Two different court decisions on crimes against women.

Acquittal of Hubert Webb et al. (Vizconde Massacre case)
Acquittal of Hayden Kho (Sex Video Scandal)

It's almost reminiscent of one of my Comparative Literature classes, where my professor required me to discuss an essay on Literature and the Law by Richard Weisberg and Jean-Pierre Barricelli (Interrelations of Literatureby Barricelli & Gibaldi, 1983). The essay spoke of how two similar cases could yield astonishingly different results and that the differences lie in how the judges wrote their verdicts.

The legal process, like the literary, moves from an experience in life toward a narrative re-creation of that experience. However tightly bound to evidence and the logic of events, the re-creation needs the bridging or collating powers of the imagination to put together the scene, or the picture, in all its details. (p. 162.)

For these two cases, the court decision went in favor of the defendants. My reaction to the results, however, are worlds apart.

My two cents:
Hubert Webb: Innocent. We don't have enough evidence and the "star" witness keeps changing her testimonies. If he really is innocent, then the 15 years he spent in jail is a grave injustice.

Hayden Kho: Arsewipe. Here's a snippet from the article that is truly enraging: "It becomes a crime only when the said act 'alarms or causes substantial emotional or psychological distress to the woman.'" Pray tell, what part of that sex video leakage -- involving tens of other women -- is not distressing?

Wearing purple on October 20 signifies your support for Spirit Day.

People like Daniel Radcliffe have spoken for the Trevor Project, a suicide hotline for gay youth. My own little contribution to the cause is wearing purple today. It's in support of Spirit Day, October 20, which is held in honor of the gay teens that have committed suicide in recent news. Tasha Gawkowski and Malcolm Zawacki called various group to awareness through their Facebook event and many people all over the world are participating. This blogger included.

Reposting from the Facebook event page:

On OCTOBER 20th, 2010, WE WILL W...EAR PURPLE IN HONOR of the 15 young men and women who committed suicide in recent weeks/months due to constant bullying in school and or at home. Some of these young ones were of the GLBTQ community and some were bullied just for being different.  

PURPLE represents Spirit on the GLBTQ flag and that’s exactly what we’d like all of you to have with you: SPIRIT. Please know that times will get better and that you will meet people who will love you and respect you for who you are, no matter your sexuality. Please wear purple on October 20th. Tell your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors and schools.

RIP Tyler Clementi, Asher Brown, Seth Walsh, Justin Aaberg, Raymond Chase, Alec Henrikson,Sladjana Vidovic, Eric Mohat Zach Harrington, Phoebe Prince, Jack Frew, Nick Dessoffy

Meredith Rezak, Jennifer Eyring and Billy Lucas. You are loved and missed.

This event is to honor their lives and their memories. No child should have to go through this abuse. The Bullies must be stopped, the hate must be stopped. 

Gay suicide happens all the time in the Philippines but never have they been brought to light the way it has been for people of the United States. I'm hoping that Filipinos would participate, too, especially since gays have been a huge part of our lives.

I actually risk recognition by posting photos of my outfit for today, but I almost don't care. (Was actually accidentally outed during a recent blogger event by another lesbian blogger who immediately knew I am a ka-federasyon.) If this is something that would help other gays and lesbians understand that they are not abominations, then will willingly risk being identified.

Noli Me Tangere in the present day.

Malditera is pro-Reproductive Health Bill, which the Catholic church had been rejecting for as long as we can remember. The RH Bill is something that the country needs badly but the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) believes that it is a detriment to their pro-life sentiments.

It's not. The RH Bill is pro-life. It saves poor women from dying needlessly because of complicated childbirths and saves young babies from being thrown in the trash bin by parents who could not afford to raise them. It keeps families small and manageable.

The RH Bill is pro-life and pro-family.

Thought we were few, people who believe this very same thing. The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country and the CBCP wields a lot of power over the government. Talks of excommunicating President Noynoy Aquino brewed, which led tourist guide Carlos Celdran to stage a protest during a Manila Cathedral mass. Quite the theatrical feat. Celdran wore a costume worthy of José Rizal's Noli Me Tángere while holding a placard with the words "Damaso" scribbled on it. Damaso was the corrupt Spanish priest in Rizal's aforementioned novel and was a symbol of the Filipinos' oppression in the 1800s.

Does Malditera agree with Celdran's actions? No and yes. No, because I believe in the sanctity of every religion. Spirituality brings a sense of healthy balance in people's lifestyles. This goes for ALL religion.

Yes, because it had to be done. He broke the silence. Someone had to do it. Now everyone is clamoring for the RH Bill. He was also quite accepting of his punishment, if his happy expression in jail is any indication. It takes real guts for someone to fight for his convictions in this manner.

A state attorney becomes a cyber bully.

This CNN report disturbed me quite a bit. Apparently, Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell has posted defamatory blog entries about gay student council president Chris Armstrong. Among the adjectives used were: "pervert" and "Satan's representative". As interviewer Anderson Cooper pointed out, the blog attacks border on the obsessive and even defined the lawyer's actions as "cyber bullying".

Malditera calls it stalking. In the worst, possible manner. Could almost swear that the attorney himself is gay and is in denial about it, thus projecting on the hapless student.