Batch 10B's Applicants' Night

Hender's Rights are Gender Rights.

Feel free to comment and share your opinions. ANONYMOUS COMMENTS WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED.

Gimme Five for HB 515!!!

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There are great things to come for every LGBT Filipino.





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[UPDATE] HOMOPHOBIA and TRANSPHOBIA in UP DILIMAN

Below is an update on the ongoing discrimination case of the Department of European Languages, College of Arts and Letters, University of the Philippines Diliman involving Ms. Hender Gercio.

Feel free to comment and share your opinions. ANONYMOUS COMMENTS WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED.

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This is to continue where I left off in my last post. After the arbitration meeting I had with Ms Dominique "Nikki" Del Corro (my teacher) and Mr Wystan de la Peña (the department director) last 18 February 2011 (Friday), where Mr de la Peña verbally informed me that he cannot require Ms Del Corro to address me as female in class (i.e. using female pronouns, female forms of address, female adjectives), I requested to be furnished a written copy of his decision, in order to have the case reviewed by higher authorities.

His reply was finally handed to me on 23 February 2011 (Wednesday) by a staff of the Office of the College Secretary. Below are the letter's contents.

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22 February 2011

Ms. Hender Gercio

B.A. European Languages

Through: Teodoro Maranan, PhD

College Secretary, CAL

Dear Ms. Gercio:

Thank you for coming to the office last Friday, 18 February 2011, to thresh out issues you raised in your 07 February 2011 letter.

With the conversation that ensued in the presence of one of your teachers and in the face-to-face exchange we had, I deem I have already provided a response to your letter of 07 February 2011.

Truly yours,

Wystan de la Peña

Chair

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I was rendered speechless, needless to say. Five days of waiting, for two sentences? Where was his ruling? His explanation/s for his ruling? His source/s of information?

I expected something more substantial than "I deem I have already provided a response." So I wrote back, and now while waiting I keep my fingers crossed, and try to dodge as many "he" bullets as possible.

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24 February 2011

Prof. Wystan de la Peña

Chairperson

Department of European Languages

College of Arts and Letters

University of the Philippines Diliman

Dear Sir:

I was surprised by your response to my request for a printed and signed copy of your decision regarding my complaint against Ms. Dominique "Nikki" Del Corro. Before I left your office last February 18 (Friday), I thought we had already agreed that apart from your verbal ruling, you would also furnish me a tangible copy of the Department's stand on the matter.

Documentation is essential in every formal meeting. Although I recall the "conversation" and "face-to-face exchange" I had with you, they would not suffice as a reference when I escalate my case. I would not risk misrepresenting yours or the Department's views. Although in hindsight I should have insisted that the meeting be recorded, I am convinced that it remains to be my right (under the freedom of information) to obtain the meeting's proceedings, or at the very least your official decision in print.

Therefore, I implore you to exercise transparency, efficiency and accountability, values that this State University holds dear, and provide me with the written copy of the Department's decision at the soonest possible time. Thank you in advance.

Sincerely,

Hender Gercio

BA European Languages

Student Number 2xxx-xxxxx

Email: xxxxxxx@up.edu.ph

Mobile: 0928.xxxxxxx

The right to be your gender identity all the time by Sass Sasot

Feel free to comment and share your opinions. ANONYMOUS COMMENTS WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED.

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In support of Miss Hender Gercio: The right to be your gender identity all the time

by Sass Rogando Sasot on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 2:26am

Yes: transgender Filipinos can go to school and universities in the Philippines. But it doesn’t always mean that their gender identity and gender expression will be respected by the educational institution.

Ms Hender Gercio's highly-eloquent and courageous letter of complaint gave voice to one of the issues that transgender people face in schools and universities in the Philippines.

"On January 27, 2011, after our EL 181 class, Ms. Del Corro approached me and asked when it would be convenient for me to have a talk with her. I inquired about the purpose of the meeting and she told me not to worry and that it was something related to my subjects French 30-31 and EL 181. We had the discussion on February 2, 2011 after our French 30-31 class.

Ms. Del Corro began by saying that she noticed me correcting my classmates whenever they referred to me using male pronouns (in French: il, lui) or male forms of address (in French: Monsieur). I replied that I identified and socially presented myself as female, and that addressing me as a woman was the appropriate thing to do. She then asked me about my biological sex. I told her that my legal sex (i.e. the sex/gender marker on my legal documents) was male, but I argued that this was irrelevant and ultimately misleading, because my legal sex did not accurately reflect my real-life identity, that of being a transsexual female.

Ms. Del Corro then admitted to me that she did not feel comfortable addressing me as female in class. She said “I am a Christian, and this is against my religious beliefs.” She also told me that she cannot  separate being a Christian from who she was as a teacher. She then continued that she believed that homosexuality was a sin, and it was due to this reason that she cannot allow herself to accept and address me as female (I actually interrupted her to say that I was transgender, not homosexual/gay, but that did not affect her stance). Our conversation ended in a standstill, between my right to be recognized in my chosen gender in class and her right to her religious belief. We finally agreed to

escalate this to you for a decision."

