Priest calls for greater inclusion of LGBTQ+ in church

The Manila Times

Priest calls for greater inclusion of LGBTQ+ in church  'Homosexuality is not a sin,'  said Fr. Joel Saballa of the Diocese of Novaliches, underscoring the need for greater inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals in the church. He recognized that misperceptions linking homosexuality to sin continued to drive many young people away from religious spaces. Speaking at a press conference on Nov. 29, 2025, Saballa said that despite efforts to emphasize that 'AIDS is not just an LGBT issue,' discriminatory attitudes remained prevalent within some religious sectors. He stressed that addressing stigma within faith communities is essential to confronting the broader challenges of the AIDS response. The event on Nov. 29, 2025 was organized by Athena by LoveYourself and AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) for the upcoming World AIDS Day on Dec. 1   VIDEOS BY ALLEN LIMOS  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe  Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net     Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion    Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital    Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Stitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcher Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein   #themanilatimes #tmtnews #philippines

Transcript

00:00We can see that we have a lot of people who have been able to do this.

00:07They have been able to do this with the LGBTQ people who have been able to do this.

00:16We have been able to talk about the organizations that have been able to do this.

00:25Kasi kung hindi namin ito gagawin, magdadagdag yan eh.

00:29Maraming mga kabataan na nagsisimba na unaware doon sa impact nito sa buhay nila sa HIV.

00:36At anong pwede nating gawin? Itrato yung mga HIV.

00:40Pangatlo, paano tayo makakatulong para hindi lumawak ang problema ng HIV.

00:46At kailangan itindihin natin, ang homosexuality ay hindi naman kasalanan.

00:52Okay? Hindi nyo naman ginuso maging ganyan.

00:55Kaya lang at kailangan lang talaga natin ipaintindi.

00:58Sa napakat na kararami, sila ay may karapatan din magpuri sa kanilang pamamaraan

01:04na hindi sila pinipigilan ng pagpapahayag.

01:09Pero ang hiling lang talaga natin, pagdating sa istruktura,

01:13matuto natin siya kay respeto para yung proseso ng paglago ay aangat

01:20at yung appreciation sa bawat isa ay magsisimula.

01:24Kasi kung kami ipipilit namin yung gusto namin sa inyo,

01:28tapos ipipilit nyo yung gusto nyo sa amin, may problema na tayo.

01:32Maglalak na yun.

01:33Pero kung magsisimula tayong magtayanogo,

01:36at bumuksan at gagamitin natin ang ating galing at husay

01:40na umunawa, tumanggap at magmahal,

01:43makakabawas ito sa problema natin sa HIV.

01:46So ang last na po on my end,

01:48so for Father Sabala,

01:50earlier po you made a very bold statement

01:53about yung sa saying na homosexuality po is not the same.

01:56Now unfortunately po,

01:58syempre at first ang ganda po yung mga strides that you're doing

02:02to make sure na we break that stigma

02:04na it is not just an LGBT issue.

02:06But in the religious sector po kasi,

02:08that narrative still prevails na unfortunately,

02:11we shun them off because of course there's until this narrative

02:14that homosexuality is the same.

02:16Now how do we make sure that we combat that po?

02:19Kasi you mentioned that that's the first step, di ba,

02:22towards addressing the AIDS issue po.

02:25Una-una, based on my old advocacy and experience,

02:30what I'm doing now is gathering this LGBTQ in our diocese

02:36para maiparamdam sa kanila na may simbahan.

02:40Yung simbahan na hindi siya umuskahan.

02:43Kasi ang dami namin kilala na mga

02:46nagsaserve na mga kabataan,

02:48nagtatago,

02:49pero nahuhuli,

02:50naglumalabas ang klaseng,

02:52o kaya may ginagaw,

02:53pinagpapalibol,

02:54lumalabas yung...

02:56Then eventually,

02:57ang sabi na yun,

02:58natatago silang lumabas ng kanilang sexual identity.

03:02So ngayon,

03:03ang ginagawa namin,

03:05we are giving really the space for them.

03:08Na yun nga ang inihiling nga namin.

03:11Do not ask too much,

03:12kasi nagsisimula pa lang tayo mag-create ang space.

03:14Kasi hindi ka,

03:15for example,

03:16papasok sa simbahan,

03:18yung parang nasa beach resort na,

03:20huwag naman.

03:21Di ba?

03:22Alam naman namin na ganyan yung kalagayan ninyo,

03:25huwag nyo naman kami in-push to the limits

03:28na alam nasa simbahan eh.

03:30Pati naman yun sa mga babay talaki,

03:32eh,

03:33ginungan yun eh.

03:34Pero may isang nasasaktan yung LGBTQ

03:36kapag silang pinagsasabihan,

03:38kasi silang pinakabull na magtamin.

03:40May isang pinaka-open

03:41na magsuod ng mga dress.

03:44Wala kami problema doon.

03:46Pero problema lang namin,

03:47pag nasa worship,

03:49lagyan natin ng konti.

03:50Alam nyo yun?

03:52Kumaga,

03:53ilugar.

03:54Kasi ako makakatulong.

03:55Pati ako mismo,

03:56marami akong kahibigan,

03:57kasama ng mga LGBTQ.

03:59Na hindi ko sila pinagagalitan

04:02kasi gusto nga yun eh.

04:03At hayaan nga yun.

04:05Pero nga,

04:06kumbaga,

04:07kung ikaw ay papasok

04:08sa isang institusyon

04:09na merong dress code,

04:11sundin mo muna

04:12nahandahan natin

04:13i-open yung idea.

04:14Baka pwede.

04:15Diba?

04:16Pero wag lang natin biglain.

04:18Kumbaga,

04:19sa mga matatanda,

04:20eh,

04:21satay sila sa ganyan eh.

04:22Hala ka naman

04:23itipilit mo agad.

04:24Tahan-tahanin,

04:25makipagkaibigan muna tayo.

04:26Bigyan natin

04:27ng safe space yung dalawa.

04:29Bigyan nyo kami

04:30ng safe space

04:31na mag-uusap tayo

04:32para alam namin

04:33papaano namin

04:34kayo matutulungan.

04:35Sa paraang yun,

04:36pag nagbukas na yung space,

04:38doon tayo magsimula

04:39ano bang pwede natin doon

04:41for us to live together.

04:43In a certain point,

04:44meron tayong tiwala

04:45at respeto

04:46sa isa mismo.

05:13Got you.

05:14Oh,

05:15we got you.

05:16We got you.

05:17Yeah,

05:18you can do it

05:19and you can do it

05:20next time.

05:23Whoa!

05:24You can do it,

05:25but where can't you manage it?

05:26You can do it.

05:27I'll get you ready.

05:28You can do it,

05:29I'll get you ready.

05:30You can do it.

05:31You can do it.

05:32Um,

05:33it's good to go on the Great High School.

05:34I'll get you ready.

05:35Please do it.

05:36Let me do it.

05:37You can do it.

05:38I'll get you ready.

05:39When I am the best

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended