Human Soul Philippines

Upcoming Locations

2011-06-23T23:04:00.006+08:00

Upcoming Locations

Visit the Human Soul exhibit at a location near you. Check back for more potential locations in the future.

June 27-July 2
UP Faculty Center Gallery

July 4-8
UP Diliman AS Lobby

October 17-18
Davao: Formal launching on Oct 17, 2pm at University of Southeastern Philippines

October 19-25
Davao: Sangguniang Panglungsod

October 26-30
Davao: SM City

November 7-11
Davao: Ateneo De Davao University

November 14-18
Davao: Brokenshire College

For more information on the upcoming exhibits, or to inquire about hosting Human Soul, please contact:

Mr. Renier Louie Bona
TLF Share Collective
+63-9176182626

Fight Discrimination - Take Action!

2011-06-22T19:13:00.006+08:00

Fight Discrimination - Take Action!

They have been excluded because they dressed differently at school, but they fought against it. Their job applications were deliberately ignored because they disclosed they were HIV-positive, and they tried to complain about it. The police continue harassing them because of their sexual preference, and they are struggling against it.

These are common Filipinos you might have crossed on the street, without giving them a second glance. Elegant transsexuals or discreet gays, as well as courageous HIV-positive people; they are the daily victims of an invisible and non-punishable crime: discrimination.

They have decided to come out, to show their faces and to air their complaints, for you to see and understand how is it to be different. Today, they ask for these senseless abuses to stop, and request the passage of the first anti-discrimination law in the Philippines.

Now, it is your turn.

Fighting discrimination requires everyone's help, for in standing up against discrimination, you are not only standing up for others, you are standing up for yourself. While today it may be a stranger who it is being discriminated against, tomorrow it may be a friend, and one day in the future it may be you.

However, the fight against discrimination and bigotry is not one that will be won easily or quickly. The road ahead may seem daunting, but taking one step at a time, and working together, we can build a better society.

Hopefully, visiting the Human Soul exhibit has been a fruitful first step to understanding and empathizing with those who face greater challenges and inequities in our society.

Take the next step.

Become an advocate for the rights of those who are discriminated against.

Share
Start by sharing the stories in the Human Soul with your family, your friends, your co-workers.

Recommend Human Soul to your friends on Facebook

Download and share the audio from Human Soul (45mb)

Support
Voice your support for the anti-discrimination bills in the legislature by sending a letter to your elected officials.

Download a statement of support to send to your elected officials

Find and e-mail your representative in Congress

Advocate
Turn your phone or your computer into an advertisement for the Human Soul's positive message about equality and the fight against discrimination.

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Connect
Learn what is happening in the community today or get involved. Donate your time or your skills.

Philippine LGBT Hate Crime Watch Facebook Group
Philippine LGBT Hate Crime Watch Blog
Ang Ladlad Party-list Facebook Page

Human Soul Directory of Organizations

A Statement from Rep. Teodoro Casiño

2011-06-22T19:00:00.000+08:00

A Statement of Support

From Representative Teodoro Casiño, Bayan Muna

In behalf of Bayan Muna, I would like to commend the UNDP, HAIN, TLF Share and especially my friends Sebastien Farcis and Romain Rivierre for mounting the multimedia exhibit Human Soul. Likewise, I would like to express my solidarity to our gay and transgender friends whose lives and struggles are the subject of the exhibit.

The launching of the exhibit's website could not have come at a better time, with the recent decision of the UN Human Rights Council to call for an end to discrimination and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender persons worldwide. Human Soul gives a face to the victims of discrimination and violence. But it does so in a way that upholds their dignity and beauty. The pictures and stories do not depress, they inspire. They do not condemn, they challenge. They do not confuse but enlighten us to a reality that many would rather ignore.

I would like to especially congratulate Sebastien and Romain for their excellent and groundbreaking work. I expect to see more of their work in the future.

A Statement of Support from Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan

2011-06-21T19:22:00.000+08:00

A Statement of Support

Speech of Representative Luzviminda Ilagan

At the outset let me congratulate the organizers of this unique activity. The issue of LGBTs and their struggle against discrimination is a matter very close to my heart. Before I joined the House of Representatives as a legislator bearing the voice of marginalized women as represented by Gabriela Women's Party, I had helped organize lesbians in my home city, Davao. Their fight for acceptance by families in particular and by society in general is one that is most deserving of our support. It is a basic human right which must be upheld, a universal tenet that must be respected and an advocacy that must be pursued with commitment and dedication. This is the challenge for all of us, as individuals and as members of organizations. The fight of the LGBTs for their rightful place in this world is also our fight. Not only should we manifest our solidarity with them, we should take on with greater fervor their issues and concerns as an essential part of our own advocacies.

