ONA’S ANTI-LGBT STATEMENT UNDERSCORES NEED FOR ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAWS

“Secretary Ona’s statement calling on parents to rein in their homosexual children is discriminatory and dangerous. It promotes bigotry and could bring about a surge of hate crimes against homosexuals. We urge the health secretary to recant his statement and issue an apology to the LGBT community.”

This was according to Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Luz Ilagan following reports of Health Secretary Enrique Ona’s remarks at an AIDS conference suggesting for “parents to rein in their homosexual children and get them tested”.

“Testing for HIV-AIDS should be voluntary and the call for testing and responsibility should not zero-in on a specific sector of Philippine society. Ona’s statement practically makes homosexuality synonymous to HIV-AIDS. It is such a shame that this should come no less from the country’s health secretary,” said Ilagan.

The Gabriela solon further said that Ona’s statement only reveals how deeply-rooted discrimination against the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community is to this day and should prompt the immediate passage of anti-discrimination bills pending in Congress.

Rep. Ilagan is co-author of HB 1483 or the LGBT Anti-Discrimination Act and HB 4653 Creating the National Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia and has filed HR 1460 to look into the prevalence of LGBT killings and hate crimes. “It is our mandate to put in place policies that will help protect those most vulnerable to the violence brought about by bigotry. Let us work to expedite the passage of measure to address discrimination against LGBTs.” Jang Monte, Public Information Officer, Office of Rep. Luzviminda C. Ilagan