“Good afternoon, honorable adjudicators, members of the opposing team,

Teacher and audience. I'm the Captain of the affirmative side. This house believes
that Same-sex marriage should be legalized in the Philippines.
" We have to be visible. We should not be ashamed of who we are." - Marsha P.
Johnson
Question: Who among you here has a friend that is part of LGBTQ community?
Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex
or gender. As of 2022, marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized
in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting some 1.35 billion people (17%
of the world's population).
The major difference between a civil marriage and a civil union is that the former can only be
done between a male and a female, whereas a Civil Union allows same-sex unions.
Legalization of same sex marriage in the Philippines
As of the 19th Congress, there is two proposals to introduce same sex unions in the Philippines.
These are House Bill 1015, the Civil Partnership Act, of Bagong Henerasyon representative
Bernadette Herrera (Bernadette Herrera-Dy filed House Bill 1015, or the Civil Partnership Act,
which seeks to recognize civil partnership of same-sex couples. Bagong Henerasyon Party-list
Rep) and Senate Bill 449, the Civil Unions Act of Muslim Senator Robin Padilla. (This proposed
measure therefore seeks to recognize the civil union between two (2) persons of the same or
opposite sex to be able to enjoy the rights, protection, and privileges afforded in this bill.)
Same-Sex Marriage in the Time of Pride in the Philippines
Compared to other countries in Asia and the Pacific, the Philippines is more tolerant of people
who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. A study by Pew Research Center shows that 73%
of Filipinos agree that homosexuality should be accepted.
However, that acceptance has not translated to legislation that would allow people of the same
gender to get married. A survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed that 61% of
1,200 respondents still oppose same-sex marriage.
Allowing same-sex marriage would enable gays and lesbians in the Philippines to marry the
person they love and would strengthen everyone's rights. From a human rights perspective,
broadening civil marriage to couples of the same sex demonstrates respect for the
fundamental rights of equality and nondiscrimination. It should be enshrined in Philippine
law.
The Philippines should join countries including the United States, South Africa, Brazil,
Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, New Zealand, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Sweden,
and Ireland, all of which have enshrined marriage equality in their laws. In Asia, lawmakers in
Taiwan are mulling a draft law that would legalize same-sex marriage. ***
This dissonance can be attributed to many factors such as the strong influence of the Catholic
Church, which hasn’t wavered in its stand that marriage should only be between a man and a
woman.
Falcis argued that The Family Code violates the equal protection of laws under Sec. 1, Article 3
of the Constitution because it treats same-sex couples differently from straight couples and
denies them their fundamental rights.
Importance of Same-Sex Marriage
All of us are human beings at the end of the day. Before labeling each other with the religion
we follow or the people we choose to love. Everyone must realize this fact and act like it. Same-
sex marriage is more than important in today’s time as the world is progressing.
Moreover, people can finally be themselves and own their individuality. Just because someone
does not love a person from the opposite sex, it does not make them wrong. We can love
anyone we want.
In addition, it is better to spend the rest of your life with someone from the same sex you love
rather from the opposite sex whom you don’t even like. People will obviously lead happy lives
with their loved ones rather than being forced to marry someone.
Same-sex marriage gives the other people hope that they can also have a future. In addition, it
paves a brighter path for the LGBTQ community. This community has already suffered enough
due to discrimination. They deserve to be able to marry whomever they wish irrespective of
gender or sex.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/22/19/yes-or-no-congress-asks-pinoys-same-sex-union-
stand
https://www.duranschulze.com/same-sex-marriage-in-the-time-of-pride-in-the-philippines/
https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/06/19/philippine-supreme-court-considers-same-sex-
marriage
https://www.toppr.com/guides/essays/same-sex-marriage-essay/