Once again, congratulations to the sponsors, the organizers and the participants.

Good afternoon.

Discrimination Tears Apart the Human Soul - Fmr. Rep. Risa Hontiveros

2011-06-21T19:07:00.000+08:00

Discrimination tears apart the human soul

Speech of former Akbayan Representative Risa Hontiveros

Magandang hapon sa inyong lahat, ako si Risa Hontiveros ng Akbayan. Hindi makakarating si Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, ang principal author ng Anti-Discrimination Bill o HB515, dahil sa isang speaking engagement sa US.

Mahaba na rin ang pinag-daanan ng Anti-Discrimination Bill, a measure that seeks to penalize discrimination against lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders. It was first filed by then Rep. Etta Rosales, now CHR Chair, in 1999. Under Etta's leadership, the bill was approved by the House human rights committee in 2000, and it was approved by the House on third reading in 2001 but got blocked in the Senate. I authored it from 2004 to 2010, and this term, as early as June 27, 2010, Akbayan Reps. Kaka Bag-ao and Walden Bello refiled the measure. Malapit nang maging teenager ang bill na to, it's time for its rite of passage.

There are stories of abuse and discrimination that prove the urgency of this measure, and in Akbayan's long history as the principal author of this bill, we encountered some of these stories: there was the case of Jan-Jan, a gay man, whose surgery was illegally recorded by medical professionals in Cebu and uploaded the video on YouTube; there numerous cases of transgenders, one involving a celebrity entertainer, and several involving students and young professionals, who had been barred from entering commercial establishments or toilets; the encounters with abusive policemen, those who wrongly apply the law to harass homosexuals, bisexuals and transgenders, extort money from them, and abuse their powers to shame them.

But the most heartbreaking stories are those that do not reach Congress, those that are uttered with the heaviest of sighs - the realization of a man that the promotion he fought hard for, that he deserves, won't be given to him because he is gay; the oppressive silence that surrounds sexual violence, rape that is supposed to cure lesbians of their homosexuality; the swelling of fear, pride and courage in a boy's heart when he finally decided to tell his parents that he's gay, and the long, lonely walk he has to take upon learning that he no longer has a family, and has to leave his home.

Discrimination tears apart the human soul. It is not a simple issue of entitlements being denied, it's the intention or the effect of treating one person less of a human because of who he or she has chosen to love, or how he or she sees himself or herself. Society in general still thinks that it can be reversed, or corrected, but we all know being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender is not just natural, it is embedded in the human family.

As we open today our exhibit, we take a look into the human soul of gays, bisexuals, and transgenders who have witnessed discrimination, and fought back. Such is the nature of the human soul: it cannot be contained, not in a closet, or through an act of abuse or violence. But the State should intervene and put an end to the climate of discrimination and abuse experienced by LGBTs. We call on Congress, especially the Chair of the House Committee on Women and Gender Equality to immediately approve the Anti-Discrimination Bill. Maari pa nyang bilisan ang approval ng ADB dahil na-approve na ito ng third reading nuon. We call on the Aquino administration to help build an environment of diversity and acceptance, where all Filipinos, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, are able to enjoy their equal rights.

Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat at mabuhay ang LGBTs!

Find Friends, Find Help

2011-06-21T14:13:00.002+08:00

From The Supporters

2011-06-21T12:26:00.000+08:00

From the Supporters

Human Soul, in traveling around the country, has helped raise awareness and gather support for the fight against discrimination. Prominent people are speaking out to show their support for a fair and equal society, where all people can live in harmony.

"The fight of the LGBTs for their rightful place in this world is also our fight. Not only should we manifest our solidarity with them, we should take on with greater fervor their issues and concerns..."

Representative Luzviminida Ilagan
Gabriela Women's Party

"Discrimination tears apart the human soul. It is not a simple issue of entitlements being denied, it's the intention or the effect of treating one person less of a human..."

Former Representative
Risa Hontiveros, Akbayan

"This exhibit is a powerful and poignant reminder about how far we need to travel in the fight against all forms of discrimination, including discrimination against the gay and lesbian, bisexual and transgerder communities. It also shows though that, with determination and courage, we can overcome in the end."

Representative
Walden Bello, Akbayan

"While society in the Philippines may appear tolerant towards the LGBT, stories of stigma and discrimination among the members of the community abound as exemplified by the life stories of the gay men and transgendered women featured in this exhibit. There are other members of the community who suffer even worse fates than these men and women with stories often unreported and undocumented."

