“MakiBeki. Huwag Mashokot” is the gay lingo for the activist slogan “Makibaka. Huwag Matakot” that reverberated during this this year’s Pride March and Festival last June 28,2025 held at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman in Quezon City.
Not even the heavy rains could dampen the spirit of celebration as the campus was streaked with rainbow colors for the third edition of Lov3Laban and the 30th Pride March in Metro Manila.
Pride Month commemorates the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan, New York where individuals protested against police harassment and persecution commonly experienced by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) community.
The first Metro Manila Pride was held in 1996 with 30 organizations in attendance.
The event is part of the campaign for the passage of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (SOGIE), Equality Bill, or the Anti-Discrimination Bill (ADB).
It is a series of House and Senate bills that were introduced in the 17th, 18th, and 19th Congress which aims to set into law measures to prevent various economic and public accommodation-related acts of discrimination against people based on their SOGIE.
The bill lists the practices to be considered discriminatory and unlawful, which include the denial of rights to LGBTQ+ community on the basis of their SOGIE, such as their right to access public services, right to use establishments and services including housing, and right to apply for a professional license, among others.
The bill also deems as discriminatory the differential treatment of an employee or anyone engaged to render services, denial of admission to or expulsion from an educational institution, refusal or revocation of accreditation to any organization due to an individual’s SOGIE.
The act of forcing any person to undertake any medical or psychological examination to alter his SOGIE, the publication of information intending to “out” a person without his or her consent, public speech meant to vilify LGBTQ+, the harassment and coercion of the latter by anyone especially those involved in law enforcement, and gender profiling will also be penalized.
Participants carried banners with varied messages: “Pride is a protest”, ”Stop the Attacks,” Pride not Prejudice.” , “ Don’t hide your pride,”” Pride keeps people alive,” “Lahat ay pantay, Lahat ay Mahalaga,”
UP Chancellor Dr. Edgardo Carlo Vistan II expressed pride in the university’s role in the movement.
“This reflects our commitment in creating mechanism for advancing knowledge in this field and advocating for and protesting the rights of our community and others regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression,” he said in a video message.
An Iska herself, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said the partnership underscores the city’s long-standing commitment to inclusivity: “For years, QC has stood as a proud ally of the LGBTQIA+ community—not merely in words but through concrete policies and programs that truly champion gender equality. We are happy to host this festival once again as a testament to our support for the community’s fight for equal rights and celebration of their love and identities.”
“Social change is built on countless acts of courage—on the willingness to listen, to learn, and to stand up for what is right. It is strengthened by the visibility of LGBTQIA+ people who refuse to be silenced, and by allies who use their voices to advocate for inclusion and love,” UN Philippines Resident Coordinator Arnaud Peralsaid in a speech.
Akbayan Partylist representative Perci Cendaña holds the historical distinction of being the first openly gay chairperson of the UP Diliman University Student Council in the mid 1990s. He was part of UP’s LGBT group Babaylan, UP SAMASA, and was also a former head of the National Youth Commission.
“Don’t let the ‘agents of hate’ try to block the SOGIESC Equality Bill. Let’s put it to a vote to find out who is pro-discrimination and pro-equality. For the pro-discrimination legislators, it’s time to come out of your closets,” Cendaña said.
From the first time UP Babaylan members marched in the 1993 Lantern Parade to the present, UP has long provided a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community. UP’s website states: “Aware that UP students, staff, and faculty remain vulnerable to instances of discrimination, ostracism, harassment, and violence inside and outside the campus gates, including experiences of grappling with mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression, the university consistently exerts efforts to create a caring and safe space that promotes inclusion, diversity, and individual.
(Peyups is the moniker of the University of the Philippines. Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the Seafarers’ Division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan Law Offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 09175025808.)
