Expressions of Justice and Accountability in Dealing With SOGIESC-Based Discrimination

Abstract

The University of the Philippines Diliman (UP Diliman) has always been an icon of progressive policies, leaders, and ideals. However, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) students still express their narratives of discrimination without the intent of officially filing complaints. Allies and resources are present but a discursive barrier between victims and concerned offices is still barely addressed. This research attempts to analyze how victims of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC)-based discrimination in the University express their notions of justice and accountability through the construction of interpretative and action frames which guide them in their pursuit of justice and accountability. It was then shown that victims of SOGIESC-based discrimination balance competing diagnosis and prognosis which sometimes compete with the University's gender policy frames. These notions are also expressed in value-based evaluations of procedures which can discourage filing of complaints and encourage alternative mechanisms of accountability. Lastly, notions of justice and accountability have recognized the need for networks which play a vital role of consolidating resources to empower victims from the processing of their experiences to deployment of their actions. These three concepts ultimately broke down the subjectivities of victims and provided a clearer understanding on victim hesitations.