Ladlad (English: "coming out," lit. "The Unfurled"), formerly Ang Ladlad,[3] or the LGBT Party is a Filipino lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) political party. It was founded on September 1, 2003 by Danton Remoto.[4]
Ladlad | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Danton Remoto |
| Spokesperson | Bemz Benitez |
| Founded | September 1, 2003 |
| Headquarters | Metro Manila |
| Ideology | Human rights LGBT rights |
| Colors | Pink |
| Seats in the Senate | 0 / 24
|
| Seats in the House of Representatives | 0 / 287
|
| Website | |
| www.ladladpartylist.blogspot.com | |
The party's official motto is "Bukas puso, bukas isip." (Open heart, open mind.)[5]
Platform
The organization's goal is focused toward human rights, and the organization fights for equal rights among all Filipinos, whether they are LGBT or not.[6]
Controversies
Ladlad first tried to register with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in 2006,[3] with the hopes of appearing on the 2007 ballot, but was denied for supposedly not having enough members.[6][7] COMELEC further denied Ladlad's petition to be allowed to run in the 2010 elections, this time on the grounds of "immorality".[8] However, on January 12, 2010, the Supreme Court granted a temporary restraining order, thereby allowing Ladlad to participate in the 2010 elections.[9] In the 2007 elections, Ladlad was previously disqualified for failing to prove they had nationwide membership.
On April 8, 2010, the Supreme Court overturned the ban in the case of Ang Ladlad v. COMELEC (G.R. No. 190582), allowing Ladlad to join the elections.[3] The party received 113,187 votes or 0.37% (excluding votes from Lanao del Sur), below the optional 2% threshold and was not able to win a seat in Congress.
In the 2013 elections, the party also failed to reach the minimum two percent of votes cast barring the party from running in the 2016 elections.[10] The party did not enter the 2019 race, despite being qualified to.[1]
Low Popularity Dilemma
The party's low popularity due to the country's opposing influential Catholic figures is seen as the major walls in Ladlad's congressional bid.
Modernization has lessened the percentage of Filipinos tracking traditional Catholic teachings and more LGBT Filipinos are coming out of the closet as noted by local surveys and as seen in the huge influx of LGBT Filipinos in nationwide Pride Marches, notably the Metro Manila Pride March.[11]
Programs and platforms
Ladlad has the following platforms:[5]
- Re-filing of the Anti-Discrimination Bill that gives LGBT Filipinos equal opportunities in employment and equal treatment in schools, hospitals, restaurants, hotels, entertainment centers, and government offices.
- Re-filing of the bill to repeal the Anti-Vagrancy Law that some unscrupulous policemen use to extort bribes from gay men without ID cards;
- Setting up of micro-finance and livelihood projects for poor and handicapped LGBT Filipinos;
- Setting up of centers for Golden Gays, or old and abandoned LGBTs, as well as young ones driven out of their homes. The centers will also offer legal aid and counseling, as well as information about LGBT issues, HIV-AIDS, and reproductive health. These centers will be set up initially in the key cities/metropolitan areas of the Philippines -- Baguio, National Capital Region, Cebu and Davao.
Same-sex marriage is not yet part of the party's platform.[12]
Electoral performance
| Election | Votes | % | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 114,120 | 0.38% | 0 |
| 2013 | 100,700 | 0.37% | 0 |
| 2016 | Disqualified* | ||
| 2019 | Did not enter race[1] | ||
*Parties that didn't win for two consecutive elections are barred from running in the next immediate election.
See also
References
- ^ a b c "LIST: Party-list groups hoping to join 2019 elections". Rappler. October 19, 2018. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Per COMELEC: [1]
- ^ a b c Ang Ladlad v. COMELEC, G.R. No. 190582 (Supreme Court of the Philippines 2010-04-08), Text.
- ^ Coloma, Roland Sintos (September 1, 2013). "Ladlad and Parrhesiastic Pedagogy: Unfurling LGBT Politics and Education in the Global South". Curriculum Inquiry. 43 (4): 483–511. doi:10.1111/curi.12020. ISSN 0362-6784 – via Taylor & Francis Online.
It was founded on September 1, 2003 and ratified its constitution and by-laws on March 25, 2004.
{{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|subscription=(help) - ^ a b "About LADLAD". LADLAD. 2010. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
- ^ a b Pascual, Patrick King (September 17, 2012). "Ladlad: Nine years of fighting for LGBT rights". Outrage Magazine. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Aning, Jerome (March 1, 2007). "Gay party-list group Ladlad out of the race". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on September 26, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ "CHR backs Ladlad in Comelec row". ABS-CBN News. November 15, 2009. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
- ^ Romero, Purple (January 12, 2009). "Supreme Court issues TRO for Ladlad". ABS-CBNNews.com/Newsbreak. Retrieved January 15, 2010.
- ^ "What to do? Ang Ladlad party list in quandary".
- ^ https://psmag.com/social-justice/gay-population-lgbt-homosexual-sex-kinsey-68670
- ^ Jorge Cariño (December 9, 2009). "Church not anti-gay, says priest". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved December 10, 2009.