June is a significant month for the LGBTQ+ community. On this day almost 50 years ago, the first major protest on equal rights for homosexuals happened in Manhattan City in New York.
On June 28, 1969, just after three in the morning, a raid of a New York City gay club called the Stonewall Inn led to violence among the police, patrons, and local sympathizers. The raid was legally justifiable, as the club served liquor without a license (among other offenses). But by then the gay community in NY had already grown weary because the police department appeared to be targeting gay clubs.
Then, the unexpected happened. The crowd started hurling bottles at the police and soon, the protest spread like wildfire, spilling over into nearby streets. Until the deployment of the city’s riot police, order had not been restored.
The commotion went down in history as the Stonewall Riot, the event that turned the tides in the Gay Liberation Movement in the US.
Pinoy Pride, the LGBT Way
In the Philippines, gay rights movements did not start to solidify until the 1990s. It was only in 1994 that the first Metro Manila Pride March was held at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City. But while Metro Manila Pride March is relatively young compared with the Pride Marches around the world, ours was a pioneer in the Asian region.
Since the 1994 Pride March, the LGBTQ+ community has taken the fight to the streets of Malate, Rizal Park, and last year, Tomas Morato. Just like all the other Pride celebrations, last year’s #HereTogether March still reflects the desire for full equality and the dignity for gays, lesbians, and advocates.
With newfound liberty to strongly advocate equal rights, the more recent celebrations served as what one of the event’s organizers Loreen Ordoño calls a “platform where they can manifest legitimate concerns.”
True enough, in September 2017, a few months after Pride March, the House of Representatives approved the House Bill No. 4982 or the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression Equality (SOGIE) bill.
It is a huge step toward protecting members of the LGBTQ+ community against discrimination, but this is not where we stop. While the House of Representatives OKs SOGIE with a vote of 198-0, the bill continues to languish before the Senate.
In her keynote speech last year, Senator Risa Hontiveros, a staunch supporter of women and LGBTQ+ rights declared, “We march for those who can’t. Dear friends, love is the currency of our struggle!” Indeed, until individual and institutional bodies recognize that the LGBTQ+ community should have access to the same rights enjoyed by heterosexual individuals, as stipulated in the law, we continue to march, especially for those who can’t.
The Pride March has gone a long way since the 1994 Pride March. Today’s Pride Month celebrations reflect newfound freedom to strongly fight for equal rights. The freedom to, ultimately, love whoever we choose to without being crucified.
As usual, the 2018 Pride high happens throughout June, with Metro Manila Pride organizing several events including #AllFamiliesDay and #PrideSpeaks. This year’s Pride March theme is “Rise Up Together,” a campaign that calls for a more solid unity among advocates, to contribute to a more meaningful, long-term change.
Last Saturday, the government of Marikina City invited Metro Manila Pride to join them as they turned the Marikina Sports Center into a rainbow! Ilang araw na lang, mga Mahal… excited na ba kayo? Damang-dama na ang lab lab as we #RiseUpTogether on June 30! pic.twitter.com/K4TUyloPrb
— ?Metro Manila Pride (@mmprideorg) June 25, 2018
On June 30th, the Pride March & Festival happening at Marikina Sports Center will close the Pride month celebration. Bring your gay friends, straight allies, your family, and your lover. This year’s Pride March will serve as space where we can talk about issues that impact the community, and of course, express ourselves without reservations.
What's Your Reaction?
Pint-sized Pinay. Writer by day, mermaid by night. Loves coffee, elephants, and the old book smell. Adoptive Mom to Churro, Laya, Alab, Chelsea, and Ivory, who all have four legs.
