by Paul Eugenio
16 November—Hundreds of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people and allies from different barangays of the city attended the 2nd QC LGBT Summit held at the Amoranto Multi-Purpose Hall, Sct. Chuatoco, Quezon City
The event was spearheaded by the Quezon City government in partnership with the UP Center for Women’s Studies.
In her remarks, Quezon City Vice Mayor Josefina “Joy” Belmonte has acknowledged the rights of LGBTs in all aspects of life and has assured the attendees that the city government will work to have these rights available to everyone Furthermore, she also asked for support regarding the development of a comprehensive anti-discrimination ordinance for the city, parallel to the efforts to pass the Anti-Discrimination Bill in Congress. Currently, the city has an existing anti-discrimination ordinance for LGBTs limited only to public and private workplaces.
The results of the summit were presented as a list of amendments for the anti-discrimination ordinance being drafted by the Quezon City Council. Notable measures are the assurance of security for LGBTs against hate crimes, freedom of speech and gender expression, non-discrimination in schools and universities, representation in local consultative councils, and a separate Gender Development Fund for LGBT-related projects in both the city and barangay level.
At the end of the summit, participants expressed hope that the ordinance will be passed and a national law will be crafted for LGBTs soon, as well as pride that they have contributed to the city’s efforts in drafting local ordinances affecting marginalized and under-represented communities.
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