On 7 February 2011, Ms Gercio filed this complaint to Prof Wystan de la Pena, the Chairperson of the Deparment of European Languages of the College of Arts and Letters of the University of the Philippines.

A week later, Mr de la Pena held a dialogue with Ms Gercio and Ms del Corro.

In that dialogue, Mr de la Pena ruled in favor of Ms del Corro, giving the following reasons:

1. Ms del Corro cannot be required to address Ms Gercio as female because Ms Gercio is still legally male.

2. There is no university policy addressing transender students. This was made verbally. Ms Gercio is stil waiting for a written copy of Mr de la Pena's decision.

Rightfully, Ms Gercio will appeal this case.

This case is a bit similar to the case of Rio Moreno which I told in my article Our Brave New World: The Birth of Transgender Liberation in the Philippines.

"Rio attended Nursing school wearing women’s uniform. All her classmates and teachers referred to her as Miss Rio and treated her as a woman. Sometime in July 2008, after one of the security guards saw that Rio’s name on her ID was male, Rio was asked to go into the Office of Student Affairs (OSA). The OSA required her to wear men's uniform and that she have to be identified and treated as male because Rio’s birth certificate says male."

The reasons given by Mr de la Pena to Miss Gercio are simalar to the reasons given to Ms Moreno. However, we have to give credit to the University of the Philippines because, as far as I know, they don't require their students to dress according to their sex assignment at birth (or to their legal sex).

Moreover, the first reason given by Mr de la Pena is akin to the comment of Attorney Alejandro Alonzo, the Cebu Regional Director of the Commission on Human Right, in 2001 regarding the Jonathan Agudana Case:

""If you’re a man, you should wear the apparel of a man or vice versa. Unless the court will grant the change of status...." But this time, Mr de la Pena means: if your sex assignment at birth is male you should be addressed as a man unless the court will grant a legal change of sex.

The incident that happened with Hender Gercio at the University of the Philippines raises challenging questions:

1. In the absence of a university policy addressing transgender students, in this case a transsexual woman student, and in the absence of a Gender Recognition Law in the Philippines, which is the right and ethical thing to do: treat transsexual women according to their sex assignment at birth or according to their gender identity?

2. Is it justified to use religious beliefs, specially in a State University, to treat transsexual women according to their sex assignment at birth?

Mr de la Pena is limited by the current rules and regulations of the University of the Philippines (UP).

Certainly, there is no university policy that addresses transgender people in their school. Because of  this situation, he couldn't require Ms del Corro to treat Ms Gercio as a woman. Hence, Ms del Corro has not violated any rule, and therefore is justified in treating Ms Gercio according to her sex assignment at birth.

But does the absence of this policy mean that transsexual women studying in UP should be treated according to their sex assignment at birth?

There may be no specific policy but the University has principles, which can be evaluated whether they  may or may not provide an insight on how to treat transsexual women in UP.

Ms Gercio is aware that there are no specific policy on transgender people in UP. So, in her letter of complaint, she invoked principles from the University Charter as well the Code of Ethics for Faculty Members of the University of the Philippines. She even explained that being treated according to her sex assignment at birth is harmful to her psychological well-being. In fact, Ms Gercio furnished Mr de la Pena a copy of "a FAQ sheet published by the American Psychological Association about transgender individuals and gender identity".

Ms Gercio's arguments are very cogent. And her appeal to being treated with compassion should have shaken the religious fundamentalism of Ms del Corro and should have touched the humanity of Mr de la Pena. Yet, Mr de la Pena dismissed Ms Gercio's arguments.

We need to know the reasons why Mr de la Pena decided that Ms del Corro didn't violate the principles Ms Gercio invoked from the UP Charter and Code of Ethics. We don't need to wait for the reasons, Mr de la Pena's other reason provides a clue why this is so: Ms Gercio is legally male hence no one can be required to treat her according to her gender identity.

Is this reason valid? The 2008 Supreme Court decision on the Jeffrey Cagandahan case provides an insight.

Jeffrey Cagandahan was assigned female at birth. Later on, he was found out to be intersex. During his puberty, he developed secondary male characteristics because of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia.  Because of "his mind and emotion" - which is male - and the development of secondary male characteristis, he asserted that he is now male and his documents should reflect this. His petition was granted by a regional trial court but was overturned by the Court of Appeals. In September 2008, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Mr Cagandahan.

Looking at the footnotes of the decison, one can see that the Supreme Court of the Philippines was informed by M.T. v. J.T., the first case in the United States that ruled that post-op transsexuals can marry people who have a sex opposite to their post-operative sex. The Cagandahan Decision quoted from M.T. v. J.T.: "“It has been suggested that there is some middle ground between the sexes, a ‘no-man’s land’ for those individuals who are neither truly ‘male’ nor truly ‘female’.” The Cagandahan Decision further added that: "The current state of Philippine statutes apparently compels that a person be classified either as a male or as a female, but this Court is not controlled by mere appearances when nature itself fundamentally negates such rigid classification." (Emphasis mine).

