By Patricia Marie Cabela
Thousands of people clad in rainbow colors gathered at the Marikina Sports Complex on June 30 for the Pride March 2018, as a conclusion for the Pride Month, a huge celebration of the LGBTQIA+ identity.
Despite the momentary downpour, more than 20,000 people were estimated to have attended the festivities.
The event, which started in 1994, is yearly held to empower the local LGBTQIA+ community and create a safe space for its members.
“Yung puso talaga ng Pride is a protest. It is not just a protest for identity politics; it is really a rally for human rights,” Mikhail Quijano, Metro Manila Pride co-head for Communications and Campaigns said.
The event unfolded at 12 noon, with the Proud Street Fair, an open marketplace for LGBTQIA-owned businesses. It featured booths that sold everything from Pride stickers, to LGBT shirts and LGBT accessories.
at the Marikina Sports Complex. Lisa Marie David
A pre-march program was held afterwards, which featured performances from artists such as The Bearytones,’ Ja Quintana and Dee Dee Marie Holiday.
Solidarity speeches from key guests and organizations followed which inspired the crowd right before the Pride March proper.
As the first Pride March in Southeast Asia, and the second ever in the continent, the Metro Manila Pride March and Festival calls for solidarity across sectors to affect societal and policy change and to work together for policy change and Pride.
In line with this year’s theme ‘Rise Up Together,’ the event also continues its call for the passage of the SOGIE Equality Bill, as well as cultivating among the community and its allies, an environment of advocacy, learning, and empathy for LGBTQIA+ people and all marginalized sectors.
“Last year’s theme was #HereTogether; it was a call for the community in joining us to fight for our rights. For this year, we dreamed that we’ve come together. It is really #RiseUpTogether. Isa talaga siyang tawag o panawagan for the community to really learn and to educate ourselves on how to be better advocates,” he said.
“Hindi lang siya naval gazing in looking on what do we need as an LGBTQIA+ community, but what does the community in general need, especially the marginalized, so nakikiisa tayo doon sa plight, not just of the LGBTQ community, but the plight of the workers, PWDs and IPs,” Quijano added.
Furthermore, British Ambassador to the Philippines Daniel Robert Pruce stated that “it is absolutely critical that we come together publicly and celebrate the important basic principles of diversity and inclusion.”
“Sinusportahan namin ang pagkamit ng mga karapatan ng komunidad ng LGBT dito sa Pilipinas at tsaka sa buong mundo.”
Hours before the Pride March began, the Social Weather Stations released a survey that showed 61 percent of Filipinos are not in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage in the Philippines.
“A survey is not predictive of anything. It is not a prediction of the future. If anything, it is just a snapshot of the present [….] Ang masasabi ko sa kanila is really listen to us. The Pride March is not a clamor for special protection, it is a call for equality – for equality to be recognized,” said Quijano.
He also said that he, as well as the other organizers of the event, are optimistic for the passage of the same-sex marriage bill in the country.
The Supreme Court has yet to decide on the petition whether to revise a Family Code provision that limits marriage between a man and a woman.