THE BRUTE force of the Manila police could never stop the LGBTQIA+ community from voicing out their cry for equality and fight against adversities.
Rather, it amplified the rage felt by the community, which has experienced a great deal of hate and discrimination from a society that fails to understand the complexity of human sexuality.
The LGBTQIA+ community celebrates “Pride Month” during the month of June and marches in protest every June 27, as a way for the community to be visibly strong, loud and queer.
The Annual Metro Manila Pride March started in 1996 when activist groups and queer activists decided to come out to the broader Philippine society and take a stand against discrimination.
On June 26 2020, the Manila police arrested 20 protesters at an LGBTQIA+ pride event in Mendiola, the historic venue of student protests. There was no clear or sensible explanation from the Manila police why they arrested the non-violent protesters.
The “Pride 20” were charged under the Public Assembly Act (1985) and the Law on Reporting of Communicable Diseases (2019), even though human rights advocates made it clear that such laws do not forbid protests and the “Pride 20” followed government health protocols of social distancing and wearing of masks.
In an opinion article, Ryan Thoreson of Human Rights Watch wrote: “Cracking down protests is an affront to the very notion of pride.”
I agree. The very essence “pride” is to finally stop injustices from happening and for our LGBTQIA+ brothers and sisters to have the basic right to peaceful protest under the law.
The University of Santo Tomas Central Student Council released a statement standing with the LGBTQIA+ in their fight for justice and inclusivity, stating that “It is now more than ever, that we need compassion for humanity.
In addition, mutual respect and engaging in healthy dialogue on concepts of sexuality is the way we can accept the complexity of our very nature as humans in a heteronormative society.
Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach, as quoted by Business Mirror columnist Charlize Legaspi, said: “Learning is always a two-way process. We listen as we understand each other’s points of view. Let me just make a stand that our friends and family in the LGBTQIA+ community have the right to take up space in our society.”
The LGBTQIA++ being a driving force of progress in humanity has a long way to go as far as their fight is concerned. But they will persevere, because pride is a protest.
