Walang Urong: Filipino Queer Creatives Make Mark in August
This August, “walang urong”, no backing down, was the spirit buzzing in Filipino queer creative circles, both in the motherland and beyond. Whether bringing bold new art into light, building community, or fearlessly celebrating identity, our LGBT+ artists proved their brilliance was never just a trend, it’s a movement, and it’s here to stay.
Queer2Queer residency: Community, creation, and courage
On August 23, the pulse of queer creativity beat loud and proud at the QUEER2QUEER residency program’s culminating show. For four weeks, this groundbreaking residency brought together 12 LGBTQ+ artists from across the archipelago, giving them space to collaborate, grow, and celebrate their stories. The result? An electrifying showcase of performance, visual art, and new media, held at the Mary Heaton venue. Audiences raved about works unpacking everyday queer joy, family, and even the revolutionary act of self-love, reminding us all that Filipino queerness is as active and layered as our own islands.
Making space, finding tribe: The power of queer art
It takes guts to carve out a space when the mainstream rarely sees you, but young creatives like Negros Occidental’s Ginoe are leading the way. As he passionately shared in a recent feature, “Queer art is not just a trend or a fad… we add to that entity every time we make queer work.” For Ginoe, exploring installation and performance art is about pushing the Filipino queer narrative further, making sure the next bakla, trans, or queer kid out there knows they belong and their stories matter. For the full interview and some fierce myth-busting about queer art “fading away,” check out this Scout Mag piece.
Brave stages: Showcasing queer excellence
August wasn’t just about galleries and residencies. Creative queer collectives also took to the stage, with a three-day performance run at the Democracy Center closing out on August 23. Artists, some out, some still finding their voice, found joy and visibility onstage, supported by allies and chosen family. As one performing artist beamed, “Look at what a happy queer tio I was/am.” For ticket details and joyful behind-the-scenes moments, visit this celebration of queer theatre.
“Let’s show up for each other. Queer art is not a phase, it’s a revolution in every brushstroke, every stage, every story.”
Doc’s Orders: Keep the pride burning
This month’s victories are reminders that your art, your story, and your pride have a place here. Whether you’re a budding creative or cheering from the sidelines: keep making noise, keep claiming space, and know that you belong. The Bayothub fam is with you, walang urong, always.
