The Wheel and Axle

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From my Facebook status update earlier:

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As UP Babaylan gears towards celebrating its 20th anniversary later this year, it is but fitting that this year marks another historical milestone for the pioneering student LGBT organization in the country.

It is with great pride that I congratulate Heart Diño for becoming the first transgender woman to be elected as the Chairperson of UP Diliman’s University Student Council!

Progress may not always seem apparent in the fight for LGBT rights, but it is uplifting to know that the country’s top university is setting an example through the acknowledgment that it is not gender, sex, or sexual preference that matters in leadership – it is skill, capability, and strength of character.

There is hope after all.

I ♥ Change!

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History in the Making

… and lest she be forgotten in all this flurry, Pat Bringas – current Punong-Babaylan – also landed a spot in the USC as a councilor. Pat, who is also a transgender woman, ranked second place in the race.

http://www.thepoc.net/thepoc-features/pinoy-lgbt/pinoy-lgbt-news/14990-miel-feria.html

With previous historical milestones such as the election of Perci Cendaña as the first gay USC chairperson in 1997 and Carmen Hinayon as the first transgender woman councilor in 2002, UP Babaylan continues to blaze the trail in the progression of LGBT rights – not just in the campus, but also in the nation.

This is the perfect way to begin the celebrations for UP Babaylan’s 20th year anniversary.

Proud to be Babaylanes.

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Once again, the Damasos speak.

In what has got to be the most irony-laden stand in the history of idiocy, the Creepy Busybodies’ Coalition of the Philippines (CBCP) is targeting the anti-discrimination bill currently being reviewed by the Senate. The mission? To eliminate the provisions around LGBT rights.

One Busybody Lawyer claims that the Church of the Busybody would be punished for not officiating same-sex marriages should the bill become law, conveniently forgetting that the bill in essence would also protect religious freedom, and should same-sex marriage become a reality, it will not be one of religious matters but rather of civil matters. Besides, what same-sex couple would want to be married within a church that despises them, anyway?

“It might change society,” Busybody Lawyer #1 says, to which I let out a big duuuh. Of course it will change our society – by stopping bigots of all kinds in their tracks. Busybody bigots, for one.

Another Busybody Lawyer concurs that this bill will violate religious freedom by potentially punishing the Church of the Busybody if it chose to exclude people from Church responsibilities due to homosexuality.

Oh, please. Gays already hold powerful responsibilities within the Church; just read any Church-related scandal in the last ten years, and one will know that a good number of priests are sexually-active closet cases already practicing homosexuality. Not to mention practicing criminal acts like, you know, sexual harassment and child abuse.

Of course, the best argument is Busybody Lawyer #2′s statement that LGBT folks should not be considered the same as the elderly, the handicapped, and the poor because the other groups are disadvantaged not by their own choice, while LGBT’s supposedly chose what they are. The implication is that they deserve no protection from discrimination.

This is just wrong on so many levels I want to offer the Busybody Lawyer #2 some water to wash down her foot, then I will take out a sharp axe and hurl it at her.

For one thing, using the poor as an example is just plain ignorance. Not all poor people are disadvantaged because of non-choice, i.e. because they were born poor. There are also poor people who are disadvantaged because of choices they made that caused them to be poor. You know, like gambling their savings away or investing in illegal scams. This doesn’t mean we get to discriminate against them.

For another thing, discrimination is not a matter of “disadvantage” due to “non-choice.” Discrimination is a matter of social norms about what is supposedly superior and inferior. Black people and other ethnic minorities in the USA, for example, technically have no “real” disadvantage if you think about it – skin color does not offer any “true” disadvantage in the same way that disability or age would. And yet, racial discrimination exists nonetheless. Why? Because society incorrectly views them as inferior. The same applies to the LGBT community. Or for any religious community, for that matter.

And most interestingly, if we follow Busybody Lawyer #2′s logic, then religion should be removed from the bill as well – for people who practice any religion do it by their own choice. In fact, while nature vs. nurture / inborn vs. choice is still an open debate around sexuality, the practice of a religion is a clear-cut choice. Thus, if choice is the determining factor on whether a group should be given protection from discrimination or not, then religion should be the first group that gets the boot in the anti-discrimination bill. Which, of course, should also not be, even if there are a lot of idiotic religious leaders blabbing their way to attention.

At the end of the day, the biggest irony at the heart of it is that the Creepy Busybodies’ Coalition of the Philippines is pushing for an anti-discrimination bill to become discriminating. How’s that for bigotry?

If they do not see the hypocrisy in this, then they have no right to be praying to a Messiah who preferred to spend His time with the victims of discrimination instead of rubbing elbows with hateful religious leaders.

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Uhm, ok.

The past week has had our gossipy nation wagging its collective tongue about last Sunday’s interview of KC Concepcion regarding her break-up with Piolo Pascual. Everyone loves melodrama, especially if it involves one of show business’ most bankable actors (meanwhile, I hesitate categorizing KC as a bankable actress, but her status as the love child of one of yesteryear’s most bankable love teams cements her own brand of fame, I guess).

By this time, almost everyone has heard the vagueness of KC’s responses regarding Piolo – and I’m pretty sure almost everyone has pitched in through Facebook, Twitter, and their suking tindahan about what KC’s underlying statements really meant. And at least on my Facebook newsfeed, a vast majority has brought forth once again the “open secret” that has kept gossip rags and blind items alive for the last decade, i.e. Piolo’s sexuality.

In this sea of speculations about Piolo’s sexuality, some have come forth denouncing what is supposedly a forced outing of Piolo. Coming out of the closet, after all, is a personal choice – the difficulties surrounding such an act varies from person to person, and truly, others have no say in general on where and when how such an outing, if any, should happen.

But therein lies the rub. Has Piolo really been outed? No one who actually knows him has surfaced to outright say that he is gay. Even KC was careful in her statements, and only the masses have interpreted her words accordingly. People may be talking about Piolo being gay or not, but technically that is speculation and not an outing.

Then comes out this idiotic article accusing the masses of bullying Piolo into coming out, and that this makes Piolo a victim of homophobia and makes him less inclined to come clean.

I will not disagree that even in these modern times homophobia is alive and well in our society. However, I will disagree that homophobia is the primary driving factor on why people still keep on talking about Piolo’s sexuality. Perhaps to a small percentage of the populace, yes, but I believe the masses are simply tired of the entire charade of deception and panggagamit that has happened in the last decade. The masses aren’t that stupid to fall for this ruse every single time, and now there is a baklush, I mean, a backlash.

This is not about outing someone or homophobia. As one of my friends put it, this is about integrity and character.

So many entertainers have remained in the closet for their entire careers without having to use people to keep their secret intact. I respect them. I respect their choice. I respect that their circumstances – whether family, work, religion, what have you – have prevented them from coming out. They did not feel the need to constantly spew out beards to help keep their fame. They chose privacy, and so their privacy was respected.

Not so with Piolo.

Every single publicized relationship he has had seems like a calculated effort to steer focus away from rumors that pop up every few years. Was there not a time when a scandalous gay sex video supposedly featuring Piolo was circulating, and all of a sudden Piolo had a girlfriend (I can’t recall who)? And earlier on, when the rumors were starting, suddenly Piolo had a child? How many times have the Sam Milby and Yul Servo rumors been counteracted with Judy Ann Santos pairings?

Then of course there is KC. Were there also not rumors about Piolo and Mark Bautista circulating when suddenly he and KC were an item? Not to mention a lucrative tuna advertisement deal.

The more reactive Piolo’s agents have been to the on/off rumors about his sexuality, the more said rumors have gotten cemented. It would have been better to have just shut up about it if they were serious about keeping Piolo’s straight image afloat. (Actually, it would have been better if Piolo had practiced more discretion in his activities if he were serious about keeping his image straight – he’s a public figure, after all – but that’s another story entirely.)

I do not believe people are talking about Piolo because they are bullying him out of the closet. In the eyes of many, his gayness – in reality still speculation – is already a given, so what’s the point of outing him?

I believe people are talking about Piolo because the impression is that yet again he has opted to use another woman for his own gain, whatever that may be. Publicity for his career? Cover-up for his indiscretions? Who knows? The point is that the public is tired of these shenanigans which have become a cycle in his career, and they are now calling him out on it.

I also do not have sympathy for KC. She is either the most gullible woman in the history of ever, or else she is equally as calculating as Piolo. I vote for the latter. I cannot for the life of me believe that she has never heard of the rumors about Piolo’s sexuality, and if so, then why would she enter into a relationship with him? So she can change his preference?

No, methinks this whole relationship has been a publicity stunt right from the start. Let’s face it, while Piolo is still the current generation’s top leading man, his star is slowly waning, and really, aside from being the daughter of Shawie and Gabby, nagka-karir ba talaga si KC? And combined with the rumors about Mark Bautista, a publicity stunt was again in order for ABS-CBN to protect its wonder boy while making cash on the side with a lucrative tuna endorsement.

This “relationship” started as a publicity stunt, and this “relationship” ended as a publicity stunt.

I just don’t think ABS-CBN expected the baklush, I mean, backlash this last stunt would generate. Never has there been so much negative publicity on the topic of Piolo Pascual. Of course, the network tried to do some damage control by posting rumors on its site that Maricar Reyes was the cause of the break-up, but said link disappeared in a matter of hours – because really, as Suzanne from Temptation Island would say, “but who believes that?”

No, Piolo is not being outed by the masses. As a public figure who was brought to where he is by sincere fans, his credibility and character are being questioned.

And so this is why I find myself having no sympathy with any of the parties involved. Call me mean, but I cannot sympathize with yet another round of attempted deception and media whoredom.

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A recent editorial by Teddy Locsin, Jr. caught my eye on the interwebs earlier today.

I expected better from someone like Teddy Locsin, Jr.

In it, he makes a pretty well-stated case against some of the anomalies involved in “contracting” the job of refurbishing the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), which recently cropped up in several online lists as Asia’s (and in some cases, I believe the world’s) worst airport. These anomalies should indeed be called out, especially in light of such a high-profile issue.

However, Teddy’s entire argument crumbles at the very onset because of his opening statements, and any credibility he may have had in pursuing his opinions are lost in a sea of more ignorant proclamations thereafter.

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“Bloggers branding NAIA the worst airport were homeless gays,” he begins charmingly. “Naturally, they complained the NAIA women’s toilets are inadequate, there’s nowhere to lie down, no kneepads in restrooms in any case.”

Beginning one’s argument with homophobic slurs is never a good idea. You’ve instantly lost maybe 10% of your audience, and significantly more so if you count said audience’s supporters. To generalize bloggers who have shared their opinions about how bad NAIA is as being “homeless gays” is offensive to gays and straights alike. Let us remember that resorting to name-calling is a sign of a weak debater who could not find a strong foundation for his own points.

Also, to insinuate that all that gay folks think of is oral sex while kneeling in public restrooms is a pretty disgusting thing to say on what should be a professional and, one assumes, intellectual forum.

He also later deridingly uses “Famfanga” as a term, continuing his ignorant bigotry and lack of proper debating skills.

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“Nobody, who is anybody, notices the airports they pass through. My best friend, mining magnate Ronnie Zamora has travelled the world. After immigration, he said, the airport is just a blur when Ritz, Four Seasons, Mandarin or Shangri-la whisk him away,” he continues. “What about the toilet? He has done his business in the plane. Travelers flying economy, in tight seats, with smelly toilets, want to get as far from the plane, as fast as they can.”

After making his homophobic rants, Teddy shifts into full-on elitist mode with his “nobody who is anybody” diatribe.

Teddy, perhaps only 5% of all airport passers-through are an “anybody;” the rest are just “nobodies” like us who cannot afford lengthy stays in first-class hotels while sitting on a pile of hundred-dollar bills and making phone calls to Zurich to move money to the Cayman Island accounts.

The “nobodies” like us don’t always have the option to be whisked away in limousines from the airport to go to our crystal castles. Many have no choice but to stay in the airport for several hours waiting for connecting flights to other destinations. Many of these “nobodies” are also foreign tourists who bring in money that help our shitty economy, and if their “Mabuhay! Welcome!” sign to Manila is a stinky airport with thieving staff, you can kiss your economy goodbye.

And if “nobodies” like us who cannot afford a stay in the first-class lounge need to wait for hours, then the airport better damn well be at least comfortable, secure, and clean.

The primary function of an airport may indeed be immigrations and customs, but it has secondary functions as well – customer service being one of those.

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“I killed the idea of doing anything to an airport that already works well.”

This, of course, is the most laughable, self-deluding statement one would hear in this editorial.

To say NAIA works well is like saying the Philippines is a global super-power. Never mind the aesthetics of the restrooms. Just think about the damned falling ceiling and the corrupt airport personnel running the place. Security and safety are utmost priorities wherein NAIA has failed miserably, and that is no big secret.

And while we do not expect to see an airport that looks like it came out of the wet dream of some Dubai architect, we expect a level of beauty and basic cleanliness. The airport is the gateway to the nation, and if your foreign guests find your gateway shitty, what would they think of the rest of your nation? This is the kind of thing that kills the tourism industry, which is one of the few industries that is keeping our economy afloat.

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“But no, the finicky insist on a brand new airport we cannot afford or the old one remade according to Architectural Digest.”

I am neither economist nor financial analyst, but common sense will tell me that this airport can afford to be remade.

With the exorbitant “terminal fees” and “airport taxes” being extorted from the thousands of travelers passing through on a daily basis, I guarantee you money can be found to fund any renovation three times over if said money wants to be found. Other airports such as HKIA and Singapore have significantly better-maintained facilities, and these do not charge such fees.

The elephant in the room, therefore, is: where does all that money go? With the deteriorating conditions of NAIA, it certainly isn’t going to its basic upkeep, never mind any aesthetic overhauling in mind.

And this, at the end of the day, is what should be lambasted primarily. Not whether NAIA’s renovation plans have anomalies or not (which should still be questioned), but why it needs renovation in the first place when there should be more than enough money flowing through to maintain it. “Should” being the operative term – this is the root anomaly in this situation, the question of where all that money is going to.

This is what needs to be investigated in the first place. If it had been done so years ago, then the airport would likely have been fixed way back, and it never would have landed on any “worst” lists at all that would necessitate this reaction from the government.

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Some have mentioned Teddy’s editorial may have been satirical. Maybe. However, in the video wherein he expresses these opinions, he does not sound satirical at all.

And while one is entitled to one’s opinion, one should be careful in how that opinion is expressed. Otherwise, one will just come off as an airhead, and that’s never good, especially if you are supposed to be a respected journalist.