To further spread information about the plight of LGBT people in the Philippines and the steps that can be done about these issues, Outrage Magazine and Rainbow Rights Project Inc. (R-Rights) held a seminar/workshop dubbed Pink Ink that gathered student leaders – including student journalists and student government officials – and their advisers in Baguio City.
Joining the gathering – which eyed to benefit those in Northern Luzon – were the University of the Cordillera in Baguio City; University of Assumption in San Fernado, Pampanga; University of Pangasinan in Dagupan; University of Northern Philippines in Vigan City; and Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University in La Union.
Michael David dela Cruz Tan, publishing editor of Outrage Magazine, discussed SOGIE 101 and HIV 101 for the student leaders; while Atty. Jazz Tamayo, executive director of R-Rights, discussed SOGIE 101 with the advisers of the student leaders.
“Jose Rizal is often quoted for saying that ‘the youth is the hope of the Motherland.’ This may sound clichéd now, but it remains true. But we have to remember that the challenge for us is to help the youth reach their full potential, thereby fulfilling Rizal’s words. Pink Ink attempts to do this by helping inform student leaders about LGBT issues and how they may be able to help members of the LGBT community gain the respect they deserve not because of their SOGIE, but because of our shared humanity,” said Tan.
Outrage Magazine first launched the Pink Ink in 2012 to help make journalism as practiced in the Philippines more sensitive to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Via Pink Ink, trainings are provided: 1) in educational institutions (including student journalists, student leaders and journalism students) for them to start reporting on LGBT-related issues; and 2) to professional media practitioners for them to be more LGBT-sensitive in their media coverage.
This run of the Pink Ink was conducted with the US Embassy in Manila.
