In its core, the Filipino spirit is ruled by the capacity to support and be there for others, the way the Catholic God is there for His Filipino constituents. The Filipino culture is all about openness and inclusion which many of the Filipino youth continue to embody every day. When it comes to celebrating differences, the Pinoy pride is right on top. As ironic as it sounds, the Philippines is the only Catholic country in Asia with 86% of its locals predominantly practicing the religion of Roman Catholicism, and 61% oppose gay marriage or same-sex unions, according to Vice. The strict and rather callous stereotypes of the Filipino church sometimes get in the way of the nation’s progressiveness in terms of equal rights and more liberal views on topical issues plaguing the country.
The LGBTQ community in the Philippines has been the center of the local media in recent news. Local Congress has even conducted a recent poll on same-sex unions in the country with divided results at hand. Legal rights to marry and receive equal rights from the state continue to hang in the balance for the Filipino LGBTQ community. However, with the record-breaking turn-out of 70,000 people last June 29th, the annual LGBTQ Pride Parade at the Marikina Sports Center was more than just a successful event, but a symbolic movement of tolerance and acceptance of the community.
Resist Together: The Pinoy LGBTQ March For Equality
Metro Manila also broke records in last year’s Pride Parade for hosting 25,000 attendees joining the march towards equality and proper LGBTQ rights. According to Rappler, the Filipino LGBTQ community and other attendees of this year’s Pride joined the international community in celebrating and honoring the Stonewall riots of June 1969. The Stonewall riot was one of the most violent demonstrations in LGBTQ history which took place in Manhattan New York during the sixties hurting and killing hundreds in the process.
This year marks a new opportunity for the Filipino masses to step and follow suit with the LGBT Pride theme to “resist together” and march for equal rights for the heterosexual and homosexual Filipinos that make up our greater nation. Standing for tolerance isn’t enough, winning the fight for acceptance is the real goal and can only be done as a nation.
