Assessing the SOGIE Bill from the Framework of the UN Legal Identity Agenda

This paper seeks to evaluate the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics or the “SOGIESC Equality Bill” (the Philippines’ version of the global LGBTQ+ activism that seeks to affirm the basic rights of all people regardless of SOGIE) within the context of the United Nations Legal Identity Agenda, which emphasizes the relevance of legal identity for civil registration and vital statistics. It uses qualitative methodology utilizing conceptual and comparative analysis. The document begins with the structure of the Bill, outlining significant sections on gender and gender identity definition, as well as corresponding sanctions and penalties. The paper also examines current legislations that recognize the rights and identity of other marginalized elements of society, such as senior citizens and persons with disabilities. It then looks at the UN Legal Identity Agenda and how it relates to the SOGIESC Bill, emphasizing the necessity of legal gender identity recognition and the responsibility of the state in guaranteeing equitable access to legal identification for everyone. Using the UN Legal Identity Agenda as a framework, the study argues that Legal Gender Identity is an important provision in the Bill to assure acknowledgment and, eventually, objective recognition of a person’s gender identity.