BECAUSE LOVE WINS WITH LGBT PRIDE.
Iloilo City in the Visayas hosted its second LGBT Pride march. Themed “Sa Iloilo, Gugma Madaug (In Iloilo Love Wins)!” as reference to Iloilo as the “City of Love” and paying homage to the LGBT catchphrase, this year’s gathering aimed to highlight that “Pride is a rally not only on LGBT rights but human rights issues as well.”
“We march not only for LGBT rights but also for the rights of all Filipino people to a just and humane society,” said Marie Irish G. Inoceto, member of the organizer Iloilo Pride Team (IPT) as security marshall, and concurrent vice president of the United for Equality-LGBT iloilo Chapter. “We… stand with the people against injustice in all its forms. Members of the LGBT community, after all, belong to different sectors in society and face different issues aside from being LGBT. We are not separate from what ails our country. We can either be blind to the problem or be part of the solution.”
This year’s gathering had the backing of the local government unit (LGU), including Iloilo City’s councilors. Joining the march were LGBT and ally organizations, including ASEAN SOGIE Caucus, Soriano Advertising, Gabriela Panay-Guimaras, B Lifestyle Complex, Prism Nightlife, UPV USC, UPV CASSC, Bayan-Panay, La Villa Pride, and FPOP; as well as the United Church of Christ in the Philippines and Iglesia Filipina Independiente (both are members of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines).
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF CARLO GABRIEL EVIDENTE
Broadening Pride-related activities, IPT already conducts monthly activities to educate communities – including BPOs, corporations and LGUs – on SOGIE, HIV and queer theology. It also eyes to establish grassroots LGBT organizations as “our investment for the next Pride.”
“LGBT rights are human rights, but in most cases we are not even considered humans. Some even said we’re ‘mas masahol pa sa hayop (worse than animals).’ So – until this patriarchal society exists – we will (stress the) need for Pride,” Inoceto said.
IPT’s core members include J.F. Bionat, chairperson; M. Milliam, vice chairperson and this year’s Pride Marshall; Miles M. Estimar, assistant secretary; Rev. Alfred Candid Jaropillo, finance officer and spiritual guide; and Gabriel Felix Umadhay, auditor.
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF CARLO GABRIEL EVIDENTE
