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'Babagsak ba ang langit?' Transgender solon blasts discrimination vs trans woman

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ABS-CBN News

MANILA - Lawmakers and local officials have denounced a Quezon City mall&#x27;s apparent discrimination against a transgender woman for using the women&#x27;s comfort room.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/13/19/trans-woman-arrested-after-prevented-from-using-womens-comfort-room-in-qc-mall">Trans woman detained after being harassed for using ladies&#x27; toilet in QC mall</a></li></ul>Gretchen Custodio Diez, 28, was briefly detained Tuesday after the mall&#x27;s janitor filed an unjust vexation complaint against her.Diez in turn filed a complaint against the shopping mall for violating the city&#x27;s gender fair ordinance, which prohibits business establishments to discriminate people based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression.Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman, a transgender woman, said the incident was a &quot;violation of human rights.&quot;&quot;Babagsak ba ang langit kung pinayagan natin ang isang transwoman umihi sa CR ng babae?&quot; she told reporters Tuesday.&quot;The LGBT community might be a minority but they are still Filipinos whose rights have to be protected.&quot;Roman said she will seek an investigation into the incident at the House of Representatives.QC Mayor Joy Belmonte said the mall &quot;clearly violated&quot; the local ordinance and ordered the Business Permit and Licensing Department to ensure establishments follow it.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/14/19/qc-mayor-condemns-malls-discrimination-of-trans-woman">QC mayor condemns mall&#x27;s discrimination of trans woman</a></li></ul>&quot;We do not support any kind of violence and discrimination in our city. Sa atin pong LGBT+ community, protektado ang karapatan ninyo sa QC,&quot; she said in a statement Wednesday.QC Councilor Mayen Juico also reminded businesses to impose the ordinance, which also requires establishments to create gender-neutral restrooms.Sen. Risa Hontiveros, meantime, said the harassment against Diez was &quot;unacceptable.&quot;&quot;She has my full support. I am extending whatever help she would need to seek justice,&quot; she said.&quot;She is being harassed for living her truth. Discrimination against transgender people has to stop!&quot;The Philippine Anti Discrimination Alliance of Youth Leaders (PANTAY) called on the Quezon City government to enforce the local ordinance.&quot;While we laud the existence of such measures, it is disheartening to see that discrimination still exists in Quezon City,&quot; the group said.&quot;We fully assert that Ms. Diez has every right to use the ladies&#x27; room and the violence she faced was unnecessary. We call on the Quezon City Government to enforce its anti-discrimination ordinance to its full power to safeguard the right of everyone against any and every form of discrimination, including those on the basis of one&#x27;s SOGIESC.&quot;

MANILA - Lawmakers and local officials have denounced a Quezon City mall's apparent discrimination against a transgender woman for using the women's comfort room.

MANILA - Lawmakers and local officials have denounced a Quezon City mall's apparent discrimination against a transgender woman for using the women's comfort room.