Ladlad
Political party in the Philippines
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ladlad (Tagalog for "coming out," lit. "Unfurled", from the swardspeak pagladlád ng kapa lit. unfurling one's cape),[1] formerly Ang Ladlad LGBT Party Inc.[2][3] and sometimes colloquially known as "the LGBT party", is a Filipino lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) political party. It was founded on September 1, 2003, by Danton Remoto.[4] They sought party-list representation at the House of Representatives in the 2010 and 2013 elections but failed to win a seat. They were delisted as a partylist organization by the COMELEC in 2015 but remain an active organization.
Ladlad | |
|---|---|
| |
| Leader | Danton Remoto |
| Chairperson | Brian Esmejarda |
| Spokesperson | Bemz Benitez |
| Founded | September 1, 2003 |
| Headquarters | Metro Manila |
| Membership (2009) | 22,000 |
| Ideology | Human rights LGBT rights Civil libertarianism |
| Colors | Pink |
| Slogan | Bukas isip. Bukas puso. |
| Website | |
| www.ladladpartylist.blogspot.com | |
The party's official motto is "Bukas isip. Bukas puso." ("Open mind. Open heart.")[3]
History
Ladlad first tried to register with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in 2006,[2] with the hopes of appearing on the 2007 ballot, but was denied for supposedly not having enough members.[5][6] COMELEC further denied Ladlad's petition to be allowed to run in the 2010 elections, this time on the grounds of "immorality".[7] However, on January 12, 2010, the Supreme Court granted a temporary restraining order, thereby allowing Ladlad to participate in the 2010 elections.[8]
On April 8, 2010, the Supreme Court overturned the ban in the case of Ang Ladlad v. COMELEC (G.R. No. 190582), allowing Ladlad to join the elections.[2] The party received 113,187 votes or 0.37% (excluding votes from Lanao del Sur), below the optional 2% threshold and was not able to win a seat in Congress.
In the 2013 elections, the party also failed to reach the minimum two percent of votes cast and failed to win a seat. Consequentially their COMELEC delisted their registration along with 38 partylist groups which failed to win a seat in two consecutive elections, barring the party from running in the 2016 elections.[9]
Programs and platforms
The organization's goals are focused toward human rights, and the organization fights for equal rights among all Filipinos, whether they are LGBTQ or not.[5]
Ladlad has the following platforms:[3]
- to pass an anti-discrimination bill that would guarantee LGBTQ Filipinos equal opportunities and treatment;
- funding employment opportunities and welfare programs for impoverished and disabled LGBTQ Filipinos;
- setting up of centers for LGBTQ youth and seniors in need of protection.
Same-sex marriage is not part of the party's platform,[10] although it would add it if it were to achieve the passage of its desired anti-discrimination bill.[11]