So I went to a “Pride” event over the weekend, where – for the organizer – the highlight of the event was the going onstage of heterosexual-identifying beauty pageant winners to speak to the LGBTQIA community, basically telling them/us that: 1) hetero/straight celebrities like them have your/our back; and 2) that we should continue holding Pride (the usual mumbo-jumbo of “celebrate while fighting for your rights”).
The videos of these people have been making the rounds online (where – yet again – it was emphasized that their talks were the “highlights” of the “Pride” event). In fact, aside from their videos, I have yet to see even a single video from the same event of any LGBTQA person talking about OUR issues, the solutions we – as a community – believe are needed, and OUR Pride.
Of course salamat (thanks) to the allies (even pretend allies) for surfacing for us. Particularly for those whose support could endanger themselves, you didn’t have to go public with your support, and for that, a round of applause is deserved.
But… this is supposed to highlight the rainbow community.
So the question is: If a “Pride” event only highlights the “impacts” of straight people to the LGBTQIA community, is it still Pride?
Yeah, yeah… “Pride” is like Christmas now, even non-believers can just use symbols related to it, paste them on whatever products, and then sell the same for profit (BIG profit, in fact). The LGBTQIA community – if ever such a “community” was even organized – has long lost control over this. This is why you see too many businesses “supporting” Pride month, and yet:
- Have no pro-LGBTQIA policies in the way the business is run;
- Have no LGBTQIA-related efforts in the business;
- Have no plans to introduce inclusive policies to benefit LGBTQIA people (particularly after Pride month); and
- Won’t even publicly support pro-LGBTQIA efforts (like helping push for the anti-discrimination bill, or support marriage equality, or finance efforts to pass a gender recognition law).
And yeah… some of these businesses were sponsors in the “Pride” event that just occurred.
In truth, mahirap i-define ang (it’s hard to define) Pride; ergo, there’s no one definition of a “good” (or bad) Pride event. Since anyone can now just claim the word, then anyone can just slap this on their events… even those that are detrimental to the LGBTQIA community and movement.
Key takeaway: We have to be very, VERY wary of those who claim to hold LGBTQIA “Pride”, and yet does not focus on the LGBTQIA community. Particularly if those doing so are part of the LGBTQIA community. Because then you see their priority, and – sadly – our OUR Pride doesn’t seem to be it.
Peeps: Huwag bulag sa (People: Don’t be blind when attending any) LGBTQIA Pride event/s. Gamitan (Using) is real. Huwag magpagamit (Don’t allow yourselves to be used).
