"I am a human being just like yourself, just like the owners of Aruba Bar and Restaurant. I'm a human being denied of her right to express her unique existence.

"What special right does Aruba Bar and Restaurant have that they can just force human beings to conform their gender expression to the gender expression traditionally associated with their assigned sex at birth?

"What special right does Aruba Bar and Restaurant have that they can just inflict indignity on their fellow human beings? What special right does Aruba Bar and Restaurant have that they can just enforce such 'transphobic' policies with impunity?

"I don't understand where they are getting these special rights. My Christian upbringing has instilled in me one of the two greatest principles Jesus Christ deemed to be the commandments at which all commandments bow.

"This principle is also common in all spiritual teachings: 'Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself.'

"We can also find this same principle in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: 'All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood (Article 1). And 'everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms..., without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status (Article 2).'

"This is also echoed in the Yogyakarta Principles: 'All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Human beings of all sexual orientations and gender identities are entitled to the full enjoyment of all human rights (Article 1).'

"Even the Philippine Constitution upholds this: 'The State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights. (Article II, Section 11).' Jesus Christ was all about love, compassion, and inclusion and never about discrimination. The Philippine Constitution and international law are all about upholding the dignity of each human being regardless of who and what they are.

"Without a need for complicated mental calisthenics, discriminatory rules, practices, and policies are very incompatible with these principles. And history has shown that rules, practices and policies constantly change so society can fulfill the highest principles of humanity: women getting the vote, end of apartheid, outlawing child abuse, to name a few.

"So what special right does Aruba Bar and Restaurant have that they can just enforce rules that violate these principles of humanity? What special right does Aruba Bar & Restaurant have that they can continue doing business like this for years?

"Since when did a business license become a license to violate human rights? Does my gender identity & expression violate their right to conduct their business in a socially responsible way? Why are we turning a blind eye to this inhumanity?

"Enforcing gender conformity is not, and will never be, a corporate social responsibility; ending discrimination is. Philippines, it's NOW time for change.

"Love & Peace,

Ms. BB Gandanghari"

Tinawagan ng PEP ang Aruba Bar and Restaurant kaninang hapon, April 25, upang hingin ang kanilang panig. Ayon sa nakausap namin na nangngangalang Lilian Maitem, wala raw siyang ideya kung may nangyari ngang ganun dahil wala namang ini-report sa kanya. Ito rin ang dahilan kung kaya't hindi siya makapagbigay ng anumang komento.

Nilinaw rin ng aming nakausap na noong April 23 naganap ang concert ni Rannie Raymundo at hindi noong April 24 gaya ng unang report.