I was in the Office of Legal Aid Classroom Component a few hours back and the lecture was about human rights. If human rights law is being discussed, it is almost certain that minority rights are talked about. The Supervising Lawyer that was discussing the topic then asked the interns what minorities they know, and people randomly shouted whatever they thought as minorities. Examples of which include religious minorities, indigenous peoples, the disabled, the elderly and others.
LGBTs were mentioned, and the Supervising Lawyer acknowledged such answer as correct. That really got my attention, as I really didn't know what LGBTs are. So I asked my seatmate:
Me: Ano daw?
Seatmate (SM): LGBT.
Me: Ano yun?
SM: Di mo alam?!?
Me: Para siyang governmental project?
SM: Tanga.
I was probabaly thinking of Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT), Build-Lease-Transfer (BLT) and like agreements. The correct answer was, of course, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender.
I think I heard of such but I just forgot. In any case, understanding LGBTs does not end with the knowledge of what the acronym stands for. It takes some familiarization with the said group. Immediate immersion to LGBT culture through first-hand experience will probably effect cultural shock on most people. Fortunately, there are many materials in the internet for at least the preliminary understanding of such way of life.
This video was taken from YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PooEhBxh0NY). This is probably the most entertaining and argumentative one available, so I really encourage that people watch it. However, more videos are available in the said website, and other materials of varying medium are available through just a few minutes of searching through your browser.
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I first heard of the acronym last year, during a PVO talk on transgender rights. I have to say that although most of us are aware of the third sex and recognize that everyone deserves equal protection before our laws, only few truly understand what LGBTs are and what they're fighting for. I, for one, am confused about the distinctions between transgenders and gays. Perhaps the first key step towards a successful LGBT advocacy is to make people understand what LGBTs are and allow us to see where they're coming from. I think only then can we have a better appreciation of what they stand for and be better advocates.
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