By Farah G. Decano

           

 I am seeing more rainbow flags displayed this month of June in places I expected the least because of the offices’ perceived tendency to be conservative.

While attending a hearing in Urdaneta City two weeks ago, I was very much surprised to see two multicolored striped flags hanging nicely on the door of one of the Regional Trial Courts branches.  After posting about it on Facebook (FB), I received messages from two judges who informed me that that no less than the Supreme Court is leading the observance of the Pride Month.  The highest court of the land has directed the lower courts to follow suit.

The Dagupan City Justice Hall led by Executive Judge Mervin Samadan adhered to the Supreme Court’s rainbow directive by organizing a program with Mayor Belen T. Fernandez as guest speaker.    Other courts such as those in San Fabian, Pangasinan and Sto. Tomas Pampanga also cheerfully comply with the SC’s issuance. I am certain more courts proudly display the rainbow flag this year.

Not only does the Judiciary promote the celebration of the LGBT plus month, the Legal Education Board also posted an infograph that bore the LGBT plus colors this June.  In the historical city of Vigan, most especially along Calle Crisologo, rainbow flags alternated with the Philippine flag as they hung on the century-old edifices.

The Judiciary, the Commission on Human Rights and some Executive offices have recognized that members of the LGBT plus have human rights. These offices’ bases are the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, the Yogyakarta Principles and the Non-Discriminatory Clause of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.   We are still waiting for the legislative department to cement the aforesaid pronouncement into law.

So far, the proposed Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression or Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) bill which further defines the rights of the lesbian, gays, bisexuals, transexuals, queers, intersex and androgenous has not yet reached the plenary of both the House and Senate.  The bill’s prime movers – Gabriela Party, Congresswoman Geraldine Roman and Senator Risa Hontiveros – have expressed their disappointment with the turtle-paced consideration of the bill.  Born-again Senator Joel Villanueva successfully stalled the Senate version of the bill by referring the matter as not urgent.

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Nowadays, the trend is inching towards non-discrimination against LGBTQ plus members.   Inclusivity is a popular concept among the young.  The latter, including open-minded individuals, are slowly learning to accept the existence of various sexual orientation, gender expression and gender identity.  

With this acceptance comes the adjustments with our language.   There is a slew of young people purposefully identifying the pronoun by which they wish to be referred to.  Before, the choice of pronouns depended on the physical make-up of persons: if one is male, then we use “he,” or “him,” or “his;” and if one is female, then we use “she” or “her.”  Nowadays, an individual can be male and still be referred to as a “she” or a female may opt to be identified with the neutral but plural, “they.” 

The rules on grammar get a bit chaotic as more people observe and implement inclusivity in the English spoken language.  My concern is how do we relay or report a fact when identity is dependent on one’s internal disposition, inclination and thought processes?  The report may be true today but not anymore in a few years’ time when gender fluidity kicks in.  How do we also avoid the possible confusion brought about by the preferred use of “they” when referring to a single person?

 Time for Oxford and Webster to come out (oops, pardon the pun) with more gender-neutral pronouns. Aren’t we happy that we don’t have much problems with Filipino, our national language when it comes to gender sensitivity?

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