Later on, the decision said that ruling in favor of Mr Cagandahan "....gives respect to (1) the diversity of nature; and (2) how an individual deals with what nature has handed out.  In other words, we respect respondent’s congenital condition and his mature decision to be a male."

The Supreme Court respected Mr Cagandahan's "congenital condition", in other words, a condition present at his birth AND most importantly, his "mature decision to be male".

In deciding about the case of Ms Gercio, Mr de la Pena could have been informed by the valuable insights of this Supreme Court Decision, which are:

1. When the Cagandahan decision affirmed that "nature itself fundamentally negates such rigid classification [of sex]," it affirmed that our rigid conventional views about sex are not supported by Nature.

Ms Gercio cannot be evaluated according to our conventional views on sex: that someone who has a penis, or who was assigned male at birth, is male and will live and should live as male. We must take into account the latest scientific information about gender identity.

2. We have to respect people's "congenital condition".

According to MedicineNet.com, a condition that is congenital is one that is present at birth. Ms Gercio has a transsexual condition. In Transsexualism: The Current Medical Viewpoint published by Press for Change UK, transsexualism is defined as a conditon where there is "a strong and on-going cross-gender identification, and a desire to live and be accepted as a member of the opposite sex." And that "the weight of current scientific evidence suggests a biologically-based, multifactorial aetiology for transsexualism".

There are brain studies as well as genetic studies that give evidence to the biological basis of  transsexualism (please Google them).  Given this evidence, the transsexualism of Ms Gercio is as natural as the intersexuality of Mr Cagandahan.

Some may say that Ms Gercio has a penis and therefore should still be treated as male. The question is, in which part of the body gender identity is located? Is it in your genitalia? Or is it in your brain? As what  Dr. William Reiner of John Hopkins Hospital wrote in "To Be Male or Female -- that is the Question,"the organ that appears to be critical to psychosexual development and adaptation is not the external genitalia, but the brain."

Indeed, the University of the Philippines has no policy on how to deal with transgender students, but as an academic institution, it should go beyond the limitation of its rules regarding this matter.

There was also no Philippine law regarding intersexuals, but the absence of that law didn't stop the Supreme Court from seeking information elsewhere, which even include Wikipedia. There 's a lot of information about transsexualism. Mr de la Pena is either lazy or stuck in his own prejudice.

Waiting for a court to change Ms Gercio's gender before Ms Gercio can be treated as female is inhumane. As Ms Gercio has said, and as what psychologists can prove, doing so would harm the psychological  well-being of Ms Gercio.

Moreover, does Ms Gercio need to secure a court order in order for the University of the Philippines to understand transsexualism, to evaluate the science behind it, and therefore, to respect Ms Gercio's congenital condition?

As for the question "Is it justified to use religious beliefs, specially in a State University, to treat  transsexual women according to their sex assignment at birth?"

The answer is No.

Religion is not a valid reference when it comes to gender identity. The act of determining our sex at birth is not a matter of religion. It is the medical institution that determines our sex at birth and not the Church. Insisting that the Catholic doctrine is the authority over the biology behind gender identity is like insisting that the Catholic doctrine is the authority behind astronomy.

The sun does not revolve around our planet and our gender identity is not in our genitalia, it is in our brain. This is not the realm of morality but of neurology.

Finally, let's say Jeffrey Cagandahan is a student of Ms del Corro. Will Ms del Corro insist that Jeffrey be addressed as female? Perhaps she wouldn't if she would inform herself about intersex conditions. Her religious belief would surely bow to science.

Now can Ms del Corro afford the same consideration to Ms Gercio's transsexualism, which like intersexuality has a biological explanation?

Let me end this by quoting the Supreme Court decision on Ang Ladlad, "as far as this Court is concerned, our democracy precludes using the religious or moral views of one part of the community to exclude from consideration the values of other members of the community." And the Supreme Court decision on Estrada vs. Escritor, "Religious teachings as expressed in public debate may influence the civil public order but public moral disputes may be resolved only on grounds articulable in secular terms."

(Sass Rogando Sasot)

LOVE is LOVE

from ClickClaire

Happy Birthday Ms. Risa Hontiveros!!!

May you never falter in advancing the rights and protecting the welfare of the Filipino LGBT Community!!!

The Number 1 USC Councilor, HEART DIÑO, and the Number 1 Advocate of Gender Equality and Social Justice in Congress, RISA HONTIVEROS.

Harvey Milk Speech

Harvey Milk was the first openly-gay man to be elected to public office in the US in 1977. His most recognized speech, "You Cannot Live On Hope Alone," was given in 1978, shortly before he was assassinated.



"Somewhere in Des Moines or San Antonio there is a young gay person who all the sudden realizes that he or she is gay; knows that if their parents find out they will be tossed out of the house, their classmates will taunt the child, and the Anita Bryant's and John Briggs' are doing their part on TV. And that child has several options: staying in the closet, and suicide. And then one day that child might open the paper that says "Homosexual elected in San Francisco" and there are two new options: the option is to go to California, or stay in San Antonio and fight. Two days after I was elected I got a phone call and the voice was quite young. It was from Altoona, Pennsylvania. And the person said "Thanks". And you've got to elect gay people, so that thousand upon thousands like that child know that there is hope for a better world; there is hope for a better tomorrow. Without hope, not only gays, but those who are blacks, the Asians, the disabled, the seniors, the us's: without hope the us's give up. I know that you can't live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living. And you, and you, and you, and you have got to give them hope."
-Harvey Milk, 1978

The post otherwise known as "Is the UP College of Arts and Letters really Homophobic / Transphobic?"

Below is another documentation of a similar case of homophobia that occurred at the UP College of Arts and Letters as narrated by Libay Linsangan Cantor. Cantor is a Palanca-award winning fictionist and scriptwriter of children's TV shows. Lifted from POC. Follow Libay Linsangan Cantor at www.leaflens.blogspot.com.

Feel free to comment and share your opinions. ANONYMOUS COMMENTS WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED.

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Nang mag-out si Prof. Hom O. Phobic

by Libay Linsangan Cantor.

Minsa’y nakakatuwang mag-aral nang mag-aral, lalo na’t may kakayanan kang gawin ito. Minsan, maraming humahadlang sa pag-aaral, at iba-iba ang karanasan ng bawa’t estudyante sa kani-kanilang buhay-eskuwela. Pero para sa aming mga LGBT, minsa’y may kakaiba kaming nakakasagupa, at nakakalungkot lang na ang kasagupa mo minsan ay ang propesor mismo – lalo na kung siya ay si Propesor Hom O. Phobic.

Habang isa akong guro sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas (UP), naging graduate student din ako. Isa akong creative writing

major at ang aking thesis ay koleksiyon ng maiikling kuwentong puro lesbianismo ang tema. Dahil sa iba’t iba ang larangan sa pagsusulat ng bawa’t faculty sa kolehiyo ko, kailangang magtugma ang thesis mo sa larangan ng faculty na magiging thesis adviser mo. Isa pa, dapat—kahit papaano—ay nakakaintindi o nakakaunawa ng mga isyu sa thesis mo ang kukunin mong adviser. Bilang lesbian feminist ang framework ng aking thesis, ang mga una kong nilapitan para kuning adviser ay ang mga guro-manunulat na nakita kong nakakaintindi at nakakaunawa ng ganitong mga isyu. Sa kasamaang palad, iba ang larangan nila – kung hindi tula ang sinusulat nila, sanaysay naman. O kaya’y ang iba ay wala sa bansa noon o may mabigat na trabaho. Kaya natuwa ako nang may isa akong kaibigang kapwa-manunulat na nagmungkahing kunin ang kakilala naming kuwentista rin, na pumayag nang akuin ako bilang thesis advisee. Kahit lalaki siya, sa palagay ko noo’y makakatulong siya dahil sanay na siya sa mga uri ng kuwentong sinusulat ko (puro tungkol sa LGBT community) bilang naging kaklase ko siya sa isang fiction class noong una akong nagsimulang mag-aral. Kilala naman akong openly out na lesbian sa unibersidad at dati pang nalalathala ang mga kuwento kong may mga karakter na LGBT kaya pamilyar na siya sa akin.

Nang una kong lapitan si Prof. Straight Adviser, nagpasalamat ako dahil kinuha niya ako bilang advisee. Nilinaw ko rin kung ano ang balak ko sa aking thesis, at tinanong ko kung sigurado siyang kaya niyang hawakan ito. Oo daw, walang prublema, sabi niya. Alam naman daw niya ang tungkol sa mga LGBT. Saka sa dami ng baklang manunulat sa kolehiyo namin at sa sirkulo namin—ang ilan ay kaibigan pa nga niya/namin—ay nakampante ako na kahit papaano, makakatrabaho ko siya ng maayos sa paghulma ng aking thesis.

Mali pala iyon.

Matapos ang ilang buwan, nakalap ko na ang mga kuwento ko at magpapatulong na ako sa kanya sa pagpili ng sasalain at rerebisahin pa. Maayos kong binigay ang makapal kong manuskrito at naghintay na lang ako ng abiso niya kung kailan kami muling magkikita.

Pero nang lumipas ang ilang linggo—mga apat o limang linggo mahigit na yata—ay naisip ko nang tanungin siya sa estado ng aking thesis, kung tapos na niyang basahin o anuman. Pinatawag niya ako sa opisina niya at nag-usap kami. Di ko lang alam na noong araw na iyon, si Prof. Straight Adviser ay magkakaroon ng ibang anyo sa harap ko.

“Nabasa mo na?” tanong ko.

“Yeah, I want to talk to you about it. So ‘yung gagawin mo pala ay may erotica, ano?” sabi niya. Medyo nag-iiba na ang ngiti niya pero di ko pinansin iyon.

“Oo, pero hindi lahat ng stories. ‘Yung iba lang. Iba-iba ang themes.”

“Okay. Kasi doon ako may prublema.”

Nabahala ako sa sinabi niya. Baka marami siyang ipapatanggal. “Ah, okay. Bakit?”

“I think I can’t handle this thesis anymore. Nahihirapan akong hawakan ito,” nangingimi niyang sinabi.

Ay, iba pala ang prublema niya. “Ah talaga? Bakit naman?”

Dapat pala ay kumapit ako sa silya dahil tumambling ako sa sinagot niya. “Kasi… I’m a Christian.”

Patlang.

Kakaiba. Sa tagal ko na bilang out lesbian, marami nang nag-out sa akin bilang LGBT para makakuha ng panibagong pananaw at perspektibo. Pero ito ang kauna-unahang pagkakataon na ang isang taong di ko naman inuurirat ang relihiyon (dahil hindi ko naman talaga ugaling uriratin ang relihiyon ng isang tao) ay nag-out na relihiyoso pala.

Matapos ang ilang sandali, wala, patlang pa rin. Mahirap sundan ang pag-out na ito. Ano ang sasabihin ko? Di rin niya yata alam kung ano ang susunod na sasabihin niya. Pero sumubok naman siya, kaya lang tumbling pa rin ako sa sinabi niya.

“Plus you’re also using some feminist and queer theories, right? I’m not really familiar with those theories. Maybe you need to ask someone who’s familiar with them.”

Tumbling ito talaga, dahil bilang graduate students, lahat kami ay kailangang kumuha ng literary theory course kung saan kasama na doon ang pag-aaral sa feminist at queer theories. Saan kaya niya hinuhugot ang mga sinasabi niya? O baka absent siya nang ang mga teoryang ito na ang pinag-aaralan sa klase niya.

Pero sabi nga sa infomercial – But wait, there’s more!

“So to solve the problem, I asked Miss Genre-Crossing Writer to be my co-adviser. Maybe she could handle the erotica part since she already taught erotica-writing classes before. Pumayag naman siya.”

Ganda. Ako ba, pumayag? Di ba dapat ako ang una niyang tinanong? Saka bakit ‘yun ang tinanong niya, e makata iyon at sanaysay ang sinusulat? “Um, sige… Kakausapin ko siya... Salamat…”

Natawa na lang ako nang kausapin ko na nga itong writer-prof. na ito, at laking gulat niya nang malaman ang tunay na dahilan ni Prof. Straight Adviser – ang pagiging Kristiyano nito. Ni hindi nga rin daw niya alam na Kristiyano ito. Ganda.

Buti na lang at nasa isang gradwadong komite pala si Miss Genre-Crossing Writer kaya naisalang niya ang isyung ito sa kanilang kolehiyo. Iminungkahi niyang sana’y di na maulit ang ganitong karanasan dahil malinaw na mali ito. Lahat ng pagkuwentuhan kong guro sa unibseridad ay sumasang-ayon sa pananaw na iyon – na mali ang paggamit mo ng relihiyon bilang hadlang sa pagtulong sa isang estudyante. Ang isang guro pa nga ay nagsabing walang puwang sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas ang ganitong klase ng guro, dahil di naman Katoliko ang eskuwelahan. Inaykupo, naisip ko, kung ginagawa ito ni Prof. Straight Adviser sa mga graduate students, paano pa kaya sa mga kawawang undergraduate students na kadalasa’y walang lakas ng loob na labanan ang ganitong kamalian? Tsk. Kaya mula noon, kinilala ko na siya bilang si Prof. Hom O. Phobic.

Matapos ang halos isang taon ng pagkabagabag, tinulungan na lang ako ni Miss Genre-Crossing Writer na kausapin ang isang kapwa guro na kunin ako bilang adviser. Itong gurong ito ang talagang gusto kong maging adviser noon pa man dahil isa siya sa pinakamahusay kumilatis ng maikling kuwento at sanaysay, at mahusay rin siyang sumulat, siyempre. Buti na lang at naintindihan niya ang implikasyon ng kaso ko, at kahit marami siyang trabaho, inako niya ako – at masaya namang nairaos ang thesis ko, sa isang mas mabuting porma pa nga. Blessing in disguise? Baka blessing in the skies! Hulog talaga siya ng langit sa panahong iyon.

Habang tinatapos ko ang aking thesis, di pa rin maalis sa akin ang kalungkutan ng homophobia na bumiktima sa akin. Nilapitan ko ang isang kaibigang kapwa guro din, kapwa manunulat at isa ring bakla. Humingi ako ng abiso dahil sa nahihirapan ang kalooban ko sa pangyayaring ito.

“Mamu, ang hirap. Di ba dapat labanan ko ito? Advocate tayo, e.” Oo nga naman. Para saan ba ang pag-martsa-martsa namin sa Pride March kung di namin ipaglalaban ang karapatan namin dito?

Tinaasan ako ng kilay ni Prof. Bakla. “Madz, pagka-graduate mo na lang… saka ka magreklamo. Para sure. Mahirap na. Tapusin mo muna. Alam mo na…”

Minsan pala, ang pagiging advocate ay kailangang isantabi para sa mas praktikal na paggalaw sa mundo. Kahit sa akademya. “Hm, oo nga. Sige, fine.”

Pero siyempre, mabigat pa rin ang loob ko, noon. Ngayon, okay na ako, dahil graduate na ako, sa wakas.

Pero hindi, teka. Hindi pa ako okay. At hindi yata ako magiging okay. Habang alam kong malayang nakakapagturo si Prof. Hom O. Phobic at ang mga kauri niya sa unibersidad – at sa iba pang eskuwelahan sa buong Pilipinas – ay di yata ako matatahimik. Ayokong maranasan ng ibang estudyanteng tulad ko ang naranasan kong iyon. Dahil lamang sa kakulangan ng pag-intindi ng isang Kristiyanong tao sa mga karanasan ng taong kakaiba sa kanya, magpapalaganap na siya ng mga baluktot na isipin at gagawa ng baluktot na gawain laban sa mga LGBT? Teka, di yata puwede iyon.

Natawa pa nga ako nang isumbong ko ito sa kaibigan kong nagmungkahi na kunin si Prof. Hom O. Phobic bilang adviser. Kaming tatlo ang magkakaklase noon sa fiction class na nabanggit ko, at ang kaibigan kong ito ay heterosexual din, pero iba siya. Tulad nga ng sabi sa isang Pride March placard, siya ay “Straight, but not narrow.”

“Uy Chong, ayaw na ni Prof. Straight Adviser sa thesis ko.”

“Huwat? Bakit naman?” sagot niya sa SMS text.

“Kasi daw, Christian siya. Alam mo ba ‘yun? Ako hindi, e.”

Natawa ako sa kaibigan ko nang sabihin niyang “Ha? Nasira naman ang ulo ko sa sinabi mo! E di ba ang dami ngang erotica at malalaswang kuwento sa Bibliya? Hindi ba siya nagbabasa nito?”

Marahil ang binabasa lang niya ay ang mga berso na nais niyang gustuhin. Natawa na lang ako at pinasalamatan ko ang aking kaibigan.

Kaya ngayong naibahagi ko na ang kuwentong ito, magsilbi sana itong aral sa lahat ng nagtuturo. Sana nama’y mas buksan pa natin ang ating isipan bago tayo magturo. Sana’y magturo tayo nang walang kaakibat o bahid ng diskriminasyon laban sa mga taong kakaiba sa atin. Kung sarado ang isip ninyo, paano kayo mahusay na makakapagturo?

HOMOPHOBIA and TRANSPHOBIA in UP DILIMAN

Below is a transcript of the letter submitted by Hender Gercio to the Department of European Languages, College of Arts and Letters, University of the Philippines Diliman. Hender Gercio is our former Punong-Babaylan (President).

Feel free to comment and share your opinions. ANONYMOUS COMMENTS WILL NO LONGER BE PUBLISHED (updated march 3, 2011).

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February 7, 2011

TO:    Prof. Wystan de la Peña

          Chairperson

          Department of European Languages

          College of Arts and Letters

          University of the Philippines Diliman

RE:    Incident Report and Request for Action

Dear Sir:

Please allow me to introduce myself through this letter. I am presently a junior undergraduate student pursing a degree in European languages (with French as specialization) in your Department. I was also part of your EL170 (Techniques of Translation) class during the summer of 2009.

I also identify as transgender, as a transsexual woman to be exact. I was assigned male at birth, but I have undergone gender transition and now live full time as female. Should you require more information to familiarize yourself with these concepts, an FAQ sheet published by the American Psychological Association about transgender individuals and gender identity is attached to this letter.

I would like to seek your assistance in addressing an issue that has come up during my classes with a member of the DEL faculty, Ms. Dominique “Nikki” Del Corro. I am currently her student in French 30-31 (Advanced Spoken French; Tuesdays to Fridays, 2:30-4:00PM) and EL 181 (Directed Language Activities: Practicum; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:30AM-1:00PM).

On January 27, 2011, after our EL 181 class, Ms. Del Corro approached me and asked when it would be convenient for me to have a talk with her. I inquired about the purpose of the meeting and she told me not to worry and that it was something related to my subjects French 30-31 and EL 181. We had the discussion on February 2, 2011 after our French 30-31 class.

Ms. Del Corro began by saying that she noticed me correcting my classmates whenever they referred to me using male pronouns (in French: il, lui) or male forms of address (in French: Monsieur). I replied that I identified and socially presented myself as female, and that addressing me as a woman was the appropriate thing to do. She then asked me about my biological sex. I told her that my legal sex (i.e. the sex/gender marker on my legal documents) was male, but I argued that this was irrelevant and ultimately misleading, because my legal sex did not accurately reflect my real-life identity, that of being a transsexual female.

Ms. Del Corro then admitted to me that she did not feel comfortable addressing me as female in class. She said “I am a Christian, and this is against my religious beliefs.” She also told me that she cannot separate being a Christian from who she was as a teacher. She then continued that she believed that homosexuality was a sin, and it was due to this reason that she cannot allow herself to accept and address me as female (I actually interrupted her to say that I was transgender, not homosexual/gay, but that did not affect her stance). Our conversation ended in a standstill, between my right to be recognized in my chosen gender in class and her right to her religious belief. We finally agreed to escalate this to you for a decision.

In the section “Academic Freedom of Faculty Members,” the UP Diliman Faculty Manual states that

2.1 Members of the teaching staff enjoy academic freedom; Provided however, That no instructor in the University shall inculcate sectarian tenets in any of the teachings, nor attempt either directly or indirectly, under the penalty of dismissal by the Board of Regents, to influence students or attendants at the University for or against any particular church or religious sect or political party.

By insisting on refusing to address me as female in class due to her religious belief, Ms. Del Corro is clearly succumbing to religious bias while inside the classroom. In addressing me as male (via the use of male pronouns, masculine forms of address, masculine adjectives, etc.) in front of the entire class, she deliberately invalidates my gender identity and implicitly propagates her religious belief that “homosexuality/transgenderism is wrong/evil/immoral/sinful and should not be accepted.” Since she is the authority figure inside the classroom, her legitimization of this practice (of refusing to recognize me as female) also indirectly influences my co-students in adopting the same homophobic/transphobic religious view.

Ms. Del Corro could also be found in violation of some of the articles of the “Code of Ethics for Faculty Members” in the UP Diliman Faculty Manual. Members of the faculty of the University of the Philippines should commit to:

III. Promote a strong sense of nationalism and enduring concern for social justice, gender equality, cultural values, community welfare, and protection of the environment;

Promoting concern for social justice necessitates an awareness of the complex issues of power, privilege and prejudice in today’s society. Instead of advocating to change structures that exclude groups and individuals (such as sexual and gender minorities), Ms. Del Corro, through her homophobic/transphobic views, participates in their further oppression. In judging my female gender identity as “invalid” just because I am transgender, she definitely does not promote gender equality (between transgender and non-transgender females) either.

Consenting to Ms. Del Corro’s actions also runs contrary to the cultural values and traditions of the Department of European Languages, of the University of the Philippines Diliman, and of the secular Philippine state.

Our Department, considered as the home of experts in European languages and cultures, should supposedly be full of people who are well-versed in European affairs, and who have been exposed to and influenced by Europe’s liberal, humanistic and progressive climate. Europe has achieved leaps and bounds when it comes to advocating for equal rights for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people. The European Court for Human Rights recognizes transsexuality as a protected characteristic under Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Last year, France has become the first nation in the world to drop transsexualism from its list of mental disorders. DEL also proudly embraces the sexual and gender diversity of its faculty and staff, as evidenced by the number of its employees who are openly gay. It strikes me as highly ironic how Ms. Del Corro, herself an alumna of two highly progressive and radical educational institutions (UP Diliman and the University of Paris-Sorbonne), could continue to hold such bigoted beliefs about LGBT people.

The founding of the University of the Philippines Babaylan, the first and biggest organization of LGBT students in the country, in 1992 and its consistent recognition by university authorities year after year, demonstrates UP Diliman’s commitment to supporting its LGBT students in their struggle for equal rights within and outside the campus. The Diliman Gender Office conducts gender sensitivity training sessions to organizations, university institutions, and interested individuals.  The UP Office of Guidance and Counseling offers its services to students who are in need of support in matters of coming out, relationships and other LGBT-related issues. The RGEP class Social Science 3 (Exploring Gender & Sexuality) provides a means for all UP students to understand and appreciate the diversity of genders and sexualities that exist within nature. These are just some of the initiatives that clearly portray UP as an LGBT-friendly campus.

Philippine society, heavily influenced by the Christian doctrine that Ms. Del Corro has invoked above, has been traditionally hostile to the LGBT community. The State should clearly remain separate from the Church, however, and little by little we are seeing advances in this campaign for secularism. Early last year, the Supreme Court overturned the Commission on Elections decision disqualifying the LGBT party-list group Ang Ladlad from seeking a congressional seat on grounds of “immorality.” This recognition of LGBT people as a minority group with legitimate concerns is a big statement on the part of the Philippine government in distancing itself from religious dogma. House Bill 956, seeking to prohibit a wide-range of discriminatory policies and practices against Filipino LGBTs, is currently pending in Congress.

V. Instill in our students the passion for learning, the discipline attendant to the pursuit of excellence, intellectual honesty, and respect for the humane;

“Humane” is defined as “marked by compassion, sympathy, or consideration for humans or animals” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Choosing to continue addressing me as male in class (either because of her religious belief or because my legal sex remains to be male), regardless if I insisted that I self-identify as female, is anything but compassionate, sympathetic or considerate. Ms. Del Corro is aware of how mentally and emotionally distressing the effect of being misgendered is, especially on transgender individuals such as myself, yet she chooses to misgender me anyway while invoking her religious freedom. This is definitely not the brand of “respect for the humane” that you would like your teachers to instill in their students.

VIII. Reject activities and interests that interfere with our responsibilities as faculty members and conflict with the interests of the University;

As a language teacher, Ms. Del Corro’s primary duty is towards her students, us language learners. I cannot claim to be an expert on this area, but I am sure that the effect of the classroom environment on the language learning rate of students is huge. It is important that language learners feel relaxed, safe and welcome before any learning can take place. How can a transgender student like me feel welcome in class if my teacher refuses to recognize my gender identity, which is integral to me as a person? How can I feel relaxed when I feel mortified every time I hear male pronouns, forms of address and adjectives being used to refer to me? How can I feel safe when I know that at the back of my teacher’s mind, she thinks that I am immoral and that I am condemned to go to hell when I die?

Religious prejudice has no place within the classroom’s four walls, especially if it is a UP classroom. I am therefore demanding, in behalf of all present and future transgender students of this public and non-sectarian university, for my chosen gender identity to be affirmed and respected. I implore you to exercise your professional authority over Ms. Del Corro, and require her to treat and address me as female in class (through the use of female pronouns, feminine forms of address, feminine adjectives, etc.). I hope for a speedy resolution of this concern, and I await the opportunity to report to your office and have a dialogue with Ms. Del Corro and yourself. Thank you and more power.

Sincerely,

Hender Gercio

BA European Languages

Student Number 2xxxxxxx

Email: xxxxxx

Mobile: 0928.xxxxxxx

----

UPDATE: I had the dialogue with Ms Del Corro and Mr de la Peña last February 18 (Friday) 4PM. The chairperson informed me that he cannot require Ms Del Corro to address me as female since my legal gender remains to be male (as it will forever be unfortunately, unless a Philippine gender recognition law gets passed) and that there was no university policy addressing transgender students. He also stated that Ms Del Corro did not violate any of the university rules (i.e. academic freedom, code of ethics).

I am frustrated by how easily respect, political correctness and common sense get thrown out the window in favor of a mere technicality. I am angered by the unnerving tolerance of university officials to transphobia/homophobia, allowing bigotry to fluorish under the guise of religious freedom, depriving LGBT students of their human rights in the process. I am horrified, that with the absence of regulations that ensure the safety and well-being of LGBT students in Philippine schools, that we will continue to be moving targets of bullying, harassment and violence.

As of now, I am still waiting for the signed written copy of Mr de la Peña's decision so that I can escalate the case. I hope this finally opens the door to the active lobbying for LGBT rights to be recognized in UP Diliman and other educational institutions across the country.

My pronouns are MY pronouns. I don't care who your God is, but I will not let you take my gender identity away from me.

Congratulations! HEART DIÑO #1 USC Councilor

UP Babaylan x International Student Festival 2011 : Oslo, Norway

Rhyan Regondola was one of the Philippine Representatives to the 2011 International Student Festival which was held in Oslo, Norway.

UP Babaylan x International Student Festival 2011 : Oslo, Norway ( Part 1 )

Rhyan Regondola was one of the Philippine Representatives to the 2011 International Student Festival which was held in Oslo, Norway.

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HEART DIÑO

--- Academics --- 

• BS Mathematics, Senior 

• MAGNA CUM LAUDE Standing 

--- Student Service --- 

• Councilor, College of Science Student Council (CSSC), 2010 – Present 

• Head, Public Relations Committee, CSSC, 2010–present 

--- Gender Equality and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Rights and Welfare --- 

• Vice- President for Internal Affairs, UP Babaylan, 2010-present 

• Convenor, National LGBT Student Conference, 2010 

• Representative,UP Babaylan - National LGBT Student Organizations' Network 2010 

• Representative, UP Babaylan - Manila Pride March 2010 

• Head, Finance and Special Projects Head, UP Babaylan, 2008-2010 

• Treasurer, UP Babaylan, 2010 

• Project Head, UP Babaylan vs Discrimination, UP Lantern Parade, 2010 

• Project Head, UP Babaylan Rage Against Discrimination, UP Lantern Parade, 2009 

• Representative, UP Babaylan - Manila Pride March 2009 

• Project Head, Lollipop, UP Babaylan's Anniversary party, 2008 

• Representative, UP Babaylan - Manila Pride March 2008 

---Co-curricular Activities --- 

• Secretary, Executive Board, UP Mathematics Majors' Circle, 2010–present 

• Vice- Head, Secretariat Committee, UP Mathematics Majors' Circle, 2009–2010 

• 3rd Year-Level Representative, UP Mathematics Majors' Circle, 2009–2010 

• Project Head, CS Freshmen Week, 2010 

• Project Head, Extinct: benefit party for the wildlife, 2010 

• Head, Marketing Adhoc, UP Mathematics Majors' Circle, 2009-2010 

• Member, Alumni Homecoming Adhoc, UP Mathematics Majors' Circle, 2009-2010 

• Member, Creative Adhoc, UP Mathematics Majors' Circle, 2009-2010

A Warrior Against Discrimination