PUP Kasarianlan, the official student organization of Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) for people with diverse SOGIE, has scheduled its annual PUP Pride on March 4, 5 and 6 largely via Zoom.
In a statement, the organization stated that this is “not only… a celebration of love and diversity among people of diverse SOGIE, but it is also a call for everybody to take a stand in our continuous fight for equality and freedom toward a promising future for all of us.”
Themed “Tindig, Laban: Kolektibong Kasarinlan”, this year’s gathering is a continuation of 2020’s “Defying Adversity, Forwarding Advocacy”, which “celebrated the diversity among every Iskolar ng Bayan as we strive to move forward with our advocacies within the community.” This time, though, “we further acknowledge and embrace our differences.”
For PUP Kasarianlan, “it is important that we do not lose sight of the very reasons for our unity— freedom, equality, and empowerment. Now more than ever is the time to come out as one in creating tangible efforts to immerse ourselves in our advocacies. It is not enough that our actions are limited to just raising awareness, there is also a need for us to mobilize and encourage everyone to go out and take our fight to the streets.”
This event also eyes to reach out to legislators to initiate ordinances that would protect the LGBTQIA community against bigotry and discrimination.
The week-long event includes seminars/forum for basic knowledge of SOGIE, HIV and AIDS, feminism, and timely issues affecting the LGBTQIA Filipino community especially in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. There will also be performances.
For more information, head to PUP Kasarianlan’s Facebook page.
Aaron Bonette is a batang beki - a "cisgender gay man, if you will", he says. He established EU Bahaghari in Enverga University in Lucena, where he was one of the leaders to mainstream discussions of LGBT issues particularly among the youth. He is currently helping out LGBT community organizing, believing that it is when we work together that we are strongest ("Call me idealistic, I don't care!" he says). He writes for Outrage Magazine to provide the youth perspective - meaning, he tries to be serious even as he tries to "party, party, party", befitting his newbie status.
