Prejudice AGAINST Pride

A transgender woman, Bella Lutap, went missing. Days later, she was found dead in an irrigation canal in Nueva Ecija, while her former lover faced a murder charge. This isn’t just a single incident. In 2014, the viral case of the killing of a transgender woman named Jennifer Laude in Olongapo sparked national debates regarding violence against transgender people, while other reported cases of hate crimes and violence against LGBTQ+ people came to light; one question is clear: why do LGBTQ+ individuals continue to face discrimination even as society becomes more vocal about equality?

Another life lost, another family left grieving, another question that is asked yet again: Why does violence against the LGBTQ+ community continue even as society claims to be becoming more inclusive?

Awareness has grown, and the spotlight on Pride has become brighter over the years, but acceptance has not always grown with it. LGBTQ+ people continue to face prejudice in different forms, from degrading remarks and discrimination to threats and physical violence such as these; conversations about gender identity are no longer talked about in private spaces, and calls for equality continue to reach wider audiences. Yet visibility does not automatically create safety.

It is not simply because some people ‘do not understand’ LGBTQ+ individuals; discrimination can become much more dangerous when tolerated. It appears in insults wrapped as jokes, disrespect treated as the ordinary, and stereotypes that reduce people into labels instead of recognizing them as human beings.

However, the responsibility does not fall solely on the people; the system meant to protect people must also be in check. The Philippines already has laws in place to protect people against harassment and discrimination. For example, the Safe Spaces Act (Republic Act No. 11313) covers gender-based sexual harassment. In contrast, the Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act (Republic Act No. 11166) covers discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Yet the existence of these laws raises another question: are laws enough when discrimination continues to be normalized? The Laude Case showed that a legal system may be operational yet generate unfair results for people less in power. Laws and policies are important, but they mean little if victims are not taken seriously, cases are not properly handled, and communities are left feeling unsafe.

The Death of Bella should not be another headline that people scroll past and forget. Her identity should never overshadow the fact that she was also a person whose life had value. It should force us to analyze what allows prejudice to survive despite decades of calls for equality.

Because equality is not proven by how loudly we celebrate Pride—it is proven by whether a person can walk through society without their identity being the sole basis of people’s judgment upon them.