To support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) friendly domestic tourism, small and medium enterprises, hang-out/party places in the Philippines, Outrage Magazine has launched #ByaheLGBT, a social media initiative to showcase safe spaces and LGBTQ friendly establishments for LGBTQ Filipinos.
Outrage Magazine is inviting everyone interested to post photos, messages and videos on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram with the unified hashtag #ByaheLGBT. Those sending contributions are asked to explain what makes a venue pro- or anti-LGBTQ, so that others may know of these venues. These will then be featured in the Facebook and Twitter pages and official website of the only publication for the LGBTQ community in the Philippines. Selections will also be published in Outrage Magazine’s “Lifestyle” section, particularly “Travel” and “In the Scene”.
“The way the Filipino LGBTQ community spends plays a crucial role in benefiting businesses that support us and place economic pressure on those who continue to hate us,” said John Ryan N. Mendoza, Outrage Magazine’s managing editor. “As we continue our struggle for Philippine society’s acceptance of LGBTQs, there is a need to increase LGBTQ friendly spaces, and one way we could achieve this is for businesses to realize the power of the pink peso.”
With #ByaheLGBT, Outrage Magazine also aims to support non-homophobic/non-transphobic LGBTQ-owned/run businesses, and to call out on homophobic, transphobic, and discriminatory practices of various destinations (including tourism spots) or businesses.
“We must claim our pink power by supporting pink establishments and tourism spots. Instead of supporting businesses that campaign against us, let us promote those that give us respect, and hope that other tourism spots or businesses adopt non-homophobic /non-transphobic and non-discriminatory practices,” Mendoza ended.
Featured stories and other contributed media in #ByaheLGBT are aimed to become collective travel resources of LGBTQ friendly tourism spots and establishments in the Philippines.
