LBTs have the same human rights as everybody else.  The 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that no person shall be “denied the equal protection of the laws.”  The Universal Declaration of Human Rights likewise outlines the rights to which all persons, including LBTs, are entitled.  It provides that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”

It is clear that based on both national and international bills of human rights, all persons are inherently equal and must thus be treated equally.  If so, then it is imperative to establish and respect the human rights of LBTs stated in The Yogyakarta Principles, a universal guide to human rights which affirms binding international legal standards with which all States must comply.