Together with friends, he teaches the youth in his community about puberty, adolescence, reproductive health, and gender equality.Īs advocates say, the key to respecting diversity is acceptance and not just tolerance. Khent is among the teens Save the Children Philippines trains on Adolescent Health. “We need to understand them first and respect who they are as a person,” he added. “We can’t force someone to come out, it should come from them freely.” (WATCH: Can boys play with dolls?) “We really cannot tell who a person is just by their physical appearance,” Khent said. One’s gender expression doesn’t have to match their biological sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Gender Expression: How you express yourself (i.e., through clothes, the way you walk, talk or present yourself) “What’s more important is how you feel or identify yourself.” “You don’t necessarily have to undergo operations to be able to identify as a transgender person,” Khent clarified. “Or you may be born male, but you identify as a woman. This is what we call a transgender man,” Khent explained. “You may be born female, but you may identify as a man. Gender Identity: How you see or identify yourself “Your biological sex is your assigned sex at birth.” “Take note that sexual orientation is different from sex,” stressed Khent. Sexual Orientation: Who you’re attracted to “Each term is different from the other,” Khent emphasized. “So that we won’t hurt and misjudge others.” “Society, especially the youth, should really be aware of SOGIE,” said Khent. Just like everyone else, these children have the right to be loved, protected, and respected. What we need to understand is that there is nothing wrong with being LGBT. In some cases, parents even beat up or disown their children. They receive harsh words from their own parents or siblings, leaving them mentally and emotionally distressed. What’s worse is that for some young LGBT persons, such maltreatment begins at home. This may ostracize the child, lowering their self-esteem. They may become the target of ridicule or bullying in school, both teachers and classmates may be guilty. SOGIE-based discrimination affects the lives of young LGBT persons like Khent. (WATCH: Don't be afraid to express yourself) “I’m an advocate and I’m also part of the LGBT community,” he added.
“We need to remove the stigma that if you’re part of the LGBT community, you’re different and you don’t belong to society,” Khent said in Filipino. He’s Khent, a 17-year-old gender equality advocate.
Hence, the discrimination faced by the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community. In the Philippines, not everyone understands SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression).