Senator Nancy Binay reminded the chairperson of Senate Women, Family Relations and Gender Equality Risa Hontiveros not to impose her own beliefs on the SOGIE equality bill hearing.
Binay made the statement after Hontiveros reminded the resource persons to avoid addressing trans women as “Mister” as it could only upset the members of the LGBTQIA+ community who attended the same hearing.
“May I just reiterate to the committee, to the friends here present let’s keep the committee on women and gender equality a safe space… so let us please refer to trans women as she, or ma’am,” said Hontiveros
“Because there are trans women colleagues present with us this morning and try to restrain ourselves from calling them he, or sir, or man,” she added.
The senator from Makati City interrupted Hontiveros and urged her colleague to also respect the beliefs of the resource persons who believed that trans women can still be addressed as sir or mister.
“Can I just raise up, siguro since we are hearing the other side, let us also not impose [our own beliefs] … if they believe to call them as mister or miss, pakiusap nalang natin sa committee na wag naman natin i-impose sa kanila yung belief ng chair,” Binay said.
“Just to be fair, because we already gave them [LGBTQIA+] our time during the last hearing, siguro let us give their time naman, kung yung belief nila they should be called mister or miss eh payagan natin,” she added.
Hontiveros accepted the suggestion of Binay, however, she still reminded the resource persons to made an effort not to upset anyone during the hearing.
“Nakakasakit na kasi sa mga kasama natin, in the same way na I don’t want to be called mister or sir,” Hontiveros said.
Hontiveros is known for being an advocate of equality and also pushing for the SOGIE bill.
Meanwhile, Binay wanted the discussion about equality to be universal and not only about the members of the LGBTQIA+.