When the pandemic started, there were jokes about wishing the biggest news was about the Barretto sisters or whatever hogged the headlines that might get our goat but at least we’re not crippled by fear to be less than six feet away from someone sneezing or coughing.

Back in 2019 which seemed so long ago, one of the issues that greatly divided an already divided nation was the SOGIE bill and now it’s back in the headlines as the house continued its hearings for its passage (or not). This comes as Manila enacts an anti-discrimination bill against the LGBTQ+ community. I have already written about the bill should you be interested in my non-legally trained thoughts about it but my attention was once again caught by a post that appeared in my news feed which I regret I was not able to save its link.

It called out CIBAC party-list headed by Bro. Eddie Villanueva of the Jesus is Lord Movement for allegedly suggesting that gays and lesbians need a rehabilitation program. I say allegedly as I could not find an independent news source. The post-er captioned it with a reminder to the representative how being a trans is okay, being bi is okay, being non-binary is okay, etc.

And then comes an invitation to a “dignified debate” from a transgender who claimed to be “appalled” by the congressman’s “faith-based arguments and thoughts…I desire to challenge your Bible-based arguments with progressive perspectives rooted in diversity and inclusion, that hopefully could enlighten you about the plight of every Filipino LGBTQIA+. In the same manner, I am open to hearing your counter-arguments as well.” Dignified or otherwise, being a pastor, I expect his honor to know what the bible says about debates.

If true, it is indeed unfortunate that he suggested rehabilitation for that is not what the LGBT+ community needs in the same way that heterosexuals who commit sexual sins or are guilty of envy, gossip, and yes, laziness do not need a boot camp. What all sinners need is a Savior.

The first and only transgender lawmaker in the country spoke out against another representative:

“At nais ko rin liwanagin that nothing in this bill will stop you from thinking a sinner or that I am an abomination in the eyes of the Lord…Please huwag n’yo na akong sabihan na I love you. Just call me an abomination and a sinner, and just tell me straight up that I deserve to be punished here on earth na papahirapan n’yo buhay ko. Huwag na tayong mag-plastikan.”

It is sad that the community cannot see our love for them but perhaps it is our fault. Perhaps we have made our abhorrence to the lifestyle more pronounced than our Christian love, if we had shown it at all. It’s even made worse amidst the backdrop of extra-judicial killings where some evangelicals have been vocal about their support for it, doing an ostrich, or don’t care as it doesn’t concern them.

Another post appeared in my feed saying:

“Tahimik ang fundamentalist Christians sa patayan, pero ang andaming kuda pag pinag-usapan ang mga bakla, samantalang wala namang nakalagay na huwag kang magiging bakla sa 10 commandments pero may nakalagay na huwag kang papatay.”

His theology may be faulty but he is spot-on with our repugnance for homosexuality and our love affair for fist bumps that violate the commandment notched higher than sexual admonition.

Are we hypocrites? Yes. We have become more pharisaical with the van container of planks in our eyes. We need to go back to the well. We need to see what Jesus wrote on the sand. We need to look at the sycamore tree. We need to do all this and see with the eyes of our Lord. Shame on us who should know better.