PBBM establishes special committee for LGBTQ+ issues

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has established a special committee to address the issues of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA+) community and give them a way to participate in the development of government policy.

Malacañang on Saturday said that Executive Order No. 51, which Marcos signed earlier this week, directed creating a Special Committee on LGBTQIA+ Affairs under the Inter-Agency Committee on Diversity and Inclusion.

The special panel's duties include stepping up efforts to counteract ongoing discrimination faced by community members and facilitating their continued communication with the government "despite the absence of an established body specifically dedicated to (promoting) their rights and (addressing) their concerns," according to the order.

The president further stated that the inter-agency committee needs to be reconstituted to guarantee that the nation continues to abide by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights.

The president will appoint a chairperson with the rank of undersecretary to lead the new LGBTQIA+ issues panel from "reputable organizations" that represent the community.

Additionally, the Department of Social Welfare and Development will lead the newly renamed "Diversity and Inclusion Committee," which replaces the Inter-Agency Committee on Diversity and Inclusion.

The committee was previously chaired by the Department of the Interior and Local Government and vice-chaired by the Department of Social Welfare and Development. It was established by Executive Order No. 100, which former President Rodrigo Duterte issued in 2019. However, Marcos pointed out that it will carry out its mandate's requirements and carry on in the same manner.