LOVELABAN sa Diliman: Pride Lights UP Campus
Last Saturday, UP Diliman buzzed with the electric pulse of rainbow flags and stories. “LOVELABAN sa Diliman” wasn’t just a Pride festival, it was an incandescent declaration of hope, joy, and solidarity. As the sun dipped behind acacia trees, campus walkways became rivers of color, alive with the laughter and cheers of thousands. This was the third time the community and its allies gathered, making the annual march not only a protest but a party, not just a movement but a homecoming ABS-CBN News.
Pride at every turn
From the very start, the energy was fierce but gentle. The Pride Expo offered everything from advocacy workshops to active art stalls, while the Pride Villages across Quezon City shimmered as sanctuaries where every identity could shine and every story was safe PIA. Organizers, Quezon City government, UP Diliman, and Pride PH Coalition, personally pledged that safety, security, and mental health support would never be compromised. Rainbow umbrellas bobbed above a crowd that sang and danced, their collective noise a joyful disruption of silence and stigma. “This is our home. We welcome Pride PH and the entire LGBTQIA+ community,” said UP Chancellor Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II, affirming the campus as a haven.
Marching for love and rights
Participants know Pride isn’t just a once-a-year affair, it’s fueled by everyday courage. And on Saturday, courage stepped front and center. Marchers raised placards demanding passage of the SOGIE Equality Bill, the longest-running yet unpassed bill in Philippine history PIA. National Convener Vince Liban declared, “Now more than ever, we need louder voices and bolder acts of resistance.”
Lights, music, and chosen families
Pride Night turned the UP Sunken Garden into a dazzling stage where drag queens, performers, and spoken word poets spilled raw emotion between sequins and spotlights. Stories of fight and kinship were stitched into every song, every dance, every laugh. Instagram feeds flooded with photos of chosen families, their arms around each other, their faces lit by honesty and celebration Instagram. As an attendee posted, “Had a blast photographing lovely people at the event.”
The promise of more light
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, ever the staunch ally, promised continued action: “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 vow…to advance inclusive initiatives and promote equal opportunities for as long as inequality exists and members of the community continue to face barriers in living freely” Quezon City Gov.
In every hue, there’s a heartbeat
LOVELABAN sa Diliman was more than an event; it was family found, freedoms demanded, love loudly declared. The night ended not in quiet goodbye but in a fierce promise: the lights lit on Pride will never go out.
Got your own Pride story from Diliman? Share your memories in the comments below and let’s keep the light burning!
