Media in the Philippines are reporting a teenager has suffered first degree burns, when his father scalded him with boiling water because he told him he was gay. The father of 19-year-old Edmund Padilla has told police he was drunk at the time and became enraged after his son informed him that he was gay, like two other siblings. Philippine LGBT Hate Crime Watch (PLHCW) is now pleading its government to initiate proactive programs that provides parents and lgbt children the opportunities to promote freedom of expression of sexuality and gender. "In a free society, the parents should respect the rights of their lgbt and stop altogether corporal punishment. We are born this way and you cannot punish us to change our sexuality." a statement from the group says. "Since Edmund Padilla is already 19-years-old, he may no longer be covered by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and our national child protection laws, yet we fear that so many violent acts perpetrated by parents and legal guardians against their lgbt children go unreported. "It is so urgent for Congress to find ways to protect sons and daughters of whatever age from family-based violence and the Convention is a good place to start.” A Philippines TV station posted the below story on YouTube. (Warning, the video shows Padilla in severe pain from his burns).
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 6th January 2012 - 7:46pm