Bahaghari Center for SOGIE Research, Education and Advocacy, Inc. (Bahaghari Center) launched #WomenUnderTheRainbow, a campaign dedicated to highlighting LBTQI+ women’s narratives and lived experiences.
Timed to coincide with Women’s Month celebrations, the campaign is done in partnership with Outrage Magazine, Fringe Publishing and the Center for HIV and AIDS Responses (CARE), as part of Bahaghari Center’s project, #KaraniwangLGBT: Advancing Narratives and Rights of Common LGBTQIA+ People.
“#WomenUnderTheRainbow aims to ensure that lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex women’s stories are also heard and honored alongside those of all women,” said Mx Disney Aguila, Co-Director of Bahaghari Center. “After all, International Women’s Month should be a time of unity and inclusivity… honoring the struggles and triumphs of all women. That means that every woman — regardless of her sexuality, gender identity, or sex characteristics—deserves to be recognized. International Women’s Month is about our collective struggle, resilience and contributions, and we must ensure no sister is left behind.”
For Aaron Moises Bonete, Co-Director of Bahaghari Center, uplifting LBTQI+ women does not take space away from others; “it simply makes the space bigger for everyone.”
LBTI+ women’s erasure
For too long, LBTQI+ women have often felt erased or sidelined in mainstream International Women’s Month events, he noted.
“For instance, J.K. Rowling’s anti-trans Twitter/X rants uphold TERF (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists) rhetoric that exclude trans women from feminist spaces. Similarly, on social media, many cisgender women and gay men have actively opposed trans women’s inclusion in spaces like Miss Universe, arguing that only ‘real’ women should be allowed to participate. Whether through the exclusion of lesbian and bisexual narratives or the outright rejection of trans women, these actions send a harmful message — that certain women’s experiences are less valid.”
The #WomenUnderTheRainbow campaign directly challenges this erasure by shining a spotlight on queer women’s experiences, the campaign reinforces that their identities, struggles, and voices matter just as much as anyone else’s.
Central to #WomenUnderTheRainbow are the personal testimonies of LGBTQIA+ women and their loved ones. These stories — told in these women’s own words — underscore both the challenges they face and the pride they carry in their identities.
“Acknowledging and celebrating LBTQI+ women does not diminish the experiences of other women. No one loses their space in International Women’s Month when LBTQI+ women are also recognized. They simply want to be heard, seen, and celebrated,” Bonete said.
Bonete added: “Many LBTQI+ women face injustices, discrimination, and violence—issues that should concern us all. This is not about division but about ensuring that every woman’s story is valued. Standing with LBTQI+ women is standing for justice, equality, and dignity for all.”
Focusing on intersections
#WomenUnderTheRainbow is also more than a campaign; it’s a celebration of existence and resistance by “confronting biases within society — and even within some feminist circles — against LBTQI+ women,” Bonete said.
For Aguila, the campaign serves as a reminder that feminism must be intersectional. “It must uplift all who identify as women, including those under the rainbow. By amplifying these voices, we hope to foster greater empathy, understanding, and unity within the broader women’s and LGBTQIA+ movement.”
“Their stories remind us: They exist. They belong. They deserve respect!” This powerful message stands at the heart of #WomenUnderTheRainbow. Each narrative is proof that LBTQI+ women have always been part of our communities and histories. Their experiences, whether joyful or painful, matter, and they enrich the collective story of womanhood,” Bonete ended.
