11/10/2025
On this day, Jennifer Laude was brutally murdered by U.S. Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton in a motel room in Olongapo, Zambales. Pemberton killed Laude upon discovering that she was a trans woman: a crime that did not only kill Laude, but sought to silence the identity and visibility of LGBTQIA+ community.
Eleven years since Laude’s death, the government's promise of justice [1] remains a lost cause. We are left with a system entangled in U.S. dependency that only escalates human rights violations.
Hate crimes involving s*xual orientation, gender identity and expression, and s*x characteristics (SOGIESC) remain a striking force that violates the human rights of members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Such crimes are often perpetrated by individuals who use the internet as a platform to discriminate, misgender, and hurl hateful remarks against those who do not conform to the traditional image of Adam and Eve.
We call for the immediate passage of the SOGIESC Equality Bill without delay. We also call for the strengthened implementation of the Safe Spaces Act to ensure that every Filipino is protected from discrimination, harassment, and violence.
Jennifer Laude’s death is not an isolated case, but a symbol of how power can deny justice. Today, we honor Laude by extending our unwavering commitment to resist the system until true justice is served, not only for Laude, but for every LGBTQIA+ Filipino that is denied safety and dignity.
References
[1] Abad, M. (2020, September 9). TIMELINE: The killing of Jennifer Laude and release of Joseph Scott Pemberton. Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/timeline-jennifer-laude-killing-joseph-scott-pemberton-release/
