As part of its #SavingHands initiative, Bahaghari Center for SOGIE Research, Education and Advocacy, Inc. (Bahaghari Center) met with Deaf LGBTQIA+ community members in Baguio City to discuss sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
The intention, said Mx Disney Aguila, co-executive director of Bahaghari Center, is two-pronged. “We want to surface SRHR issues of Deaf LGBTQIA+ people in the Philippines so that, eventually, we can use the information gathered in the development of actual efforts for them.”
“Deaf people, among persons with disabilities, are often de-sexualized even if the truth is we have the same sexual and reproductive health and rights as everyone else,” Aguila said. “It is time we engage Deaf people in SRHR conversations, hoping that they – themselves – can help in the development of solutions to benefit them.”
The discussions with Deaf LGBTQIA+ Filipinos were facilitated by Michael David dela Cruz Tan, MDC, founder of Bahaghari Center and editor in chief of Outrage Magazine, the only publication exclusively for the LGBTQIA+ community in the Philippines.
#SavingHands is supported by Mujer-LGBT Organization.
