Abstract
Dear Editor,
It is commendable that in a recent article published in the American Journal of Men’s Health, Macaraan (2022) pointed out the “social inequalities and exclusionary tendencies” toward lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, queers, intersex, asexuals and other individuals with diverse sexualities and genders (LGBTQIA+) community have been more exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. I would like to add an important consideration for policymakers and for the global audience that one needs to reexamine the root causes of the stigmatization, discrimination, and criminalization of LGBTQIA+. The deeply embedded homophobic and transphobic attitudes expose many LGBTQIA+ people of all ages and in all regions of the world to a blatant violations of their human rights. In line with the proposal of Macaraan (2022), the value of openness, hospitality, and acceptance through equitable laws and education are important factors to move forward toward inclusive praxis. The use of inclusive space and language acknowledge the diverse spectrum of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expressions and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) (Corpuz, 2023). It is imperative that while addressing these concerns, there is a need to go beyond the mere tolerance to inclusive praxis (Corpuz, 2023).
The United Nations (2023) reports that 77 countries implement discriminatory laws and criminalize private, consensual same-sex relationships while exposing LGBTQIA+ to the risk of arrest, prosecution, imprisonment. At least 6 of these countries implement the death penalt—Iran, Northern Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen—and the death penalty is a legal possibility in Afghanistan, Brunei, Mauritania, Pakistan, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates (UAE). These global problems concerning the criminalization and discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ community have always been present before during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
As an activist and ally of LGBTQIA+, I hereby propose several steps on how to be inclusive toward an equitable, just, equal, and free world. First, as health-care workers and researchers across the world, the collective experiences bear testament to a need to address the root-causes of all these inequalities. Many countries have made a shared effort to strengthen human rights protection for LGBT people. An array of new laws has been adopted—including laws banning discrimination, penalizing homophobic and transphobic hate crimes, granting recognition of same-sex relationships, and making it easier for transgender individuals to obtain official documents that reflect their preferred gender (United Nations, 2023). In the Philippines, the “Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill” or the “Anti-Discrimination Bill” aims to prevent various forms of discrimination against people based on their SOGIE.
Second, an education-based approach to include in curriculum of public and private universities a subject on gender and multiculturalism, LGBTQIA+ studies. A lack of comprehensive sex education puts the health of LGBTQIA+ at risk. In some Catholic universities in the Philippines, there were already efforts made on the part of the administration to introduce core courses on gender and human dignity and human rights. Some universities in the Philippines also allowed gender variance or gender nonconforming practices ranging from the establishment of LGBTQIA+ restrooms to the use their preferred clothing and preferred pronouns. Under the Sustainable Development Goals, States commit to “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” (Goal 4) (United Nations, 2019). In line with international human rights law, LGBTQIA+ students have the right to an education free from violence and discrimination, that promotes respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
It is therefore imperative that policy-makers across wide-ranging local, national, and international contexts (e.g., public and private hospitals, universities, non-governmental organizations [NGOs], advocacy initiatives, and policy-making platforms) should come together to address the root-causes of the discrimination and criminalization of LGBTQIA+ people. We must go beyond the rigid conceptual binaries of heterosexual and queer, male and female, and masculine and feminine. There is an urgent need to go beyond the “tolerance” approach and move forward toward an inclusive praxis (Corpuz, 2023). This need is pressing and requires an urgent call to action or praxis.
