HK group calls for understanding, respect for gays

MANILA, Philippines - Shortly after actor Rustom Padilla publicly changed his name to BeBe Gandanghari, a Hong Kong-based human rights group appealed for understanding and respect for gays. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) said avoiding, ignoring and rejecting gays only promotes prejudice and unwillingness to understand them. "Listening to one gay person, allowing her to speak, to come to voice is fundamental to understanding gay rights ... Avoidance, ignoring, rejection simply promotes the prejudice and the unwillingness to understand, accept and ultimately respect gays as persons with rights like everyone else," it said on its website. It said even running priest Robert Reyes had "corrected" his previous judgmental and homophobic attitude after "actual and particular encounters with gays." AHRC, which also interviewed Padilla www.youtube.com/watch?v=auCVWCARypw, said his coming out and acceptance was fundamental to an understanding of gay rights. Quoting Padilla from the interview, AHRC said his identity is not a choice but a gradual acceptance of an orientation that did not happen overnight. "Every part of the process of awareness, acceptance and coming out is not to be taken simplistically and dismissively," AHRC said. - GMANews.TV