Aguinaldo, Ifugao – Schools from all over the Cordillera region have expressed their intention to follow the lead of Ubao National High School in Aguinaldo, Ifugao which installed a restroom exclusively for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ).
The establishment of a third restroom for the said community, according to the head of DepEd – Cordillera’s human resources division - Sasha Joseph Daganos, is part of a gender-friendly innovation of schools in the region.
Daganos, a transwoman, recalled the times when elders condemned homosexuality in villages. To heighten the fight against discrimination, DepEd – Cordillera official advocated for LGBTQ classrooms, especially in highland schools.
In January last year, she was able to secure clearance for the development of the first LGBTQ toilet facility and a modern comfort room to serve as “hygienic and opulent restroom” for teens.
In Ubao NHS, the pilot restroom that will officially open next week is equipped with cubicles to accommodate gay boys and lesbians. This, Daganos said, is “to separate them from other teens who may intimidate them if they share conventional restrooms.”
To determine the number of students requiring LGBTQ restrooms, the regional education department is now developing a survey which will need to be delicate as other youth have already determined their sexuality with some still closeted.
The measure gained opposing comments from netizens. Some are clapping the initiative saying, it is a proof that the school cares about diversity, while some said it will only boost discrimination against LGBTQ persons.
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