07/25/2024
Even before the recent incident involving Jude Bacalso, I had a similar, if not worse, experience at Mactan Cebu International Airport.
An airport officer checked my passport before addressing me. Despite the explicit designation "FEMALE" clearly printed on my passport, he had the audacity to call me "SIR."
I was taken aback by his lack of respect and understanding. It's a painful reminder that, even in this day and age, some individuals still struggle with accepting and respecting people's identities.
It hurts because it takes years of inner work for us to accept ourselves, to love ourselves, and to feel confident in our identities.
But I chose to respond calmly, saying, "Unsay sir? Klaro sa akong passport nga female unya kadako sa akong totoy. Sir gihapon, sir?.. wala diay moy Gender Sensitivity training diri, sir?"
I understood that while the lack of respect is coming from this single individual, businesses and organizations must have gender sensitivity trainings to help employees recognize the impact of their actions and words on individuals from the LGBTQ+ community.
By providing gender sensitivity training, establishments can create a welcoming environment for all individuals, regardless of their gender identity or expression. This training will also help to reduce the likelihood of incidents like mine and Jude's occurring in the future.
The way Jude handled the situation was disappointing, to say the least. The waiter made an error for misgendering Jude, but it could have been rectified in 3 minutes.
But what's even more concerning is how people are now attacking Jude for her identity....
When someone makes a mistake, we should focus on correcting the issue, not using their sexuality against them.