Country Director
Renaud Meyer, UNDP

"Human Soul gives a face to the victims of discrimination and violence. But it does so in a way that upholds their dignity and beauty. The pictures and stories do not depress, they inspire."

Representative
Teodoro Casiño, Bayan Muna

Understanding Discrimination

2011-06-08T17:01:00.000+08:00

Understanding Discrimination

There are many more stories like those featured in Human Soul. What exactly, though, is discrimination? How does it affect you and the people around you? Educate yourself on stigma and discrimination and see just how pervasive it is in our society. Then, take action!!

Equality and Discrimination

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 1, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 1948.

The United Nations defined equality over 60 years ago. However, this was but a global expression of common values that we all hold to be true. Indeed, in our heart of hearts, each of us already has an idea of what is wrong or right. It is what drives that twinge in us, often ignored or not acted upon, when we see some sort of inequality occurring to a fellow human being. Thus, even without a formal declaration, we all inherently understand what discrimination is – to treat someone unfairly, based on things they cannot control.

"Reclaiming the Lucidity of our Hearts"
A speech by Ms. Sass Sasot to an Assembly of the United Nations on International Human Rights Day 2009

The Pink Dot - Singapore
The Pink Dot is a budding movement in Singapore, based on a yearly "action" to show solidarity for the pursuit of a more tolerant, more inclusive Singapore. Watch the video for an inspiring take on why each and every one of us should stand up for those being discriminated against.

The Fight for Equal Rights in the Philippines
The first anti-discrimination bill was filed in 1999 by then Akbayan Representative and now Commission on Human Rights Chair Etta Rosales. Representative Rosales became the Chair of the Human Rights Committee, and under her leadership, the bill was approved on Third Reading by the House during the 12th Congress.

The Senate, however, ignored the bill. The Hello Garci scandal broke out during the 13th Congress, and while Etta Rosales was able to have the bill approved by the committee, Akbayan became part of the minority and she was ousted as Chair of the human rights committee. She was replaced by Bienvenido Abante, a Baptist pastor, who successfully blocked the bill till the 14th Congress.

Today, an anti-discrimination law has yet to be passed in the Philippines. There are currently three bills pending - one in the Senate and two in the House, filed by the Party-list Bayan Muna and Akbayan. Both parties are in the minority however, and legislative support for the bills from other parties is unclear. There is no way to tell when or even if the bills will pass in the near term.

However, there is hope. The Ang Ladlad party-list won a historical battle in 2010, when the Surpreme Court recognized their right to have a transgender nominee for the 2010 national elections. This victory has given new voice to the entire LGBT community, and helps pave the way for greater representation and a renewed call for equal rights for all.

Senate, Anti-Discrimination Bill | Download

The equal protection clause in the Bill of Rights prescribes discrimination on the basis sexual orientation or any other status in the enjoyment of rights. The equal protection clause, according to an eminent constitutionalist, "is the specific constitutional guarantee of the equality of the person.

Congress, Anti-Discrimination Bill 1483 | Download

The present and future realities existing in the country should not be left behind by law. The noble intentions of numerous national and international agreements are still wanting with respect to our compatriot lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBTs). They continue to be discriminated by society at large, ...LGBTs often find it difficult to exercise their rights as persons, laborers, professionals, and ordinary citizens.

Congress, Anti-Discrimination Bill 515 | Download

Unfortunately, reality has still to catch up ... Lesbians and gays continue to be oppressed by the iniquitous treatment of society at large, primarily because of misconceptions and ignorance. Sadly for our democracy, gays and lesbians are still considered second class citizens when they try to exercise the rights to which they are rightfully entitled.

International Treaties
The Philippines has signed a number of international treaties that uphold human rights for all people. Many treaties have been ratified for over a quarter century, however full implementation remains elusive. The efforts today at passing anti-discrimination bills in the legislature is both an on-going effort to fulfill the country's responsibilities, as well as a reflection of the country's belief in equality, fairness, and the notion of universal rights.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights | Full Text

Proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society...shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and ...to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

You can lend your voice by contacting your elected officials. Let them know that you support equal rights, abhor discrimination of any kind, and wish for the Philippines to live up to their international commitments and build a better society. Together, let us take action now.

Media Coverage of Human Soul

2011-06-08T16:33:00.003+08:00

Media Coverage of Human Soul

The Human Soul multimedia exhibit has been traveling all around the Philippines, from the hall of the House of Representatives in Manila to the city hall of Cebu and the malls of Davao. These are some comments of those who experienced the exhibit in person, from media outlets from around the nation.

