On Tuesday, Vice President Sara Duterte declared that she would support laws that would safeguard the relationship between LGBTQ+ people.
Duterte, however, stressed in a statement to GMA News Online that she was not specifically referring to same-sex marriage, adding she wants the legal protection of such unions.
“Yes I support legislation to protect other gender partnerships under the law,” she said.
VP Sara Duterte has repeatedly declared herself a part of the LGBT community. She revealed that she had previously spoken with Senator Robin Padilla on the proposed LGBTQ+ protection.
The Vice President observed 64 couples get married earlier that day in a free ceremony organized by the Paranaque City local government.
She made the point during her address that many other genders are now accepted by society, therefore she hopes that their partnerships will also be protected by the law.
“Marami pong gender ngayon na kinikilala ang ating society. Naisip ko, sana sa mga susunod na taon, ‘yung ibang gender, katulad ng mga LGBTQI, ay mabigyan din sila ng proteksyon ng batas sa kani-kanilang lang mga partners at sa kanilang mga relationship,” VP Duterte said.
VP Sara Duterte calls for LGBTQ+ relationships law protection
(I have a lot of LGBTQ friends. I want them to have the same protection as those of us who get married.)
Duterte previously acknowledged that she went through “cycles” where she tried to look masculine, citing this as the reason why she occasionally wore her hair short.
Sara, on the other hand, claimed that if she wanted to appear feminine, she would just put on cosmetics.
The Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Equality bill was approved on final reading in the 17th Congress. However, its counterpart bill in the Senate only weakened during interpellation.
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