Akbayan Party-list representative-elect Chel Diokno on Saturday, June 28, assured members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual, Queer, Intersex, Asexual and other identities (LGBTQIA+) community of more inclusive and diverse bills, including re-filing previous related measures, in the upcoming 20th Congress.

As the world celebrates Pride Month, Diokno says incoming representatives of Akbayan are committed to advancing equal rights for all.

Such will be pursued regardless of status, gender identity and sexual orientation.

''We will continue to push for inclusive bills that seek to provide the Filipino queer community with a strong legal blanket that safeguards their rights and promotes their welfare,'' he said during the Pride PH celebration at the University of the Philippines (UP)-Diliman.

Diokno stressed that Filipinos deserve equal protection under the law.

''We will work to make it happen,'' he said.

For the 20th Congress, Akbayan says they want to end decades of legal invisibility being faced by the queer community through the championing of ambitious legislations on healthcare, legal recognition processes, and anti-discrimination protections, among others.

Meanwhile, another representative of the party-list, Perci Cendaña, rallied support for congressmen who will seek the passage of pro-LGBTQIA+ bills.

These include the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Equality Bill; the Cagandahan Bill; and the Right to Care Bill.

“Habang lumalaki at nagiging mas makulay ang Pride celebrations sa bansa, mas lumalakas din ang pwersa natin sa loob ng Kongreso. Kaya’t kailangang mas iwawagayway pa ng LGBTQIA+ advocates at allies ang bandera ng ating laban (As Pride celebrations continue to become bigger and more colorful, our strength inside the Congress also gets stronger. So we need to raise the flag of our advocates and allies for our fight),'' he said.

“Sa pag-aakbayan natin (Through our unity), we enter the 20th Congress with the fullest pride that our fight for equality will finally prevail. Nananalig ako na dadami pa ang mga kampeon ng equality sa Kamara. Ipapasa natin ito (I believe that more allies will champion equality in Congress. We will pass these bills),” he added.

Cendaña, one of the original drafters of the SOGIESC Equality Bill 25 years ago, also vowed a stronger push for the proposed measure. He also told anti- equality lawmakers to stop blocking the bill.