LGBT party list reacts to gay scouts ban Special

Manila - A Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) party list called the recent reaffirmation of the Boy Scouts of America of its ban on gay scouts an outright discrimination.

Ladlad Party List First Congressional nominee Bemz Benedito said that the ban strongly suggests intolerance, hatred, marginalization and exclusion. “Being a scout is of service to your country and of service to others. There is no way that one's sexual orientation and gender identity would be a hindrance to carrying out these duties,” she added. The party list claimed that the pronouncement might cause the Boy Scouts of the Philippines to adopt the same regulation, affecting the LGBT rights movement locally. “The discriminatory policy can bring us two steps backward after years of fighting for equality. I hope they will not adopt this ban and will choose to implement instead an open mind and open heart policy,” Benedito said. “The world is evolving and I hope that our mindsets and policies are also evolving. We must accept that society is diverse and we are all born different but must be equal in terms of opportunities, chances and treatment,” she concluded. Ladlad Party List claims to be the world's only LGBT political organization and is aspiring for three congressional seats in the Philippine elections in 2013.