The 25-year protest in Manila continues to grow . . .
A quarter century’s worth of LGBTQIA+ human rights activism was on full display in the Philippines amid a rainbow sea of more than 70,000 people participating in the Metro Manila Pride March in late June. Inspired by the then-25th anniversary of the Stonewall Inn protests, 60 activists gathered in 1994 to bring the same rights movement to their own country – and at Manila Pride’s own 25th, the results speak for themselves. That the organizers had to shut down the march due to the large volume of participants speaks to the strength of the Philippines’ lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and asexual community.
A time of renewed activism, and renewed need . . .
Despite the large turnout for this year’s pride protest, significant issues remain: while President Rodrigo Duterte’s use of homophobic slurs has attracted the most international coverage, gender-based violence and discrimination is still prevalent, and institutional change in the predominantly Catholic country is slow. A bill to tackle these challenges recently died in the Senate after two years of work, a small delay compared to an LGBTQ+ rights bill’s decades-long struggle to pass. Other ‘progressive’ bills to decriminalize divorce, abortion, and same-sex marriage have hit similar walls.
Canada an active ally . . .
Canada has been an active partner across Southeast Asia on LGBTQIA+ human rights, with Canadian missions being specifically tasked and given resources to defend and promote local LGBTQIA+ rights by working alongside civil society organizations, allies, and governments. APF Canada research on the subject reveals just how Canadian initiatives work to achieve this goal, “showcasing Canada’s laws and policies; bringing Canadian experts to share knowledge with local activists; providing training initiatives to support local civil society organizations; and, promoting acceptance, tolerance, and LGBTQ participation in political and economic spheres.”