A Heterosexual Rights Act? What For?
Just when you thought the bar couldn’t get any lower, well, it does. On October 26, Manila Congressman Benny Abante (yes, that pro-death penalty evangelical pastor guy) filed House Bill No. 5717, or “The Heterosexual Act of 2022.” The justification? Simply put, to recognize and protect the rights of our dear heterosexual community. Now that’s a sentence I never thought I would hear from the legislative body.
The bill states that heterosexuals “should be respected and protected of their right to live and act as God created them” given that there are bills seeking to safeguard the rights and safety of the LGBTQIA+ community. But isn’t heterosexual rights just…rights? Our laws have been made for and by heterosexuals since time immemorial anyway. The entire society, including the norms, beliefs, and practices that mount it, is built to benefit the straights. Wake up! You are not oppressed by the very system that serves you.
Where do I start here? Straight people aren’t mocked or bullied for their gender expression. They don’t get abused or killed because someone disagrees with their sexual orientation. Their existence has never been illegal in any part of the world. They certainly don’t have self-righteous Christians constantly breathing down their neck and telling them they would be turned away from the gates of heaven. What more is there to ask for when, if anything, it’s them that are the main oppressors?
'THE HETEROSEXUAL ACT'?
— iMPACT Leadership (@iMPACTPH2019) November 8, 2022
Manila, 6th District Rep. Benny Abante refiles his "Heterosexual Act" which seeks to "recognize, define and protect the rights of heterosexuals". pic.twitter.com/KAvgDq9U1L
Cue the Bible verse references again. Of course, these discussions invariably lead straight to the Holy Book. “God only created two genders—male and female.” The underlying sentiment is always the same, too. “I must proclaim God’s truth and dogma, by whatever means necessary.”
Listen, the God I grew up learning about speaks of extending a hand to the marginalized and loving your neighbors as you love yourself. Heck, even Saint Peter committed possibly the worst sin ever written in the Bible when he denied the Lord (three times!) but they still made him Pope.
So what gives these Christians the power to decide what is morally upright in the eyes of God? Who are they to label the existence of LGBQTIA+ people “unimaginable,” “detestable,” and “in utter defiance to His standards of proper conduct and righteous living?” These were the exact words written on the explanatory note of the bill. It reeks of moral ascendancy and “straight lives matter” vibes.
In an ideal world, the message of the Gospel would not be reduced to sentiments that undermine mercy and benevolence, which is at the heart of Jesus Christ’s entire schtick. I mean, for heaven’s sake, even Pope Francis is more welcoming to the LGBTQIA+ community:
“If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him? The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this in a beautiful way, saying: “no one should marginalize these people for this, they must be integrated into society”.”
— Pope Francis during a press conference in July 2013.
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When asked what he would say to LGBTQIA+ Catholics who’ve been rejected by the Church or its officials, the Pope even says, “I would have them recognize it not as the rejection of the church, but instead of people in the church. The church is a mother and calls together all her children.” If the literal head of the worldwide Catholic Church himself is giving more progressive statements in 2022, then it only speaks to how backward our country is.
I am again reminded that these are also the same state officials who just don’t get the concept of SOGIE diversity. In a way, bills like these just perpetuate the hateful rhetoric against homosexuality, transsexuality, and queerness, among others. This bill does not seek justice and equality; it aims to institutionalize hatred and bigotry. It’s quite alarming that, in the face of rising inflation rates, worsening poverty, and devastating calamities caused by the climate crisis, this is what our legislators choose to prioritize.
If the goal here is to champion the right to free speech or religious practice, as well as to recognize the validity of individual beliefs, then the state’s resources would be better off spent on enacting the SOGIE Equality Bill. The education crisis and lack of awareness of it have led heterosexuals to believe that demanding protection for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community somehow takes away theirs. The opposite of this is true.
The community is not asking for “special treatment.” They simply want to live their truth without the fear of discrimination. Human rights isn't a pie; more for one does not mean less for others. Besides, everyone, even heterosexual people, have SOGIE going for them, and each is entitled to respect and safety. It’s the baseline of basic human decency, really.