Juni ni mwezi muhimu kwa jamii ya LGBTQ +. Miaka 50 iliyopita, maandamano makubwa ya kwanza ya kutetea haki za watu wa jinsia moja yalifanyika mjini Manhattan, New York. Mnamo Juni 28, 1969, baada ya saa tatu asubuhi, shambulio la klabu ya mashoga ya New York City inayoitwa Stonewall Inn lilisababisha vurugu kati ya polisi, wadhamini, na washirika wa eneo hilo. Shambulio hilo lilikuwa na haki kisheria, kwa kuwa klabu hiyo ilitoa pombe bila leseni (miongoni mwa makosa mengine). Lakini wakati huo jamii ya mashoga huko New York tayari ilikuwa imechoka kwa sababu idara ya polisi ilionekana kuwa inalenga vilabu vya mashoga. Kisha, jambo lisilotazamiwa likatukia. Umati ulianza kutupa chupa kwa polisi na hivi karibuni, maandamano yalienea kama moto wa mwituni, yakijaa katika barabara za karibu. Mpaka polisi wa kupambana na ghasia walipoanza kufanya kazi, utaratibu haukuwa umerudishwa. "Mashambulizi hayo yaliitwa ""Stonewall Riots"" na yaliathiri sana harakati za uhuru wa mashoga nchini Marekani." "Pinoy Pride, ""The LGBT Way"" ni harakati ya kimataifa ya haki za mashoga nchini Ufilipino ambayo ilianza kuanzishwa mwaka 1990 na kuanzishwa mwaka 2009." Mwaka 1994 ni mara ya kwanza kwa Metro Manila Pride March kufanyika katika Quezon Memorial Circle. Metro Manila Pride March ni ya kwanza kabisa katika Asia. Tangu Machi ya Pride ya 1994, jamii ya LGBTQ+ imechukua mapambano kwenye barabara za Malate, Rizal Park, na mwaka jana, Tomas Morato. Kama ilivyo kwa sherehe nyingine zote za Pride, Machi ya #HereTogether ya mwaka jana bado inaonyesha hamu ya usawa kamili na heshima kwa mashoga, wasagaji, na watetezi. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""Mwaka 2017,"" Maandamano ya Pride yalishirikiana na Lorraine Ordoño, mwandishi wa habari wa habari, ambaye alielezea kuwa ""mwisho wa siku ya Pride, ""na kwamba ""mwaka 2017"" ni wakati wa kuandaa maandamano ya Pride." 4982, au Muswada wa Uhusiano wa Kijinsia na Utambulisho wa Jinsia na Uhuru wa Maonyesho (SOGI). "Hii ni hatua kubwa kuelekea kulinda wanachama wa jamii ya LGBTQ+ dhidi ya ubaguzi, lakini sio hapa tunapoishia.""" Wakati Bunge la Wawakilishi lilipopiga kura ya kura ya kura ya kura ya kura ya kura ya kura ya kura ya kura ya kura ya kura ya kura ya kura ya kura ya kura ya kura ya kura ya kura ya kura ya kura ya kura ya kura ya kura ya kura ya seneti. "Katika hotuba yake ya mwaka jana, Seneta Risa Hontiveros, msaidizi mkubwa wa haki za wanawake na LGBTQ+ alitangaza, ""Tunaandamana kwa ajili ya wale ambao hawawezi.""" """Wapenzi, upendo ni sarafu ya mapambano yetu, na hadi watu binafsi na taasisi zitakapotambua kwamba jamii ya LGBTQ+ inapaswa kuwa na haki sawa na zile za watu wa jinsia tofauti, kama ilivyoainishwa katika sheria, tutaendelea na maandamano, hasa kwa wale ambao hawawezi." Maandamano ya Pride ni ya kwanza kufanyika nchini Marekani tangu mwaka 1994. Sherehe za leo za Mwezi wa Kiburi zinaonyesha uhuru mpya wa kupigania haki sawa. Uhuru wa kupenda mtu yeyote atakayemchagua bila kusulubiwa. Kama kawaida, Pride ya 2018 hufanyika mwezi Juni, na Metro Manila Pride inapanga matukio kadhaa ikiwa ni pamoja na #AllFamiliesDay na #PrideSpeaks. "Tema ya maandamano ya Pride ya mwaka huu ni ""Kujitokeza Pamoja,"" kampeni ambayo inatoa wito kwa umoja thabiti zaidi kati ya watetezi, kuchangia mabadiliko ya maana zaidi, ya muda mrefu." Jumamosi iliyopita, serikali ya Jiji la Marikina ilialika Metro Manila Pride kujiunga nao wakati waligeuza Kituo cha Michezo cha Marikina kuwa upinde wa mvua! Ilang araw na lang, mga Mahal... msisimko na ba kayo? Damang-dama na ang lab lab kama tunavyo #RiseUpTogether mnamo Juni 30! "Manifesto ya Pride ya Metro Manila (MTA) ya Juni 25, 2018 katika kituo cha michezo cha Marikina, Manila, ilifanyika kwa ajili ya ""Mwezi wa Pride.""" Kuleta marafiki wako mashoga, washirika wa moja kwa moja, familia yako, na mpenzi wako. Machi ya Pride ya mwaka huu itatumika kama nafasi ambapo tunaweza kuzungumza juu ya masuala ambayo yanaathiri jamii, na bila shaka, kujieleza bila uhifadhi. Unaitikiaje? Pinay ya ukubwa wa pinti. Mwandishi wakati wa mchana, mermaid wakati wa usiku. Anapenda kahawa, tembo, na harufu ya vitabu vya zamani. Mama wa kambo wa Churro, Laya, Alab, Chelsea, na Ivory, ambao wote wana miguu minne.