MAKATI CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 6, 2012) – The human rights alliance ProGay Philippines is celebrating its 18th anniversary and cited its gains in reducing social homophobia and trans-phobia, but it said many gays still complain being denied formal recognition of their rights by Congress.
Goya Candelario, ProGay spokesperson, said the Senate and House can fast track the Anti-Discrimination bill. He said the passage of the law will remove the constant censure the country receives from the United Nations Human Rights Council about the lack of a national law banning discrimination.
ProGay broke the social and cultural barriers when it led a ragtag group of gay men and lesbians down Quezon Memorial Circle in June 1994, at a time when the public insisted gays have no role in politics. It was the first gay pride march in Asia, and a few years after, ProGay was planting the seeds of gay pride festivals in Cavite, Baguio City, Davao, Pampanga, and Laguna.
Pride marches or motorcades in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, India, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, Nepal, and Vietnam followed suit, while indoor pride parties launched in Cambodia and China.
Candelario said ProGay continues to organize political groups and grassroots health organizations among unemployed transgenders, lesbians and gay youth in the country’s teeming slums where lack of access to basic education prevents them from battling discrimination, poverty, HIV, evictions, and violence.
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