Philippines: Women, LGBT urged to fight bigotry

Rep. Geraldine Roman of Bataan, Philippines first transgender lawmaker, called on women and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community to resist discrimination.

“In Congress, I still hear my male colleagues saying, oh women, don’t talk to them because they are fickle minded. There’s a bill extending maternity leave for 100 days? The males would say, why such extension [from existing 60 days]? These women are so demanding when what they do is just to breastfeed the baby. There are even women who oppose these measure. These things really get under my skin!” Roman stressed.

The lawmaker, one of the authors of the Anti-Discrimination bill which prohibits discrimination of lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgenders in the workplace and educational institutions, shared that she also suffered discriminatory attacks from her political opponents who mocked her by calling her a castrated chicken who would shortchange her constituents since she would only push for the concerns of the LGBT.

Read more at Manila Times.

Photo by Benson Kua [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons