Philippines elects first-ever transgender woman to congress
Thu May 12, 2016 01:30:pm World
2.9K By sosa hills
A transgender woman has been elected into the congress in Philippines, the first time ever a transgender has occupied such a position in the history of the country.
Geraldine Roman made history this week as she became the first transgender politician to be elected to public office in the Philippines.
"The politics of bigotry, hatred and discrimination did not triumph," Roman told Agence France-Presse. "What triumphed was the politics of love, acceptance and respect."
She defeated opponent Danny Malana handily for a congressional seat, winning 62 percent of the vote, according to an unofficial vote count. Roman comes from a powerful family of lawmakers, a common feature in the Philippines, where political dynasties have dominated.
The Roman Catholic Church has a strong influence on the Southeast Asian nation, where divorce, abortion and same-sex marriage are illegal. Since 2001, transgender people in the Philippines have been unable to legally change their name and sex.
And although surveys show that people in the Philippines are generally accepting of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, a 2014 report by the U.S. Agency for International Development quotes activists as saying that the country's LGBT community has to battle discrimination, violence, stereotypes and legal barriers. Since the 1990s, proposals for a national anti-discrimination law to protect LGBT Filipinos have been put forth, and rejected, in both chambers of Congress.
Roman said she was "elated, very, very happy" with her win to represent Bataan in Congress, Agence France-Presse reported. "I'm also excited to work. I realize that the burden is bigger because the stereotype of people about the LGBT is we are frivolous, that we have nothing substantial to say, so I have to prove them wrong."
"This is a big step to the acceptance of the LGBT to the mainstream society," Rep. Winston Castelo said in a statement, according to the Manila Bulletin. "We will welcome her in Congress and hopefully we can approve now a bill that would prohibit discrimination of LGBT in schools and workplaces."
Roman's win came on the same day that unofficial results showed that Rodrigo "the Punisher" Duterte would be the country's next president (official results will be released later this week). The brash, tough-talking mayor has attracted international outrage for his comments, including remarks about the rape and murder of an Australian missionary in 1989. Human Rights Watch has dubbed him the "Death Squad Mayor."
Geraldine Roman made history this week as she became the first transgender politician to be elected to public office in the Philippines.
"The politics of bigotry, hatred and discrimination did not triumph," Roman told Agence France-Presse. "What triumphed was the politics of love, acceptance and respect."
She defeated opponent Danny Malana handily for a congressional seat, winning 62 percent of the vote, according to an unofficial vote count. Roman comes from a powerful family of lawmakers, a common feature in the Philippines, where political dynasties have dominated.
The Roman Catholic Church has a strong influence on the Southeast Asian nation, where divorce, abortion and same-sex marriage are illegal. Since 2001, transgender people in the Philippines have been unable to legally change their name and sex.
And although surveys show that people in the Philippines are generally accepting of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, a 2014 report by the U.S. Agency for International Development quotes activists as saying that the country's LGBT community has to battle discrimination, violence, stereotypes and legal barriers. Since the 1990s, proposals for a national anti-discrimination law to protect LGBT Filipinos have been put forth, and rejected, in both chambers of Congress.
Roman said she was "elated, very, very happy" with her win to represent Bataan in Congress, Agence France-Presse reported. "I'm also excited to work. I realize that the burden is bigger because the stereotype of people about the LGBT is we are frivolous, that we have nothing substantial to say, so I have to prove them wrong."
"This is a big step to the acceptance of the LGBT to the mainstream society," Rep. Winston Castelo said in a statement, according to the Manila Bulletin. "We will welcome her in Congress and hopefully we can approve now a bill that would prohibit discrimination of LGBT in schools and workplaces."
Roman's win came on the same day that unofficial results showed that Rodrigo "the Punisher" Duterte would be the country's next president (official results will be released later this week). The brash, tough-talking mayor has attracted international outrage for his comments, including remarks about the rape and murder of an Australian missionary in 1989. Human Rights Watch has dubbed him the "Death Squad Mayor."
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