SOGIE Bill Debate Speech

#34 VALERIO, ANSLEY B. 10-HEBREWS

Greetings! I would like to express a warm welcome to the adjudicator presiding over us
today, fellow debaters, teacher and classmates.

First, I will be introducing myself: My name is Ansley Valerio, and the motion being
debated today is in regards to the SOGIE Bill.

The Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression Bill, also known as House Bill
4982, was recently passed through the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family
Relations, and Gender Equality. Nineteen out of twenty-four senators signed the
committee report. In the year 2000, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago filed the first
version of the SOGIE Equality Bill.

The aim of SOGIE is to protect the LGBTQI+ community and other marginalized groups
against discrimination. The equal protection clause from the 1987 Philippine
Constitution is also accounted for in this bill.

I propose the legislation of the SOGIE bill, and for its implementation in our
government and society.

Consider the following: The German portal Spartacus in its 2021 Gay Travel Index showed
that the Philippines ranked 117th out of 202 countries and territories as ideal
destinations for gay travelers.This year, the Social Weather Station (SWS) also
surveyed that 40 percent of Filipinos wanted to change their gay or lesbian family
members to become straight men or women.

I’d like to make it clear that SOGIE will not only benefit the LGBTQI+ community: In
fact, women have significantly lower employment rates than men, which in 2012 gave rise
to a gender gap of 26.2 percentage points in the employment rate.In a case wherein a
cisgender applicant is denied employment for his/her gender identity, he/she will be
under the protection of the SOGIE bill.

Alternatively, many religious and political groups have opposed House Bill 4982.A
notable example is Eduardo Villanueva, a party list representative in the House, who
disturbed a hearing apropos the House versions of the bill. Nancy Binay stated “I
mean, for example, ako, I’ve been discriminated over my (skin) color. Does that mean
that I need to file a bill to protect people like me?”While brown skin is slowly being
accepted more through social media trends, people of a darker hue still experience
discrimination. Namely the whitening advertisements we see in billboards, and portrayal
in mass media.

SOGIE does not give preferential treatment to the LGBTQI+ community. To reinforce my
point, this bill is simply encouraging substantive equality. Substantive equality is
acknowledging factors such as age, gender, marginalized groups, socioeconomic status,
etc. that may lead to inequality of opportunity and outcome.

Enforcing non-discrimination in the Philippines will require the recognition of the

prejudice that LGBTQI+ people experience. In conclusion, the legislation of House Bill
4982 is one of the first steps needed to achieve a fairer and more equitable society.

Sources:
https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/disinformation-sogie-bill-spreads-filipino-queers-
face-real-world-discrimination
https://www.amnesty.org.ph/campaigns/sogiesc/
https://chr.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Comprehensive-Anti-Discrimination-Bills-
in-the-17th-Congress-of-the-House-of-Representatives-House-Bills-
Nos.-79-491-576-1556-3312-3468-3541-3895.pdf
https://www.divinalaw.com/news-and-updates/sogie-equality-bill/
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/05/23/sws-majority-of-filipinos-see-gays-lesbians-
trustworthy
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1617171/ideal-countries-for-gay-travel-ph-ranks-low
https://jurnal.unej.ac.id/index.php/JSEAHR/article/download/12810/8390
https://www.onenews.ph/articles/why-not-a-general-anti-discrimination-measure-instead-
of-sogie-bills
Rebuttal answers and questions:
★ How will SOGIE bill affect the religious community in the Philippines, considering
the fact that they are over 90%?
Answer:
★ What benefit does SOGIE give to cisgender people?
Answer:
★ What about the other existing anti-discrimination laws we have?
Answer:
★
Answer: