Group wants public toilets for gays, lesbians

Even homosexuals deserve their own comfort rooms. With this, the Alyansa ng Media at Showbiz Inc., one of the party-list groups accredited by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to run in the May 10 elections, proposed the putting up of "gay toilets" in government offices and commercial establishments. In a statement released Sunday, AMS nominee Leo Martinez, a veteran actor, said such exclusive comfort rooms would protect homosexuals from discrimination. “Ramdam nila ang diskriminasyon kung kaya’t minarapat naming imungkahi ang pagpapatayo ng ‘gay toilets’ (Because they experience discrimination, we are pushing for the creation of ‘gay toilets’)," Martinez said. Under the proposed system, a “gay male" and “gay female" would be constructed in government offices and in commercial establishments like malls and cinemas. “Nasasa-tao iyan kung saan siya kumportable sa apat na toilet (It will be up to a person which toilet would he or she be comfortable in)," Martinez said. Another nominee, Rolly “Lakay" Gonzalo, expressed hope that their proposal would be welcomed by authorities and the public. “Naniniwala kami na sa pamamagitan ng panukalang ito, marami ang makikinabang. Hindi natin maitatanggi na ang mga kapatid nating bakla at tomboy ay kasama rin nating gumagalaw sa ating malayang lipunan," said Gonzalo. (We believe that many people will benefit from this proposal. We can't deny the presence of homosexuals in the society.) The group claimed to have members in media and show business and television, from announcers to cameramen to production crew. - KBK, GMANews.TV