MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been urged by over 200 groups to certify as urgent the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Equality Bill, as members and supporters of the lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transsexuals, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) community celebrate Pride Month this June.

On Friday, groups representing and advocating for the rights of LGBTIQ+ individuals unveiled a giant “love letter” addressed to the President, where their appeal was written.

“Mas happy, ‘pag may equality!” They chanted.

In a unity statement, the groups said that the SOGIESC Equality Bill, once enacted, will protect everyone from discrimination, bullying and harassment, based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

“Make equality your legacy,” they told the President.

“When we give a chance to the SOGIE Equality Bill, we also pave the way for LGBTQ+ individuals and their families to be happy, maging masaya at malaya na makapag-ambag sa lipunan at ekonomiya,” PANTAY National Convenor Vince Liban said.

“Ang SOGIE Equality Bill, taliwas doon sa ipinaparatang sa kanya ay hindi naman same-sex marriage… This is not a gender recognition bill that will allow you to change your legal gender markers sa inyong official documents. Hindi po ito pagyurak sa religious freedom ng mga Pilipino… Bulag nalang ang ayaw makakita, o bingi nalang ang ayaw making. Alam namin na ito ay simpleng anti-discrimination bill na naglalayong proteksyunan ang lahat ng Pilipino, LGBT man o hindi laban sa diskriminasyong nakabase sa kanilang sexual orientation and gender identity and expression and sex characterisics sa larangan ng trabaho, ng pag-aaral, sa pagtanggal ng serbisyo mula sa pamahalaan at sa paggamit at pagpasok sa iba’t ibang establishment at accommodations,” SOGIESC Equality Bill principal author Rep. Geraldine Roman clarified.

At the House of Representatives, House Bill 10176 or the SOGIESC Equality Bill was sponsored before the plenary just last month. It will have to undergo the period of interpellation and debate before it will be voted on for second reading.

Roman is optimistic the lower chamber will be able to pass the measure on third and final reading before the year ends, noting that “majority” of house members support the bill.

“Sa lower house, I don’t think we will encounter difficulties, especially with the new batch of legislators in the House of Representatives who are millennials and Gen Z-ers. I have been receiving messages of support via Viber… Safe to say majority,” she said.

In the upper chamber, Senate President Francis Escudero previously said the SOGIESC Equality Bill faces difficulty getting the Senate's nod unless its advocates agree to some amendments. Advocates said they are open to discussing the proposed amendments.

Roman also issued this call to Escudero’s wife, celebrity Heart Evangelista, an ally of the LGBT community: “I am hopeful. Baka naman Ms. Heart Evangelista, you can convince. Heart Evangelista is proudly an equality champ… alam ko malapit din sa puso ni Senate President Chiz Escudero ang LGBTQIA community.”

“If they are saying na mayroong kailangang amendments, that means they need to help us schedule conversations around the SOGIE Equality Bill as soon as possible. Kasi we’re running our of time ngayong Congress,” Lagablab Secretary General Jap Ignacio said.

More than 200,000 individuals are expected to participate in the Pride March this June 22, according to Pride PH National Convenor Angel Romero.

“Last year we had 110,000… We had the record in Southeast Asia as the biggest Pride March. For this year, we are targeting to double that number. Based also on the registrations online, for the march itself, dumoble na siya. So we’re expecting also a lot of people in the community and allies as well,” Romero told the media.

“It’s a show of force that we are here and we are present, and we are very very visible. So it is really important for us to actually be recognized, our rights to love, our rights to protection against discrimination,” she added.

A national census will be launched to determine the number of LGBTQIA community members in the Philippines, according to Roman.

“Based on rough estimates, the UN has placed 10% of the total population is LGBTQIA. We are around 10 million to 12 million, and our voices will be heard, and there will be unity. We will remember those who have truly shown their love and recognition to LGBTQ community,” the lawmaker said.