It’s March already. In just a little over a month and a half, the elections will be coming up again. A lot of decisions to be made, and huge ones at that. Decisions that are to shape the future of this country. Whoa. Nosebleed.
Who turns me on? Who turns me off?
Who will ultimately give me that election erection?
I’m pretty much a good citizen when it comes to voting. I’ve been voting ever since I reached the age at which I was qualified to. And I haven’t missed a single election ever either. I’m fortunate enough to live within a block of the precinct I’m assigned to, so really, there isn’t much suffering in suffrage for me.
So it’s 2010. Another presidential election is coming up. With so many issues facing candidates with running a whole country, how does one know who to vote for? Of course, it is but natural to evaluate candidates’ positions on the topics which matter most to you. And for me, right now, some of the more relevant issues to the times that have been getting the much needed attention from the presidentiables are those on family planning, contraceptives and sex education. The RH bill must also be mentioned, as it provides for disseminating information and access to both natural and modern family planning methods, including the use of condoms and ligation. Let’s see how they did.
Benigno Aquino III
Noynoy, back in 2009, categorically stated that he would “go on supporting the Reproductive Health Bill despite the possibility that Roman Catholic Church leaders and voters will boycott him in the 2010 elections.” He added that a legislation on reproductive health can help provide the sex education that present and future generations need, in answer to the misinformation they may get from the Internet and other media.
But as of January, Noynoy is said to have softened his stand on the RH Bill. He now chose to use the more careful term “responsible parenthood” in explaining his policy on family planning. Hmmm.
Vagueness much?
Gilbert Teodoro
Teodoro’s wife, Tarlac representative Nikki Teodoro, was actually one of the authors of the Reproductive Health Bill. Wooooow. But... she withdrew her support for the RH Bill after Gibo declared his candidacy. Oi.
So while earlier interviews had him saying, “While the state may not impose moral standards in connection with the contentious issue (of reproductive health), the government should support any means (whether natural or artificial) which an individual has freely made,” which is precisely what the RH Bill contains, Gibo in January backed down from endorsing the RH Bill as well.
But by March, at a forum sponsored by the Philippine College of Physicians, Teodoro became one of the first to come up strongly in favor of the reproductive health issue, stating that “The Department (of Health) must provide funding for all modern and natural family planning methods, except abortion,” supporting the prophylactic moves initiated by DOH Secretary Cabral. Agh.
Fickle-minded much?
Manuel Villar
Villar has always been against the RH Bill. He does not believe that a reproductive health program should be made into a law. Ouch. Well expected, really, since Villar is known to be an active member of Couples for Christ, a Chirstian lay organization. Yeesh.
Scary much?
Joseph Ejercito
Known to be pro-poor, which probably translates to the-more-the-manier, Erap’s stand on the RH Bill is comprised mainly of giving the people the freedom to have as many kids as they want, saying the government has no hand in controlling this aspect of Filipinos lives. We must remember, of course, that this comes from someone whose concept of family planning involves planning family after family after family, siring his own offspring with woman after woman after woman. *Speechless*
Horny much?
Richard Gordon
Former SBMA chair Gordon, meanwhile, at the same Philippine College of Physicians Forum, stated that not a single peso of the national budget should be allotted for the purchase of condoms and other birth control devices. A bit vague though, considering that does not necessarily say he won’t support education campaigns for Filipinos about these said reproductive health devices.
A February article though states that while Gordon says he will not campaign for the bill’s approval, it’s important for the government to ensure the good health of its citizens by providing them information on how to take care of themselves. He even went as far as saying “I am not afraid of the church.” Oooooh.
Interesting much.
JC delos Reyes
Delos Reyes, on the other hand, believes contraceptives are dangerous. What the?! Fine, he is pro-life. But even more appalling, he sees no need to support campaigns for sex education, since he believes the youth have "natural" or instinctive knowledge of sex. Seriously? “I think youth have enough natural knowledge of what will happen if they have sex.” Say what?! He also said he believes distributing condoms to the youth, as part of safe-sex campaigns, "promotes promiscuity and infidelity.” Enough!
He also says the next president should focus on promoting respect for women instead of spending on reproductive health measures. Duh.
Ironic much?
Others
Brother Eddie Villanueva, a popular evangelist, popular evangelist said that he will uphold “the rule of God above anything else." Nicolas Perlas, an independent candidate merely said he had reservations on some of the bill’s provisions. Jamby Madrigal, meanwhile, seems too busy bashing Villar to make statements on any other issues. Hehehe.
