Lakbay Queer: 2025 Filipinx Summit Brings Movement and Magic to California

Honey, clear your calendars and dust off those dancing shoes because the fabulous Queer Filipinx “Lakbay” Summit is sashaying back to Santa Clara University on Saturday, June 7th, from 9am to 5pm, and this year’s theme has me absolutely living! “Movement for Movements: Get Into the Groove” promises to transform intellectual discourse into a full-body experience where celebration becomes resistance and community becomes choreography.

*snaps fingers dramatically* As your resident cultural connoisseur, I’m telling you this is NOT just another conference. Since its inception in 2021, Lakbay (Tagalog for “journey”) has evolved into the premier gathering space for Queer Filipinx voices across Northern California and beyond, serving delicious consciousness-raising realness with a side of community connection.

The Rhythm of Resistance

This year’s theme brilliantly intertwines physical expression with political movement, because darlings, what’s more revolutionary than finding joy in our bodies when the world tries to police them? The summit invites attendees to “embrace movement as a physical expression of our collective joy, rage, indignation, hope, and resilience.” And honestly? I’m obsessed with this framing.

The visionaries behind Lakbay, Celeste Francisco and Daniel Lazo, conceptualized this space back in 2019 as a platform to elevate “the experiences, stories, and innovation of Queer Filipinx leaders” across the country. The word “Lakbay” itself shares linguistic roots with “Bakla” (the Filipino term for gay or “third sex”), creating a beautiful conceptual bridge between journey and identity.

What’s Serving at the Summit

Your ticket to this extravaganza includes full-day access to panels and workshops, a community courtyard featuring Queer & Filipina/x/o small businesses (support our own, people!), networking opportunities with the fierce Lakbay community, plus light breakfast and a plated lunch. Because activism requires sustenance, and we deserve to be fed in all ways!

The organizers are currently scouting for workshop facilitators and small business vendors, so if you’ve got wisdom to share or treasures to sell, slide into their DMs (or more professionally, contact them through official channels).

Why It Matters

In these politically charged times, spaces like Lakbay aren’t just important, they’re essential. As the summit organizers remind us, “You can’t do a line dance on your own.” This gathering answers both “the call to action as well as the call to community,” drawing on ancestral wisdom to cultivate abundance for our Queer Filipinx futures.

For those concerned about accessibility, scholarship applications are available, because community means making sure everyone can participate in the groove.

Mark your calendars for June 7th, my dazzling readers. This is one journey you won’t want to miss.