MANILA - ADOPTION and family rights of gay couples. Preventing violence against lesbians.Ending employment discrimination and discrimination against transgendersat immigration ports.
These are some of the controversial issues that 30 government agency officials and leaders of civil society organizations will be discussing during the three-day training session called "If You Prick Us, Do We Not Bleed? - A Gender-Sensitivity and Human Rights Training on LGBT Issues" at the La Breza Hotel in Quezon City in observance of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) commencing on May 17, 2012.
The training, organized by the Philippine human rights NGO Rainbow Rights Project (R-Rights), aims to equip government agencies and civic groups with the appropriate perspective, knowledge, and skills on handling human rights issues based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
R-Rights is sponsoring this training with the Commission on Human Rights, and the United States Embassy in Manila as co-sponsors. CHR Chair Loretta Ann Rosales who is a staunch champion of LGBT rights, and Mr. Scott Leo, Political Officer of the embassy who is also a member of the embassy's gay and lesbian employees alliance, will be gracing the occasion.
Aside from the CHR, a wide array of public and social service agencies will be present, such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Philippine National Police, and the Philippine Commission on Women. LGBT human rights advocates such as the Deaf Rainbow Philippines will also attend the training.
International developments, UN standards and other mechanisms that impact on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens of the country will be a key discussion point. CHR Director Karen Dumpit will present the importance of integrating the Human Rights Approach in the implementation of national projects, while human rights expert Atty. Ampy Sta. Maria of the Ateneo Human Rights Center will brief government workers on the application of international conventions to the LGBT sector.
Customized paralegal trainings on LGBT rights are borne out of many years’ worth of experience of R-Rights in assisting LGBTs who are victimized by unscrupulous police officers who use their authority for extortion, capitalizing on the lack of government support and policies protecting this sector. According to Germaine Leonin, R-Rights project manager of the paralegal trainings, educating LGBTs of their human rights is a step in the right direction, but it is not sufficient. The bold and responsible step is for the Philippine government to incorporate LGBT human rights protections in policies, to show it is serious in its commitment to protect all Filipino equally.
"These paralegal trainings that we are providing to local and national government officials are changing minds and hearts. With efforts that started in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Davao,we can see that more officials have embraced the protection of human rights also of LGBTs," Atty. Leonin said about the training.
The three-day gender sensitivity and human rights training on LGBT Issues is supported by the Fund for Global Human Rights (FGHR), and is part of the global IDAHO movement to end homophobia and transphobia. It is the goal of R-Rights and its allies to make the Philippines a model in the region for best practices in protection of human rights based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
