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Defeated in court, gay lawyer to enter politics to pursue LGBT+ rights

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Beh Lih Yi, Thomson Reuters Foundation

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/life/09/05/20190905-lgbt-jc.jpg"/><figcaption>The LGBT+ community is largely tolerated in the Philippines, a country of 107 million, but like many other parts of Asia, conservative attitude prevails when it comes to same-sex unions. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/file</figcaption></figure></div>KUALA LUMPUR—A gay lawyer on Thursday said he would pursue a career in politics to push for LGBT+ rights after losing a legal battle to introduce same-sex marriage in the Philippines.Jesus Falcis in 2015 petitioned the country&#x27;s top court to rule as unconstitutional a law stating marriage can only happen between a man and a woman.But the <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/04/19/why-gay-marriage-petition-failed-to-hurdle-supreme-court">Supreme Court </a>this week dismissed his petition on technical grounds because he himself had not attempted to marry. The court did, however, recognize the &quot;ongoing struggle for equality&quot; among LGBT+ people.Falcis, who also hosts a political radio show, said he had no immediate plans to pursue further legal action against the government and instead would run as a candidate in local council elections to push for LGBT+ rights.&quot;[Losing the case] is a temporary setback,&quot; the 33-year-old told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, adding that the discrimination he faced growing up gay drove him to file the petition.&quot;Most countries that fought for marriage equality eventually achieved it but they have to fight a long game,&quot; he said by phone from Manila.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">I never planned to end the debate. I just wanted to start the conversation already so that 40 years down the road, we will have equality— Jesus Falcis 🌈 (@jesusfalcis) <a href="https://twitter.com/jesusfalcis/status/1169278195553554435?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2019</a></blockquote><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script> The LGBT+ community is largely tolerated in the Philippines, a country of 107 million, but like many other parts of Asia, conservative attitude prevails when it comes to same-sex unions.<a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/05/17/19/taiwans-parliament-approves-same-sex-marriages-in-first-for-asia">Taiwan</a> is the only place in Asia where gay marriage is legal after the island passed a law in May.Falcis cited the example of Japan where same-sex marriage remains illegal but some municipalities have extended medical and housing benefits to gay couples.President Duterte has made conflicting statements about his support for same-sex unions but he vowed in late 2017 that he would support gay marriage &quot;if that is the trend of the modern times&quot;.Falcis said many of his gay friends have chosen to live abroad, where they can get married and enjoy protections.&quot;I don&#x27;t have a partner now but I do want to have a partner, I do want to settle down in my country,&quot; said the lawyer.&quot;I cannot see myself living in another country, I will die here and I want to have the same rights.&quot;

Jesus Falcis in 2015 petitioned the country's top court to rule as unconstitutional a law stating marriage can only happen between a man and a woman.

Jesus Falcis in 2015 petitioned the country's top court to rule as unconstitutional a law stating marriage can only happen between a man and a woman.

Defeated in court, gay lawyer to enter politics to pursue LGBT+ rights

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Defeated in court, gay lawyer to enter politics to pursue LGBT+ rights

Beh Lih Yi,

Thomson Reuters Foundation

Published Sep 05, 2019 08:41 PM PHT

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Jesus Falcis

same sex marriage

Philippines

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