November 19, 2009
Philippine gay rights group wages battle to run in 2010 congressional elections
by Oliver Teves
The Associated Press
MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- A Philippine gay rights group is waging a legal battle to be allowed to run in next year's polls after the Elections Commission ruled it cannot register as a political party on grounds that it advocates immorality.
The decision last week against Ang Ladlad (Out of the Closet), a group representing lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders, sent shock waves through the gay community.
In issuing its decision, the commission said the group "tolerates immorality which offends religious beliefs" and exposes young people to "an environment that does not conform to the teachings of our faith." The ruling cited passages from the Bible and the Quran condemning homosexuality.
Homosexuals are generally accepted in the Philippines, despite the dominant Roman Catholic religion's rejection of same-sex relations.
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