Gov’t Urged To Act On LGBTQIA+ Rights

The Pride March in the Philippines lives on after 30 years with the LGBTQIA+ community calling for the legislation of equality measures and the end of discrimination in the country.

Pride PH convenor Rhodina Singh stressed the yearly renewal of commitment to fight for equal rights at the “Love Laban Pride PH Festival” in Quezon City on Saturday, June 27. 

“Yearly at Pride, we renew our commitment and so long as we do not achieve our rights, we will continue to multiply, go out to the streets and protest,” she told The Philippine STAR.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte is glad that more people are supporting the cause towards equality.

“The fight continues. While it is a celebration of diversity, at the end of the day, the community has not achieved equal rights in the eyes of the law and until that happens, we have a fight to (win),” the mayor said.

Meanwhile, after their two-year hiatus, Metro Manila Pride returned to the streets of Malate in Manila.

Metro Manila Pride deputy executive director Macjo Catequista is glad that the Pride March has returned and even expanded in Quezon City and other regions in the country.

“We’ve been here since the 90s and if we trace back in history, we’ve been hosting our Pride Marches in Manila, although our dream is to plant seeds to hold Pride Marches beyond Metro Manila,” he told The STAR.

While President Marcos has made a statement in support of the LGBTQIA+ community this June, Catequista said the month is ending without any concrete action from the country’s leader.

“Although we see it as a good surprise, as long as there is no protection given to the community, that will all be lip service,” the queer advocate said.

Catequista challenged the President to be proactive in enacting equality measures such as the SOGIE Equality Bill, Marriage Equality Bill and the Right To Care Bill, among others.

“Bongbong, people are dying, literally, people are dying just because they have identities that are not conventional to them,” Catequista said, addressing the President. “Act swiftly. The community has been asking this and we should not be begging for this, it should be provided to us."