About 7,000 people, members of the lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) community, and straight allies,
gathered at the Plaza de los Alcaldes in the city proper of Marikina in the
afternoon of June 24, 2017, for the 2017 Metro Manila Pride March to celebrate
diversity; show solidarity; be visible; assert rights; and call for an end to
discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, bullying, marginalization and other
issues the LGBTQ+ faces.
It
was the biggest pride march in the country thus far, in terms of attendance. It
was also graced with more visibility from other sectors of the LGBTQ+ and saw
more support from businesses and straight allies.
The Metro Manila Gay Pride March has been held
for twenty-three years now, making it the longest-running in Southeast Asia. It
has been held in December, coinciding with related human rights events such as
Human Rights Week, World AIDS Day (December 1), Philippine National Lesbian Day
(December 8) and International Human Rights Day (December 10), as well as in June,
widely regarded as Pride Month, which started as the commemoration of the
Stonewall riots in New York in 1969, a important moment in the LGBTQ+ struggle.
The marches were held in Manila, Makati City and Quezon City, supported by
local government units.
This year, Marikina City, at the northeastern
part of Metro Manila, hosted the event, with its mayor Marcelino “Marcy”
Teodoro expressing support to the community and emphasizing acceptance rather
than tolerance.
The 2017 theme, “Here Together,” emphasized
inclusiveness and solidarity—“for family, for friends. For those who march with
us and for those who can’t. For safe spaces, for rights, for love, and for
pride.”
The LGBTQ+ pride march is first and foremost a
form of protest as much as it is a celebration. It almost always appears like a
party, and it is a manifestation of the character of many members of the
sector, especially the gay men. They are known for their predilection for
showiness, as well as their ability to transform their plight and adverse
situations into something funny, a coping mechanism as well as a form of
resiliency. But the happiness and gaiety shown at the march are also
manifestations of protest, a show of strength and persistence, rising above
from the many downs.
“At its core, pride is protest. It is our small
contribution to help elevate the discourse on how LGBTQ+ rights are human
rights and that each life is as equally important as the next person. While we
always aim for an empowering, affirmative, inclusive, and fun safe space for
all, we always reiterate that pride started as a protest, and that’s what we’ll
always circle back to,” said Loreen Ordoño, a member of the organizing
committee.
Aside from numerous issues the march was
addressing, the passing of the Anti-Discrimination Bill was a major one.
“Seventeen years ago, then-Akbayan party-list
representative Etta Rosales filed the first Anti-Discrimination Bill in
Congress. Seventeen years after, andito
pa rin tayo, nagmamartsa para sa pagkakapantay-pantay at para sa kalayaang
umibig,” said Risa Hontiveros, an activist, a long-time ally of the LGBTQ+
movement and currently a senator.
The bill is now in the senate, a major
achievement.
A keynote speaker of the pride march,
Hontiveros continued, “We celebrate Pride this week remembering that the issues
we marched for decades ago are the same issues now. We hear of kids getting
bullied in school, of trans people refused of employment, of gay people heckled
on the streets. In an independent study by the UNDP, in the first half of 2011
alone, 28 LGBT-related killings were reported in the country,” she continued.
“These numbers are extremely alarming. They represent a deadly and irrational
prejudice against those who do not conform to the traditional notion of sexual
identity and orientation and a deep-seated hate that we refuse to acknowledge
and address. For a country seen by many as liberal and tolerant of different
views, the Philippines still has a long way to go in protecting the rights and
lives of the LGBT community.”
She also criticized the national government and
President Rodrigo Duterte, known for his sexist speech and disdain of human
rights: “The Duterte government’s attitude towards this problem is also
troubling. While many governments chose to respond positively and pro-actively
to this issue, the Philippine government has chosen to default. In the recent
vote in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to retain the
Independent Expert on Discrimination and Violence against LGBTIQs, the
Philippines abstained. Citing our lack of policy against discrimination, the
Duterte government has chosen to renege on our human rights obligations. We let
hate win.”
She continued: “The macho-politics of Duterte
have failed LGBT hopes. While he paraded himself as an ally during the campaign
season, promising same-sex marriage in the Philippines, he turned back on his
promise not one year into his term. The change he promised became an endless
parade of strongman tactics that preyed on the vulnerable. This is why today,
my brothers and sisters, we march. We assert the safe space of your community
and celebrate the struggle under the banner of equality.”
“We march for Jennifer Laude who was murdered
in a classic trans-panic excuse. We march for Jake Zyrus, ridiculed by many for
his brave transition. We march for the kids who get bullied in school. We march
for those who can’t,” Hontiveros stated. “Friends, love is the currency of our
struggle. Love trumps hate. Love will win. Mga
kasama, we will win.”
Aside from Hontiveros, another major
personality who marched and showed support to the community was iconic actress
Nora Aunor. Unlike those in other countries, especially the United States,
where many celebrities show solidarity with the LGBTQ+, the local march is
almost always devoid of showbiz personalities.
“Ang tao
iba’t iba ang kulay. Lahat pantay-pantay. Lahat may karapatan magmahal anuman
ang kasarian nila (People are of different colors. All are equal. All have
the right to love anyone, whatever the gender),” Aunor said.
While not present, other celebrities expressed
support through social media such as Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach, actress
Saab Magalona, singer Jake Zyrus (formerly known as Charice Pempengco) and
designer Francis Libiran. Vice President Leni Robredo made a video message for
the march, expressing encouragement, becoming the first high-ranking government
official to express support for the march.
The Metro Manila Pride March events started at
12 noon with the opening of the Proud Street Fair, showcasing LGBTQ+ and
LGBTQ-friendly enterprises. Official Pride merchandises were made available, as
well as clothing, accessories, souvenirs and memorabilia, and food.
Sebastian’s
Ice Cream sold rainbow popsicles and Moonleaf Tea Shop offered its special Love
Equality drink. Precious Pages showcased its Pride Lit, said to be the first
imprint dedicated to LGBTQ+ stories, which publishes mostly romance and comics.
The march itself began at four in the afternoon
and went around the Marikina City Hall complex. The participants mostly came
from different organizations, most of which were LGBTQ+. There were arts and
culture groups, faith-based organizations, grassroots and community
organizations, human rights advocacy groups, civil society organizations,
support groups and student groups. There was even a group of deaf LGBTQ+.
Marchers came from different parts of Metro
Manila, as well as from other parts of the country including as far as General
Santos City.
The biggest contingent came from businesses
including multinational companies such as Telus International Philippines,
Concentrix, IBM, American Express, Thomson Reuters and Shell Pilipinas. Marches
in previous years were mostly composed of non-governmental organizations and
supportive individuals.
“We could not get a single corporate sponsor
before,” said Lara Sia, co-founder of Side B, an organization of bisexuals, who
had helped organize past marches.
Sia is also a training Leader with Concentrix
for four years now. The business process outsourcing (BPO) company debuted in
this year’s Pride March.
Concentrix is one of biggest BPO in the country
with about 22,000 employees and 65 clients, according to Sia, who was in the
march to push for diversity and inclusion in the corporate level and
recognition in the national level, among others.
Hazel Ludovice, straight ally, regional
marketing and corporate communications Leader of Concentrix, and an executive
committee member of the company, pushed for their participation in the march.
“The BPO [industry] in general, specifically
Concentrix, is supportive of the LGBTQ+ community. For us it’s really about
diversity. We don’t really care about your sexual orientation. What’s important
to us is delivering quality work to our clients,” she said.
It is notable that all of the participating
businesses were international ones, many of which were BPOs.
“I think it’s because we’re open-minded,” said
Ludovice. “We believe in gender equality, and also the capability of each
person to contribute, not measuring them on their sexual orientation.”
“A lot of the BPOs have global bases. When the
global base supports diversity and inclusion, that trickles to the
Philippines,” Sia explained.
With the participation of businesses, there was
also a significant increase of participation among straight people. Previously,
straight people and businesses stayed away from the Pride March like it’s a
plague, careful not to be suspected of being gay as if it is the dirtiest of
stains. Now, the climate is freer, more positive and more understanding,
encouraged by visibility of straight allies in other parts of the world.
While the previous years’ marches were known to
have numerous drag queens and trans women, this year saw more visibility from
other sectors such as the trans men. There were also many first-timers who
posted photos and experiences, ranging from the jubilant to the inspiring, in
their social media accounts, and the Pride March’s Facebook page.
A show and party were held after the parade,
featuring several performers including impersonators Divalicious Mariah,
Gorgeous Dawn and Lady Gagita; garage punk group Flying Ipis; indie folk rock
artist TheSunManager; The Voice of the
Philippines semi-finalist Rita Martinez; Theater in Alternative Platforms,
which is known for its “Ampalaya
Monologues;” spoken word group Words Anonmous; and poet Wanggo Gallaga.
This year’s Metro Manila Pride March was,
indeed, the biggest in many aspects. It is heartening to see that many
Millennials joined, marched and celebrated, picking up the cudgels from their
predecessors of activists. Most likely, the magnitude is a result of years of
indefatigably advocating and voicing out for LGBTQ+ rights despite being
ignored; being inspired by the positive developments in the LGBTQ+ struggle
around the world; and the current state of uncertainty and of disregard and
mocking of human rights, galvanizing the community.
A small group of evangelicals preaching sin and
doom was also present as usual, and there was threat of rain, but they remained
at the fringes, their increasingly angry voices inundated by show of love, and
the rain just came as a light drizzle to lessen the heat. Instead, the heaven
culminated the day with rainbows.
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| Senator Risa Hontiveros |
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| Nora Aunor |
