Confused by LGBTQIA+ tag, Sotto asks: 'Why not just Homo sapiens?'

"Why not just homo sapiens? We’re all the same."

Senate President Vicente Sotto III raised the question Wednesday as Senator Risa Hontiveros called for the immediate passage of the proposed Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression Equality (SOGIE) bill in light of a discrimination incident in Quezon City.

During Hontiveros' privilege speech, some senators expressed puzzlement over the number of letters used to represent the gender identity of people including lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, queers, intersexuals, and asexuals (LGBTQIA+).

First to ask was Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, who wanted to know the meaning of letters as he is only familiar with LGBT in the LGBTQIA+.

“Hihingi sana ako ng definition ng IQA, pero kung may plus pa parang walang katapusan pala ito,” he said.

Hontiveros explained that the spectrum is further refined as people continue to learn about their themselves and their surroundings. “May plus po dahil natututunan natin about human sexuality, maraming kulay, shades, so the spectrum may forever be refined,” she said.

She added that queers, for example, do not bother about the gender orientation of their partners.

“One of the beautiful things I learned from the LGBTQIA+ community, for the queers it is all about love and who can quarrel about love,” Hontiveros said.

Sotto commented that it will be a long debate. He then asked: “Why that lengthy letters? Why not just homo sapiens? We’re all the same. Why do we have to segregate the gays from the lesbians, straight guys?"

Hontiveros acknowledged Sotto’s point but said there should have been no need to segregate identities if there were no discrimination.

“Hindi po sana kailangang mag-segregate. I agree with you, kung ‘yung human civilization natin at mga societies natin, pati Philippine society nag-evolve to the point na walang diskriminasyon, may equality among all, regardless of identity, regardless of expression. Kaya lang po hindi ganun ang nangyayari,” she said.

“That is why it think the community felt it necessary, just in the last 20 years na lumalaban sila para sa anti-discrimination law, tuloy tuloy ang pagdocument nila ng discrimination,” she added.

Gretchen Diez

She said the case of Gretchen Diez may be one case of discrimination but it is not a minor one.

“Nagsisimbulo po talaga ito na may diskriminasyon pa rin sa ating bansa na hindi pa rin pantay pantay ang lahat sa ating lipunan. Gretchen has given a face, a name, a story, a life, kasi yung buong pamilya dumating para suportahan siya.  She has given a fresh wind sa laban na ito,” she said.

Diez entered the women's washroom at a mall in Cubao on Tuesday but was led out by a janitress who insisted that she use the men's room. She was later handcuffed and brought to the police station after recording the confrontation.

Diez was eventually released, but the transgender woman has said she is determined to file charges against the mall. —with Margaret Claire Layug/KBK, GMA News