At the time of writing this article ten (10) countries in the world now completely recognize same-sex marriage/marriage equality and these countries are Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain (which invaded us once), and Sweden. Some US states also recognizes same-sex marriage/marriage equality. It includes New York, which legalized it on the June of 2011, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, plus Washington, D.C. and Oregon’s Coquille and Washington state’s Suquamish Indian tribes. All of these countries and states are secular. What about the Philippines? Well, we still don’t recognize it here. For many of us Filipinos, same-sex marriage is such a ‘kadiri’ act. When a certain Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), a Protestant church of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transsexuals (LGBTs), conducted same-sex unions/weddings at the City of Baguio, the Roman Catholic bishops criticized and condemned it immediately. Evangelical Christian churches criticized it too. That is simply a sign that Filipinos are not yet ready to accept marriage equality.
What is marriage equality? Marriage equality is the thinking that all marriages, whether it is a heterosexual marriage (man to woman) or homosexual/gay marriage (man to man/woman to woman) is equal as long as the couple loves each other. The religious people, especially those who belong to homophobic religions, can’t accept this way of thinking. They, especially the Christians, believe that marriage is heterosexual only. They believe that marriage is for heterosexual couples only. If you ask the Christians why they are not open for marriage equality, they will give a statement from their so-called ‘Holy Bible.’ Often they will cite this statement from their Lord’s mouth as their reference:
“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” – Mathew 19:5 & 6 (NKJV)
The statement clearly says that marriage is for heterosexual couples only, but what about the government’s secularism? I thought there’s a separation of church and state. Well, there really is, so why use as reason to opposing same-sex marriage the Bible or the Qur’an?
The LGBT community here in the Philippines is struggling for marriage equality for a long time but marriage equality is still not in effect in the country because the officials of the government fear the religious people so much. They are afraid that the Roman Catholic church or the Iglesia ni Cristo might not endorse them if they openly support marriage equality. That’s the sad thing. Marriage equality is blocked by the religious people, especially those with position in religion.
I am straight but I support marriage equality. I hope that Filipinos, especially those with position in religious institutions, will be more open-minded about the issue of marriage equality. Is granting the LGBT community of their wish of marriage equality a hard thing? No, it isn’t. I am calling upon the Philippine government to legalize same-sex marriage and don’t criticize it. I am calling upon the religious people, especially the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and the evangelical Christian churches, to be more open-minded and not to dictate their members. I believe that marriage is a human right and as a simple open-minded atheist who doesn’t believe in a god, I believe in marriage equality.
I hope that the voice of the LGBT community is to be heard and their wish be granted by a liberal and secular government.
Latest Comments