GALANG as a member organization of LAGABLAB, a network of Filipino LGBTQ organizations, individuals, and allies that seek to advance and protect the human rights and basic freedoms of the Filipino LGBT community with special focus on legislation and policy-making, commemorates this year’s Pride Month with Hope. Here’s LAGABLAB’s statement for Pride Month 2017:

LAGABLAB Network commemorates Pride Month this year with the hope that the current state of violence in our country will end soon. Violence and bigotry marked the resistance of our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) sisters and brothers during the 1969 Stonewall Riots, often celebrated as the birth of the struggle for LGBT rights. As a community that has historically been victimized by brutality, we condemn all forms of violence for whatever end.

Violence against women is rooted in misogyny that is being normalized by acts and utterances of people in positions of power. All of us are devalued when women–our partners, mothers, sisters, daughters, and friends–are devalued, and we will not rest until this rising tide of misogyny and impunity is stopped.

LAGABLAB looks forward to the day when the much-needed Anti-Discrimination Bill (ADB) is finally passed into law. We remain optimistic that despite efforts of some lawmakers to derail this important legislation, our tireless champions in both houses of Congress will continue to push back as they have consistently and fearlessly done in fighting for human rights.

In this year’s Metro Manila Pride March on June 24, we will once again conquer the streets with our LGBT family because there is hope and strength when we are together. LAGABLAB believes that together the Filipino LGBT community will hurdle the challenges in our country’s darkest hours.