Friday, November 13, 2009

Psychiatric Association of the Taliban

Dear Editor


Is there anyway to impeach the following Comelec Comisssioners: Nicodemo T. Ferrer, Lucinito N. Tagle and Elias R. Yusoph?

They must be impeached because they have openly decided to turn the country into a religious state instead of a secular one. I am referring of course to their decision to outlaw Ladlad on the basis of upholding religious beliefs. They quote the Bible and the Koran forgetting that they should consult the Philippine Constitution instead. Only in the Philippines would we have high government officials who state that obedience to religious beliefs trumps other more cogent legal provisions as a basis for policy.

If stupidity were a basis for impeachment, the proceedings would be quite short. Their display of ignorance of current scientific knowledge on sexuality is quite appalling. They should have taken the simple expedient of asking any psychiatrist or psychologist who upholds the standards of organizations like the World Health Organization or the American Psychiatric and Psychological Associations. They would have been told that homosexuality was delisted as a psychological pathology more than 30 years ago. They either did not bother to read for themselves or consulted the psychiatric association of the Taliban when they decided that homosexuality is an abnormality.

As a Filipino citizen who is neither Christian nor Muslim; as a practitioner and teacher in psychology and sexuality; as someone who cares that we do not look like backward bigots to the world community; I urge the impeachment of these men who have violated morals, scientific truths and our laws against discrimination.

I am so upset. I'm gay starting today and until Ladlad gets accredited.

Sylvia  Estrada Claudio, M.D. PhD.
Director, University Center for Women’s Studies
Professor of Women and Development Studies
University of the Philippines

7 comments:

Weeqender LGBTQ Travel & Lifestyle said...

Wow! Thank you for this! And I love that you said " I'm gay starting today and until Ladlad gets accredited."

Thank you for your support and we hope these commissioners get impeached and Ang Ladlad gets accredited.

Sylvia Estrada Claudio said...

You are quite welcome. I am very amused by the last sentence as well mainly because the implications are amusing on several levels.

Pinoy Heathen said...

Dr. Claudio, I admire you for your bravery in your support of the LGBT party. These commissioners are incompetent and bigoted individuals who should not be holding public office. The country needs more people like you to take it out of medieval superstition and into the 21st century.

Sylvia Estrada Claudio said...

Hey Heathen! Thanks. I am kind sorry I am not as active in the freethinkers group as I should be. Really very busy.

As a currently gay person until Ladlad gets accredited, I can say that I am truly hurt by the lack of compassion and allegiance to human rights that these alleged good Muslims and Christians have demonstrated.

A pro-life wife of an ex-Senator once said in a forum to me, "I assure Dr. Claudio I enjoy sex with my husband."

Atty. Ruiz Austria (another panelist) and I nearly walked out. We felt that anyone, even the wife, having sex with the former Marcos henchman, was one of the most perverse activities we could imagine.

But did we judge her lifestyle? No. Did we say she was corrupting the youth by saying it was ok to have sex with fascists as long as you are married to him or her? No. We stayed and granted her acceptance and understanding instead of labeling her sexuality deviant and immoral. As hard as our upbringing and gut reactions made it, we agreed her sexuality was part of the normal diversity of sexual expression.

She and her ideological twins the Comelec, should show the same acceptance that I, an agnostic gay person have shown her. Seems to me I am able to honor the sacred better than they do.

rmacapobre said...

has any of the major players in politics taken the issue seriously? mukhang wala atang dumedepensa sa mga karapatan ng mga bakla ..

Weeqender LGBTQ Travel & Lifestyle said...

There are but only a few: Partylist reps Liza Masa, Rissa Hontiveros plus -- if we are to base it on their statement of support to Ang Ladlad -- senator Joker Arroyo and Loren Legarda.

Sylvia Estrada Claudio said...

Also the Chair of the Human Rights Commission. Commissioner de Lima is really earning my admiration. Maybe Gloria made a mistake appointing her, but we have someone who actually understands international human rights standards and understands that it's her job to respect, protect and fulfill those rights.