned hairy skin, which may be reddish or yellowish, depending on the rambutan. The white, sweet flesh, which is best eaten raw, follows. The bitter seed is at its core. Inefficient rambutan eaters usually scrape away at the seed with their teeth, resulting in a woody taste lingering in their tongues.
The rambutan does not have many processed options, unlike apples and peaches. It can be turned into a jam, or sometimes stewed, but that is usually the practical creative limit on its alternative uses, as it is almost exclusively devoured as-is. Since it is a relative of the lychee, it can be used as a replacement for the fruit in salads for something different, usually peeled or pitted. But don’t think that means the rambutan is ignored as a subject of study. In 1950, Philippine agriculturists started a program of selection in a testing plot, located in the Provincial Nursery, Victoria, Oriental Mindoro. Three hundred sixty trees were chosen in the plot. Around 10 years later, 190 trees were bearing fruit, while 196 other trees failed to produce any fruit, mostly on the account of being male. Continued observation led to the selection of 21 clones classified into four groups, dependent on size— very large, large, medium, or small— which led to the different classes of rambutan that more savvy buyers would ask for to assure their picked quarry would have a succulent, satisfying taste. So next time you sink your teeth into a rambutan, think briefly of the clusters it sprang from, the intimidating, bristling spines that had softened to your gaze from repeated exposure and its astonishing lack of resistance, and the seed that you must absolutely not swallow nor bite. A culmination of nutrition, selection, and cloning, easily peeled and eaten.
ART REFLECTING NEGROS By Hezron G. Pios | Photographed by Jhon Aldrin M. Casinas
The sugarcane fields, the cranes and water buffalos, the bahay kubo, the Sacadas and the rise and fall of humidity, all indicate the Negros Island setting. Similarly, these elements have starred in a display to portray the inhabitants whose lives exactly compose the island’s totality and grandeur. Curated by Paolo Rossini Fortaleza, 2004 graduate of BS Computer Engineering in the University of St. La Salle, Laragway sang Negros (translated as “Image of Negros”) commenced last Sept. 20 at Museo de La Salle - Bacolod. It was a group exhibit which gathered six artists, namely, Rolando Dayon, Chalmer Relatorre, Annalyn Trespicio, Leonardo Samson, Ramon delos Santos and Divinia Peñaflor. It ran until October 21, 2016.
The exhibit did not only feature varied sizes of painted canvasses but also miniatures that identify with the common dwellers of the Negros Island. Moreover, the prices ranged from P500 to P20, 000; larger or multiple artworks would cost at least P50, 000. Fortaleza shared that Ramon’s (the group’s sole sculptor) sculptures were no joke in terms of its making process. First, the clay is barehandedly shaped into miniatures (e.g. street vendor, perky kids, and sugar field workers). Next, the sculptures are put inside an oven for a week-long heating process. Then the final step would be intricately coloring the miniatures to give them its distinguishing factors. Comparatively, the exhibit was formed to glean memories
and perceptions out of the artist in creating newer concepts by turning something ordinary into something meaningful. The exhibit itself was proof of how the artists conveyed their personal understanding, experiences and memories
regarding the Negrosanon way of living, specifically those residing by the rural side of the region. The paintings and sculptures depicted farmlands, sunlit fields, varying species of birds, rural house structures, and
many individuals from different walks of life. “They’re not just images or paintings; it might be something personal to the artist, or something personal to the audience. The power of painting isn’t limited to the artist’s capacity himself. The power of painting is that the artist is able to transcend his emotions visually,” said Fortaleza. When asked about the group’s struggles, he noted that effort and time are necessities in an artist’s life. If one creates art only for money, one cannot fully embrace his artistry and identity in the field. And although all of them have established their own families, they persisted for Laragway in spite of the one-month time constriction.
Official Student Media Corps of the University of St. La Salle - USLS Student Activity Center, La Salle Ave., Bacolod City, Negros Occidental 6100 - September-October 2016
Also, Fortaleza shared that art enthusiasts/collectors from other countries don’t look for big names, but rather those who remain consistent and committed to their craft. He personally believes that artists deserve to receive continued support from the government or someone capable of aiding the art scene. He suggested that artists should opt for an art union to serve as a community of veteran and starting artists alike. “For me, I tackle self-conflict in my works while others go for something else. And being an artist is a solitary practice– meaning, an artist’s issue is his own. Lastly, never stop doing art. Because once you’ve chosen art, everyone will expect you to know how to find your way through it,” he concluded.