As we have witnessed in yesterday’s Pride March in Manila, state forces continue to harass persons of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual characteristics (SOGIESC). It is not just a feud between the community and the police, it is a systemic problem that affects how the LGBTIQ+ community is perceived by the general public and various institutions. Police brutality, stigmatization from medical practitioners, barriers in employment, bullying in school and the workplace, abuse, and abandonment from families are a few of the forms of discrimination and violence that persons of diverse SOGIESC experience.

GALANG’s decade-long advocacy work and community organizing efforts have been rooted in the struggles of LGBTIQ+ persons for equal rights, and we will continue to catalyze the empowerment of Filipino lesbians, bisexual women, and transgender men until every person is free and equal.

Sulong! Wag Magpatinag!

#FreePride20 #SulongWagPatinag #PrideMonth2020 #YESToEquality #LoveWins #SOGIEEqualityNow #GALANGPhilippines