NEWS STORY: The Atenean Millennials and the LGBTQ+ Community

The year 2019 has been an undeniably transformative year for the LGBTQ+ Community in the Philippines. Last Saturday on June 29, a culmination of the LGBTQ+ community, allies, hecklers, and protestors all came together for the annual event, Metro Manila Pride. The pride march has greatly risen by 72,000 attendees since the year 2014. Its noteworthy increase of attendees arose by 225% in 2018 with 30,000 attendees. Come this year’s Metro Manila Pride #ResistTogether, the attendance increased by 280% with 72,000 people counting not only the LGBTQ+ Community, but parents, children, and more. It is true, that each and every person has their story, and a handful of people grabbed the opportunity to freely express themselves in the event.

Ateneo Alumna, Gigi Esguerra, 22 years old, is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and passionately advocates her community’s rites. Her striking gesture, to offer yellow flowers to fellow LGBTQ+, supporters, including the protestors, was done during this year’s Metro Manila Pride March. In an interview, she spoke of sentiments about her flower offerings, “I believe that flowers were a sign of peace, tranquility, and love, and I specifically chose the color yellow because yellow is a symbol of peace, brightness, and growth. the color yellow really signifies a lot of love […] when you see the color yellow it will really inspire you to give out love.”

Another attendee, Hikaru Murakami, a fellow member of LGBTQ+ and a senior year college student in the Ateneo, has been taking part in the Metro Manila Pride since the year 2017. When she first attended the pride march, she was merely a supporter, after 2 years, she now identifies herself as a piece of the growing community advocating love, truth, and equality.

The Metro Manila Pride March has made such a great impact on individuals, organizations, and universities in the Philippines. The students of the Ateneo have made efforts in supporting the LGBTQ+ within the university. The Guidon, a student run newspaper organization in the Ateneo, released an article about the launch of Pride Week in the year 2014. “Salomon [a college student of the Ateneo] filed an online petition on September 4 to allow transgender students to appear as the gender they identify within the Ateneo yearbook; a resolution granting her request took effect on November 17.” For 5 years, the university has continued to support the LGBTQ+ community through annual Pride marches and week-long Pride celebrations. Organizations namely Dollhouse, ACOMM, and Sanggunian ng mga Paaralang Loyola ng Ateneo de Manila have formally and whole heartedly expressed their support for the LGBTQ+ community.

The growth of the LGBTQ+ community would not have risen as fast and grown as vast as it is now if it weren’t for the people’s support. It’s inspiring to hear from students that come from the same university, and also know that these efforts touch people from different walks of life. The LGBTQ+ community continues to love, to pursue, and to advocate the power of loving regardless.

Photo taken from The Guidon