MOVING FORWARD

Artwork by Ria Briñes

written by Jesse Castelano

The “homicide” case of Jennifer Laude (a Filipina transgender woman) has risen to the surface once again after convicted killer, US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton was granted absolute pardon by President Rodrigo Duterte on September 7, 2020.

This “blatant sell-out” provoked indignation among the LGBTQIA+ community and human rights defenders. Advocates, allies, and protesters took it to the streets to demand for reform and justice surrounding Laude’s case. Equally, civil and political rights activists are continuously confronting the Philippines’ criminal justice system and its absence of laws and policies that safeguard the human rights of transgender, even sex workers, and gender-diverse people.

As we look back on the long fight for justice for Jennifer Laude and the other victims of hate crimes, let’s study the events and proceedings that we have witnessed and use that as a benchmark to take the right direction in lobbying for social and political change.

The progress we have made since the movement in 2014 would have not happened without people in the frontlines fighting the injustices, oppression, and discrimination experienced by LGBTQIA+ folks. Let that be our source of encouragement to continue to serve as allies and advocates for the protection of our human rights.

There is a clear road that was left for us to continue to build and as we go forward, it is critical that we create a safe and supportive environment for LGBTQIA+ people. We should seek to dismantle the culture of violence based on SOGIE among sexual and gender minorities. We must demand the passage of SOGIE Bill and protective laws that safeguard transgender and gender-diverse people, because as long as abuse and discrimination is allowed by the law, equality will not be achieved.