Earlier than the cancellation, the competition noticed at the very least 70,000 folks carrying Pleasure colours and carrying placards as they marched alongside the streets of Quezon Metropolis
MANILA, Philippines – The Quezon Metropolis authorities and organizers Pleasure PH needed to reduce brief the “Love Laban 2 Everybody” Pleasure Evening live performance on Saturday, June 22, as a result of heavy rain, the Quezon Metropolis Police Division instructed Rappler.
Earlier than the cancellation, the occasion hosts introduced at round 6:30 pm they had been pausing the occasion for the security of the performers, organizers, and viewers.
As a result of the occasion was reduce brief, headliners BINI, Vice Ganda, and Gloc-9 weren’t in a position to carry out on stage for the 1000’s who trooped to Quezon Metropolis to have fun Pleasure.
Pleasure Evening was the culminating exercise of the competition that noticed at the very least 70,000 folks carrying Pleasure colours and carrying placards as they walked alongside the streets of Quezon Metropolis, the place the Philippines’ and Asia’s first Pleasure march was held 30 years in the past.
The march began previous 2 pm. Though the Elliptical Highway, which circumscribes the Quezon Memorial Circle, was crowded with marchers, LGBTQ+ advocates and their allies had been in excessive spirits, with some taking part in musical devices and others shouting their most artistic Pleasure chants.
A few of the folks’s placards learn “No Room for Discrimination,” whereas others introduced the problem of the human rights scenario in Gaza to this yr’s march. A colourful float parade additionally graced the streets of Quezon Metropolis.
As organizers anticipated an enormous turnout for this yr’s Pleasure competition, two separate marches had been held in Quezon Metropolis that converged at Elliptical Highway.
The “Love” march, comprising Quezon Metropolis authorities officers, office variety and enterprise representatives, and different attendees from outdoors the Quezon Memorial Circle, originated from Tomas Morato Road.
The “Laban (Combat)” march, in the meantime, originated from Kalayaan Avenue and Matalino Road and comprised representatives from human rights organizations, college students, and aged folks, amongst others.
Regardless of the 2 simultaneous marches, Quezon Metropolis visitors officers had been in a position to management the circulation of visitors between the Quezon Memorial Circle and Quezon Metropolis Corridor by letting folks cross alongside Elliptical Highway throughout sure factors of the march.
Different Pleasure marches had been additionally held concurrently in numerous elements of the nation, comparable to Baguio Metropolis, Iloilo, Magsaysay (Misamis Oriental), Catarman, and Iligan Metropolis.
Earlier on Saturday morning, Quezon Metropolis additionally held its first “Commencement Rights” occasion for college students dwelling or finding out within the metropolis who had been unable to take part of their commencement ceremonies presenting their most popular gender expression. In response to town’s gender and improvement workplace, a complete of 394 highschool and faculty college students marched throughout the occasion.
Renewed push for SOGIE equality invoice
Throughout the occasion – solely one in all at the very least a dozen Pleasure marches held in numerous areas within the nation on Saturday – Filipinos from the LGBTQ+ neighborhood and their allies made a renewed push for the Philippines to cross the SOGIE (sexual orientation, gender, identification, and expression) equality invoice into legislation.
“It [is] a protest for us to point out…the federal government what we want on this era,” Ezekiel, a marcher from Bataan, instructed Rappler.
Ezekiel added that what has occurred throughout the LGBTQ+ neighborhood up to now few years needs to be an “eye-opener” for the federal government to lastly act on insurance policies to guard queer folks.
Senator Risa Hontiveros and Bataan 1st District Consultant Geraldine Roman took the stage to share their resolve to lastly get the SOGIE invoice handed into legislation.
Hontiveros mentioned she was working with Senate leaders to convey the measure again to plenary discussions after it was reverted to the Senate committee on guidelines by former majority chief Joel Villanueva in February 2023.
“Kikilos tayo, walang tigil hanggang maipasa ito bilang batas (We’ll act and never cease till that is handed into legislation),” she mentioned.
Roman, in the meantime, questioned why faith was nonetheless getting used to justify the prevention of LGBTQ+ folks from getting primary rights. She additionally reiterated that the SOGIE invoice was not meant to supply “particular rights” to queer Filipinos.
“Ang hinihingi lang natin: ang karapatang magtrabaho, mag-aral, tumanggap ng serbisyo sa pamahalaan…nang walang diskriminasyon na nakabase sa ating kasarian,” mentioned Roman, the primary transgender lady to be elected to the Philippine Congress.
(What we’re asking for: the appropriate to work, research, and entry authorities providers…with out discrimination based mostly on our gender.)
Quezon Metropolis Mayor Pleasure Belmonte had mentioned in a press convention on Tuesday, June 18, that this yr’s march is their metropolis’s “contribution” in urging Philippine lawmakers to cross the measure, which has been languishing in Congress for over twenty years. Pleasure PH, with round 200 organizations, earlier signed an open letter urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to certify the SOGIE equality invoice as pressing. – Rappler.com
