Trans woman, guard scuffle over use of CR in Las Piñas

Another incident of a trans woman being barred from entering a ladies' comfort room happened, this time at a gas station in Las Piñas City.

According to a report by Marisol Abdurahman in GMA's 24 Oras on Wednesday, Ahlie Olaez engaged in a heated argument with the gas station's security guard after the latter confronted her and her friends when they entered the women's CR.

"Sinagawan ako na 'Hoy mga bakla! Bawal kayo dito.' Sabi, 'Dun kayo sa mga lalaki. May ordinansa na na bawal ang mga bakla dito. May batas na' Galit na galit siya, talagang sinigawan niya ako," Olaez said.

[He shouted at me. "You, gays! You are prohibited here.' He said, 'Go to the men's CR instead.' We have a city ordinance here barring gays here [at the ladies' CR]. He was really mad. He yelled at me.]

Olaez added that she and her companions decided to leave but the guard furiously continued to berate them.

After exchanging expletives with the guard, Olaez challenged him to a fight.

The guard grabbed a monobloc chair. Olaez, on the other hand, held a dustpan.

Fortunately, barangay officials managed to separate and appease the two.

"Hindi naman po isyu ang CR dito eh, ang isyu po dito bakit niya po ako sinisigawan? Bakit ganun trato niya sakin? Kaya ako nagagalit," Olaez said.

GMA News tried to get the side of the guard involved but he was not on duty at the time.

It could not yet be independently verified if the city indeed has an ordinance banning gays or trans women from using the ladies' CR.

The manager of the gasoline station also refused to give any comment.

Last month, trans woman Gretchen Diez was also barred from using the ladies' room inside a mall in Quezon City.

This sparked an uproar among the LGBTQ+ community and their allies. — Dona Magsino/MDM, GMA News