Host 2: We also have Shakira Sison.

Shakira is an award-winning essayist, fictionist, and

poet, with a weekly column on gender issues, culture, and immigration for Rappler and she
is a member of the LGBT Community.

Host 1: Good morning ladies and gentlemen, with me again, Boy Abunda in our great show,
Host 1 & 2: The View
Host 2: Today, we came upon this inspiring organization called the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, and Transgender).
Host 1: My name is ___________
Host 2: And I am ____________
Host 1&2: Your hosts for the next few minutes and join us as we go on this journey
Host 2: With the help of our special guests, we will be discussing about some of the LGBT
issues.
Host1: We will be having with us today the one and only Unkabogable and Phenomenal
Star, The First Openly Gay Superstar in Asia, Vice Ganda.
Host 2: And our 1st Filipino winner of International Queen Transgender pageant, Kevin
Balot
Vice Ganda: Hello Tito Boy
Kevin: Hi Mr. Boy
Host 1: Thanks for coming to our show today Vice and Kevin …Please, have a seat… well,
how are you guys??
Vice: thank you for inviting me this incredible programe. Well, now I’m doing great…
Kevin: I’m fine, thanks
Host 2: Thank you for being with us today. It is a pleasure to meet you both
Vice. The pleasure is ours
Kevin. Thank you for having us here
Host 1: First, I want to ask Vice …
Host 1: How do you know/are you sure?
Vice: Like everyone else, lesbian, gay and bisexual people know who they are attracted to;
it’s not any different.
Host: What does that mean?
Vice: Gay – emotionally and physically attracted to men. Lesbian – emotionally and
physically attracted to women. Bisexual – emotionally and physically attracted to both
women and men.
Host: Does that mean you’ll never have children?
Vice: There are lots of ways to have children as a lesbian, gay or bisexual person, if I decide
I want to be a parent
Host: It’s a difficult life to lead.
Kevin: Lots of lesbian, gay and bisexual people lead full and happy lives. It’s my decision to
tell people if I want to and I would like you to support me with whatever decision I make.
Host: It’s against my/your religion.
Kevin: There are many lesbian, gay and bisexual people who are religious and many places
of worship are welcoming to them. If your religion or place of worship doesn’t accept LGB
people, you can still have your own relationship with your god, and no-one has the right to
tell you otherwise.
Vice: Some people may never accept it, but many do with time. Give these people some
space or ask a supportive friend to talk to them. Just because I am attracted to people of the
same gender or people of both genders doesn’t change me as a person.
Host: Kevin, you don’t look gay.
Kevin: Lesbian, gay and bisexual people look, dress and act in many different ways, just like
straight people.
Host: How do people have sex with someone who is the same gender as them?
Vice: This is a personal question, which you should only answer if you feel comfortable
doing so. Lesbian, gay and bisexual people have sex in different ways (just like straight
people)

Host 2: How about the religious people. They will say things like, look, both the Old and New
Testaments in the Bible are very clear about this: God intended marriage to be between a
man and a woman.
Kevin Balot Nino-If you do biblical marriage, then you’re talking about polygamy. It’s there in
black-and-white. Or, you’re talking about, for heaven’s sake, no divorce. Jesus himself had
nothing to say about homosexuality, but he’s very clear on divorce. You can’t do it. And what
I don’t understand is why gay people are the only people in America who have to follow
biblical law. I don’t think that’s fair. We could also have other debates about what the Bible
does and doesn’t mean, but I think what it boils down to is that gay people should deal with
the same standards as straight people. And when straight people start upholding biblical law
in civic culture, then maybe gay people should consider it, but not until then.

Host 1: From your point of view, is it better to legalize same-sex marriage by passing a law
in the legislature, or are courts a better venue for this?
Shakira Sison Deanne-I think now in 2008, clearly, the legislatures are a better way to do it.
To everything its season. When this issue first came up in 1970 – the first gay couple tried to
get married in 1970, filed a lawsuit and lost – the courts were the only place you could go.
There was no chance that any legislature would ever even hear you out if you were gay and
wanted to get married.
But I think the court strategy has basically exhausted its utility. In fact, it may have
overreached. And what we’re seeing now is that, in any case, the number of court venues
where you can even use a judicial strategy are very, very sharply diminished. They are
almost all gone because of the state constitutional amendments and because a lot of courts
have acted already. So that means we’re now turning to the next stage. And I think it’s the
proper stage. That’s the democratic process. I think it is qualitatively different and better if
you get married with the consent of your community, which, in America, means your state
legislature, among other things. And that’s where we need to go.

Host 2: Gay Rights should be supported. What do you think?

Shakira Sison Deanne: I think that it’s great that someone like Oprah who is successful has
to pave the way for acceptance in the community. If this is what we have to do to break
down barriers then let’s do it

Host 1: Let’s assume that same-sex marriage eventually becomes the norm in the
Philippines. Are there any downsides for gays and lesbians?
Vice Ganda James-No. No, I see none at all. For gays and lesbians, I see only an upside. I
see an opportunity to join in the most healthgiving, beneficial social institution that’s ever
been invented by humanity. I see the prospect for young people to grow up assuming that
they will have families and connections to their community that have been denied to gay
people for thousands of years. I see no downside at all for gay people.

Host 2: Vice, Ms. Shakira Sison and Mr. Kevin Balot, thank you for joining us today and
giving your insights about the issues of LGBT in today’s society. I know I learned a lot, and
I’m sure our audience did too.
Host 1: Have a great day, and thanks for watching. Come back and chit chat with The View
again tomorrow!