Listening to the Human Soul | MindanaoTimes.net
...The sad thing about discrimination is that it has become such a norm: everyday, we hear and pass off countless jokes about how different some people are. Worse, many of us don’t even bother to educate ourselves on the number of lifestyles that have cropped up in the modern age....

HUMAN SOUL - Multimedia Exhibit on Transgenders and Transexuals in Philippines | NilesGuide.com
...In a world where seeing the differences between people can come all too easily, its good to be reminded that when you really think about it, we all have more in common than that which divides us. HUMAN SOUL...does just that...

City hosts exhibit on prejudice against persons with HIV-AIDS | Cebu Daily News
...Jerson See of Cebu Plus Association Inc., a Cebu based support group for people with HIV said he experienced discrimination for years ago when a BPO denied his application for a job because he was HIV positive....

Ladlad's vision and struggle | The Philippine Star
...The exhibit, spearheaded by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), aims to gather support from lawmakers for the urgent passage of Anti-Discrimination Bill or ADB. Ladlad continues to deliver its message that whether you are gay, lesbian or transsexual, you have a right to be here in this changing world....

Exhibit tells tales of bias of 12 victims | Sun Star Cebu
...To raise awareness about HIV, the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), See and three other HIV-positive persons are among 12 people who share their experiences as victims of discrimination....

Human soul Exhibit targets discrimination | The Freeman Cebu
...The exhibit highlighted the necessity of passing the Anti-Discrimination Bill in the country and featured 12 individuals....These individuals shared their feelings, experiences, fears, hopes and their complaints on the issue of dishonor and discrimination through photos, printed words and audio....

'Woman Soul': A photo exhibit of Filipina transsexuals | The Philippine Star
...It takes the viewer and listener through the lives of the women as they affirm their sexual identity, despite the rejection and discrimination of family and society...

About the Artists

2011-06-08T15:30:00.001+08:00

About the Artists

Romain Rivierre
Mr. Rivierre (right) is a professional photographer based in the Philippines since 2009. He has worked with French publications Marie Claire and Paris Match, advertising agency Publicis Jimenez Basic, and international South Sea pearl brand Jewelmer.

Website: www.romainrivierre.com

Sébastien Farcis
Mr. Farcis (left) has been working as the correspondent for the french speaking media in the Philippines since 2006, mainly Radio France and Radio France Internationale, the French daily La Croix and the Swiss newspaper Le Temps. He also regularly contributes, for long features, to the magazines Paris Match and Marie Claire.

He writes a professional blog, in french, called Un Oeil sur les Philippines http://unoeilsurlesphilippines.blogspot.com/

About the Human Soul

2011-06-08T15:06:00.001+08:00

OPEN YOUR MIND

The origins of the Human Soul project, by the artists:

Everything started on a positive note. Romain and I were eager to publish a feature on the Filipino's tolerance towards transsexual women. With our eyes as our guide, we could see these vibrant and beautiful transgender people everywhere – walking on the streets in broad daylight – seemingly assured. For us French people, this was amazing as in France transsexuals are still shy to come out so openly, such an irony for a country which is supposed to be famous for its respect of human rights.

And so we began the journey.

We started with a few laughs over their seemingly interesting and vibrant lives, and then everything changed... As we delved deeper into their lives – their professional environment, their childhood experiences and their daily fight for their rights – we realized that beyond the façade of beauty and tolerance, there exists a whole ugly world of pain and mockeries. What makes it worse is that as transsexuals, they are left without any legal remedies to improve their situation.

It took time and more research to understand the root of these stark contradictions, which could be found in the mix of Asian, American and European cultures. When we finally put the final dot on this magazine feature, we were convinced that these stories should be told to the Filipinos themselves who, for most of their lives, don't have the chance or the time to really listen and know these people.

Now is the time. Now you have the chance. This exhibit has been traveling from Makati to Davao, from cultural centers to city halls, universities and even the esteemed halls of Congress.

And these stories are now coming to you, through this blog. Take 5, 10 or 15 minutes to listen to Sass, Rica, Bemz and all the other characters in this interwoven story of discrimination. As you do, it is our hope that each person is a step towards awareness and education on what the Philippines urgently needs – a law against discrimination.

Open your eyes and listen with your heart. Open your mind.

Sebastien Farcis and Romain Rivierre
Philippines, 2011

Bemz Benedito

2011-06-07T16:50:00.002+08:00

Bemz Benedito

If I were raped by another man, I couldn't file a complaint, because I am still legally considered as a man, and same sex rape doesn't exist. I want to help revise these laws for them to include transgenders, gays and lesbians.

