Vice slams Sotto’s statement on womanhood

Comedy superstar Vice Ganda questioned a statement made by Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III about women on Thursday, in light of his opposition to the passage of SOGIE (sexual orientation and gender identity or expression) Bill.

“If you are a man, you will never be a woman, no matter what you do, because you cannot reproduce. You cannot give birth, you do not have ovaries. You will never be a woman. So this, to me, the SOGIE bill is a bill against women’s rights,” Sen. Sotto had said on Wednesday.

On Instagram, Vice Ganda shared an image with the exact quote of Sotto, with a lengthy caption expressing his disagreement with the lawmaker.

“Joke po ba ito Hon. Senate President Tito Sotto?” he began. “Sinasabi nyo po ba na naniniwala kayo na ang pagiging babae ay nasusukat lamang sa pagkakaroon ng obaryo o matris at sa kakayahan lang na mabuntis o magka-anak?”

He went on: “Eh paano po yung mga nagkaroon ng matinding karamdaman at tinanggalan ng obaryo? Di na po ba sila babae? Wala na ba silang karapatang tawaging babae? O bumaba na ba ang uri ng kanilang pagka babae? Paano din po yung mga baog at walang kakayahang magka-anak? Ano po sila? Di na din sila babae? Mga wala na ba silang kwentang mga babae?

Addressing the senate president, Vice Ganda further wrote: “Parang ang baba naman po pala ng tingin nyo sa mga babae. Naniniwala po ako na ang mga babae ay babae di dahil sa obaryo at sa kakayahang bumukaka at umire. Sila ay babae dahil sila ay babae. At may halaga sila may matris man o wala, magbuntis man o hindi, may anak man o wala dahil sila ay tao at sila ay babae.”

Vice Ganda, who is openly gay and is a vocal advocate of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) rights, said Sotto’s line of argument against the SOGIE bill, supposedly in defense of women’s interests, only ended up insulting their dignity.

Sinubukan ninyong maliitin ang konsepto ng pagiging transgender sa paraang tinapakan nyo rin ang dignidad ng mga tinatawag nyong totoong babae. Paumanhin po Hon. Senate President Sotto. Pero I believe this statement is just not fair. There are people who pretend to be feminists to hide their being misogynists,” he wrote. (ABS-CBN News)

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