LGBTQIA+ yesterday and today: A teacher’s thoughts and the SOGIE bill

(First of two parts)

CEBU CITY, Philippines – While the country still awaits the fate of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) equality bill, which has come back and forth among the lawmakers in the country for decades now, there have been slight improvements in how the community treats and views LGBTQIA+ members.

This is at least the improvement observed by a Cebuano teacher and a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ family, Luis Gerunda, from Barangay Sambag 1 in Cebu City.

Photo courtesy of Luis Gerunda

“Compared to the younger ones today to the younger ones, myself, before, I could say that the society nowadays is slowly adapting and slowly recognizing the LGBTQIA+ community,” he told CDN Digital.

“For once, in the school or the academe, there is this DepEd order that says that those students who prefer to be part of LGBTQIA+ community are given freedom in such a way that they can express themselves, they can have their gender expression based on SOGIE,” he added.

Gerunda referred to the Department of Education (DepEd) Executive Order No. 32 series of 2017, which protects the community from gender-based violence and discrimination nationwide in DepEd schools.

In September 2022, DepEd central office directed its regional offices to “strictly implement” the EO after an LGBTQIA+ advocate Mela Habija repeatedly called the attention of DepEd to implement the EO as many schools reportedly had not been complying with it.

“Technically, wala man miingon ana before. I am a product of public school from kinder until my masters degree… Higpit jud siya, nga dapat 2 by 3, nga kung manglapas imong mga kapamuhokan diha ginapahakan jud ka,” he said.

(Technically, that was not the situation before. I am a product of the public school from Kinder until my master’s degree…It was really strict that it should be 2 by 3 (hair), that if your hair will exceed that measure, then it will be cut.)

“But now, being a teacher in a public school, in the secondary, senior high school, I even have my students having their hair long… So, I can already say that society is slowly adapting and recognizing the LGBT family, in that sense,” he added.

LGBTQIA+ is an evolving acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer or questioning, and asexual.

Freedom with responsibility

However, Gerunda said that even though he was empowered to express himself as an LGBTQIA+ member in the academe, he did not have to forget that as a teacher, he was expected to assume professionalism and have a sense of social responsibility.

Photo courtesy of Luis Gerunda

READ: FACES OF CEBU: Zoren Alesna, 31, teacher and LGBTQIA+ member

Despite donning long hair while working as a call center agent before joining DepEd, Gerunda personally decided to cut his hair short when he became a full-fledged teacher.

“Though we are empowered to show our gender expression, somehow, for me, it creates confusion, man gud, especially sa mga bata. Kay ako, though naglong hair ko, dili man ko girl-looking or transwoman. I don’t cross-dress and mura’g it creates more confusion ba (to students), and they are (still) slowly accepting pa man,” the teacher said.

(Though we are empowered to show our gender expression, somehow, for me, it really creates confusion, especially to the kids. Because for me, though I have long hair, I don’t look like a girl or a transwoman. I don’t cross-dress and like it creates more confusion (to students), and they are (still) slowly accepting it.)

“Part of my social responsibility is not to create confusion (on my students) kay (because) I know for one, that soon, ma-enlighten ra g’yod na sila (they will be enlightened) of who we are and what we are,” he added.

DepEd 7 Director Salustiano Jimenez explained that professional conduct among teachers would be required to protect them.

“We don’t want also that ang atong LGBTQ members mahug na hinuon nga kataw-an or kasab-an sa mga ginikanan ( of our pupils and students). We also want to protect them. One way to protect them is to tell them to behave professionally,” he said.

(We also don’t want that our LGBTQ members will be a laughingstock or will be scolded by parents (of our pupils and students. We also want to protect them. One way to protect them is to tell them to behave professionally.)

Jimenez shared that division offices in the region had, in fact, organizations for LGBTQIA+ teachers and officials in DepEd.

“I admire them. I appreciate them because they, themselves, check their limitations, and they regulate themselves,” he said.

Jimenez has recognized that LGBTQIA+ teachers are “talented” as he has assured that DepEd is fair and equal in hiring its teachers and personnel.

Teacher: SOGIE bill needed

In Cebu City, several ordinances have been passed and are now still awaiting approval.

Last August 2022, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama signed an ordinance that creates an organizing body for LGBTQIA+ authored by Councilor Jessica Resch. Likewise, Councilor Rey Gealon is pushing for an ordinance to create an overall coordinating office for the LGBTQIA+, which he calls the Cebu City Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs (CCOLA).

The proposed ordinance is still subject to a second reading at the city council.

Despite the little-by-little progress in giving equality for members of the LGBTQIA+, Gerunda acknowledged that law, such as the now being deliberated SOGIE bill, would be needed to protect them from discriminatory actions and ensure safe spaces for them.

Under the SOGIE bill, some of the actions considered discriminatory of a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) include denying access to public services to any person based on SOGIESC, as well as the disclosure of one’s SOGIESC, in the criteria for hiring, promotion, transfer, designation, work assignment, re-assignment, and refusing admission or expelling a person from any educational or training institution, such as police and military academies or training institutions, based on SOGIESC, among others.

READ: House panel approves SOGIE equality bill

Gerunda also stated that additional initiatives are also required to educate the public about the true intent of the SOGIE bill.

“Not all are actually oriented with what SOGIE is and most especially the LGBTQIA+ members…They do not know that even ang naa sa atong (here in our) LGBT family. There is still confusion. And what we need is an orientation to let people better understand that this is us,” he said. (To be continued.)