Bemz graduated with a Master of Sociology from the Ateneo de Manila University, and was a researcher working in the same university when she experienced sexual harassment from a consultant. Being a transgender, she was denied any sort of legal protection and retribution.

This traumatic experience taught her the importance of having legal protection for any gay or transsexual person in the Philippines.

In May 2010, she was the first transgender person to run for a congressional seat in the country, and the main platform of Ang Ladlad was to have the anti-discrimination bill, which has been lingering in Congress for decades, be finally passed into law.

Sass Rogando Sasot

2011-06-07T16:49:00.000+08:00

Sass Rogando Sasot

There is a medical basis for transsexualism. We don't only need a change of law; we need a change of mind.

Sass has felt from a very young age that the sex assigned to her at birth didn't match with her own sexual identity. But when she started dressing as a woman, she faced rejection from both her family and the catholic high school she were studying. She eventually managed to overcome the despair she was pushed into by starting the first transsexual movement in the Philippines. Testament to her success, she has recently made a moving speech in front of a United Nations mission which was gathered on Human Rights day, to testify on the ongoing discrimination of people based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

Ms. Sasot recently gave a moving and memorable speech to an assembly at the United Nations on International Human Rights Day in 2009. Click here to watch it.

Rica Paras

2011-06-07T16:48:00.000+08:00

Rica Paras

I just make sure that I'm confident when I face people. So even if they are harsh on me, I can stand up to what they're saying.

Smart and elegant, Rica managed to break the ceiling of discrimination thanks to an extraordinary confidence on her talents and skills. A graduate of Mathematics from the Ateneo de Manila University, she is now traveling around Asia and Europe to implement strategic technological changes in big corporations.

She stands as a successful example of transsexual who has work in an executive position for a multinational company in the Makati business district. A celebrity in her own right, she has appeared in Pinoy Big Brother, a popular syndicated show, where she has aired her achievements to the populace.

Rica is the vice-chairwoman of the Society of Transsexual Women in the Philippines (STRAP).

Humphrey Gorriceta

2011-06-07T16:47:00.000+08:00

Humphrey Gorriceta

There is a need to push education for HIV and AIDS, because people still don't know what it is. And this is one of the main ground for discrimination.

Humphrey is one of the only HIV-positive Filipinos who openly discloses his condition, and accepts to put a face on that virus, in a country that still largely denies its existence. But for one person like him, so many HIV-positive Filipinos live with this disease in secret, like these three young individuals, who share their stigmas anonymously. Living in perpetual fear of the recriminations and reactions of their family, friends and colleagues, especially in a country where lack of education on the matter provides the ground for undue discrimination.

Yneztashia Dagohoy

2011-06-07T16:46:00.001+08:00

Yneztashia Dagohoy

A senior stylist and hairdresser, Yneztashia excels in her "art", and clients request specifically to be taken care by her. But when she enters the church, this transsexual Christian woman has to hide her hair and face to avoid hard looks and comments.

The Club Mwah Dancers

2011-06-07T16:46:00.000+08:00

The Club Mwah dancers.

These dancers hold a high-quality show in one of the most famous cabarets of Manila. With one particularity: all of them are transsexual women.

Jonas Bagas

2011-06-07T16:44:00.000+08:00

Jonas Bagas

The perception that the Philippines is a gay-friendly country is a myth. A lot of laws are being used to harass homosexuals.

His fight for gay rights and respect started the day he was kicked out of his hometown by his parents, after he revealed his sexuality to them.

Eventually, this personal fight turned professional, battling against the discrimination that gay people continue to endure in society. One of the most violent incidents he experienced was in the hands of local police, who would regularly raid gay massage parlors and "bath houses". These lawmen would force their way into the establishments, threaten gay clients with charges of human trafficking, and release them only when they are paid.

Britney

2011-06-07T16:42:00.000+08:00

Britney

It's much easier to live in Japan as a transgender because there is no discrimination. They respect you as a real girl.

While backstage at the club with here "transgender family", as Britney is putting on make up before a show, she explains why like so many transgender people, she went to work in Japan. She not only found better income, but also a more accepting society where people didn't discriminate against her for being a transsexual. Britney feels the need for an anti-discrimination law in the Philippines to protect her.

Bianca

2011-06-07T16:41:00.000+08:00

Bianca

A transsexual prostitute on Burgos street. She stands in this street, famous for its girlie bars, and waiting for clients to pass by. But she is not accepted to work inside the bars.