Much too much.
So there. If I were to vote for someone who clearly supported my cause, I realize I’d end up turning in a blank sheet. Really, the reason behind this is the position of the Catholic church against artificial and modern methods of family planning. They’ve actually gone on and released “election guidelines” for Catholic voters to veto candidates who go against the position of the church. How much farther have they gone? The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said voters who would elect pro-RH bill candidates would become willing accomplices to "evil." Oh, for heaven’s sake... stop the brainwashing. Hasn’t anyone heard of the supposed separation of church and state?
But beyond the merits of the reproductive health issue in itself, bringing up the topic exposes the political will that is innate in each candidate. Honestly, I have more respect for someone who takes a firm stand on the issues, even if he or she does not agree with my own personal views on the issue, rather than those who swish from one side to another... leave the swishing to the tranny on the catwalk in nine-inch heels. Please... Take a stand. If you can’t, just take a seat.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Election Erection
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Unacceptably Accepted
In Positivism's last poll, readers were asked how it would affect their relationship with a friend or family member if they found out that that person was HIV-positive. Of the almost 200 respondents, around 68% said it would make their bond stronger, 27% said it wouldn’t change a thing, while just 5% said it would force them apart.
Looking at those results, the scales seem to be really tipped in favor of those with HIV, right? So much support. So much acceptance. So much love. And as someone who is HIV-positive, I should be so extremely happy with those results… supposedly. But… I’m not.
I am HIV-positive, yes.
But no, I am not HIV.
Quite frankly, I cannot fathom any other notion than that HIV does not define me. And that being said, suddenly having HIV should not change who I am, right?
So if you suddenly like me more now that I’m HIV positive, what’s the contributing factor to that? It can’t be anything else than the HIV. It’s like reverse stigma… but stigma nonetheless. Grr.
I just feel that if having HIV becomes the reason for someone to become closer to me all of a sudden, then it probably has some sense of pity or charity behind it. And no… as much as I don’t want shame, I don’t want pity either.
I’d much rather have people I know say that finding out I had HIV won’t change a thing. If they love me, then they still love me. If they hate me, then they still hate me. HIV just shouldn’t be a part of the equation of hate and love. Nuff said.
I am HIV-positive, yes.
But no, I am not HIV.
Because the bottom line is that I am still me. But then again, that’s just me.
- republished from Positivism's Ka-Blog
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
I Am Me
I apologize for that last outburst. I never planned on revealing who the person is, even though this person volunteered that information in a subsequent comment. It just didn’t matter. To make the long story short, we’ve been able to patch things up and move on. Let’s just all pretend that the Left Behind entry is a prequel to the bigger issue, the Right Behind. But hey, don’t get me wrong, my ass is well-proportioned, okay?
So with all that prior ruckus, was there anything to learn and share? Hmmm.
When I was chatting with this person and writing that entry Sunday night, I’ll be honest, I was really in a bad mood. It was a bad end to a great weekend, as well as a bad start to the week ahead. So I was pissed. And though I am usually a very patient and subdued person, I chose to go the other route with this. I was harsh. I was sarcastic. I was a bitch. I didn’t need this person to tell me how bad I was. I heard myself, and just shook my head and said I’m such a bitch. I AM SUCH A BITCH.
I was just being myself. I’m not sure how accurate I am, but I imagine people reading what I wrote and saying, geesh, this person is sick with an incurable virus, maybe he should consider being a kinder person. Should I?
I remember sometime last year, when E and I encountered a new pozzie. This new pozzie was in a pretty good place to start with, as his family and his friends knew about, supported and accepted his condition. But for some reason, he still fell into a mode of self-pity and depression. E and I were there to support him. Yes, support. *evil laugh*
Being the B.I.T.C.H. and E we were known to be, we employed the method of cariño-brutal, or tough love. Less cariño and more brutal, actually. Even as this new pozzie was giving up, swearing off getting treatment and wanting to wait for the virus to just run its course, we bashed him. We got tired of showing him the good side of things, and stopped trying to convince him, and just chose to mock him. Isn’t it just fate that B.I.T.C.H. and E, when put together, make B.I.T.C.H.-E?
New pozzie was pissed to say the least. I think he went as far as hating us for not being more supportive. He said, as fellow pozzies, we should have been kinder. But geesh, E and I just knew patronizing him could do nothing if he didn’t help himself. So fast-forward to today, I think it worked. This now not-so-new pozzie is now a friend, and is in an extremely positive mindset, moving on with life, and even sharing his story.
Lesson learned? Suddenly being HIV-positive does not necessarily make us suddenly kinder, just because we’re supposedly in a tough chapter of our lives. Not even with fellow pozzies. Neither is it the case that we are bitchy at times because we have HIV. We are bitchy at times, because that’s the way we always were – even before the virus.
Maybe it’s part of the Life-Goes-On philosophy I encourage with HIV. HIV does not change who I am. I am not HIV. I am still me. And as with life, everything else – yes, even bitchiness – goes on.
But it’s not one-sided, okay. The world around us goes on as well. So don’t treat us like we are HIV. Love us not because of the virus, but because of who we are. In the same way, you are also entitled to hate us. But hate us not because of the virus, but because of who we are.
I am not HIV. I am me. I am B.I.T.C.H.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Ordinary Miracle
It was the evening of Good Friday that I received a text message from a blogger friend, asking how my Holy Week was going. But after a few exchanges, it was agreed, I’d tag along with him and some friends to Tagaytay the following day, Black Saturday.
This might have just been the first time I went out of town during Holy Week.
My blogger friend and I met up at our usual meeting place the next morning, within a few minutes of each other. He had a quick cup of coffee, asking me an nth time between sips if I was comfortable having two other guys with us for the trip. His concern, I’m guessing, was that we were all to have blogging in common, but with my particular blog having the least... uhm, favorable... or conventional topic of the bunch. Was I to feel awkward about that? Maybe, but hey, I’m awkward by nature. So not a problem.
After a short drive to their agreed meeting place, we walked around the corner, and there were the two guys. Oh, boy. One step at a time. Socialize, socialize, socialize. One deep breath. Okay here goes nothing. Introductions all around, initially by blog titles, and eventually by names, and the trip was on.
The drive down south wasn’t bad, and we agreed to have brunch as Josephine’s. I was just my usual quiet self the whole time, but I felt that was weighing them down. They probably thought my silence was just some depressed state expected from someone who was HIV-positive. Awkwardness! Several hours and several plates each later, we’d beaten the buffet table. We took a sleepy drive to Caleruega in Nasugbu, a house of prayer and renewal, very befitting of Holy Week. Argh.
We settled down at the lower garden of the compound to allow some of the food to go down, where we, in turn, lowered our guards. Contrary to expected, we seemed anything but prayerful – doing everything from school bashing to spacing out, watching everything from chickens to boys, and talking about everything from twitter to sex. Yes, everything. Including HIV.
My two new friends broke the ice finally, and started off with the usual questions... where I got it, when I found out, why I got tested, how I reacted and so on... questions I had no problems answering. Eventually, one of them said that I seemed to be calm about my whole situation, which I really was. I appreciated them noticing that. Although I may have scared them into looking at the risks they took in their own sex lives, I think the best part of my lecture, was them seeing the value of getting tested. Score!
And with that out of the way, I was now, like them, just any other blogger, and we went back to what was important... watching the hot boys, hehehe. I’m half-kidding of course. We trekked up to the church and spent some silent moments inside, and left seeming recharged for the rest of the posing, picture-taking, chattering, laughing and boywatching.
Our energy seemed to increase exponentially during the ride home, as we attempted a Tougher-Ten-slash-Miss-Universe-slash-I-Love-Chowking-slash-I-believe-in-the-saying portion, which kept us rolling with laughter almost the whole way back. That was a great day.
Looking back as Holy Week came to a close, I was so far from being holy the whole week. I was just lazing around. I was having fun. I never heard mass the whole week. Even during my short stay inside the church at Caleruega, I didn’t know what to pray for. Should I have prayed to be cured by some sort of miracle? But I didn’t feel that I needed that. I was bothered a bit about not wanting it, to be honest.
Until, while still lazing around on Easter morning, I caught the tail end of Charlotte’s Web on cable TV... a beautiful and touching ending it was... and then it hit me. Although it’d be nice to be Wilbur the pig, I’d much rather be Charlotte the spider for someone... for everyone. Believe me, I cried. And even looking past the pig and the spider of it all, it made sense. We always complain about not seeing any miraculous things, but maybe we do... we just don’t know where to look.
The theme song Ordinary Miracle by Sarah Mclachlan was perfect.
It seems so exceptional
That things just work out after all
It’s just another ordinary miracle today
I realized that rest, peace, friendship, laughter, contentment, and life itself... all in spite of HIV... it’s just another ordinary miracle today... everyday. Find your ordinary miracle today.
