Building Support: Strengthening National LGBTQIA+ Affairs Body
In times of difficulty, Filipinos have a remarkable way of banding together, and this spirit is vital for our LGBTQIA+ community. Establishing a strong, national body focused on LGBTQIA+ affairs offers a crucial opportunity to transform symbolic gestures into tangible safety, dignity, and inclusion. This vision became more attainable with the introduction of Executive Order No. 51, which launched the Special Committee on LGBTQIA+ Affairs. This development marks a significant step toward ensuring our voices are not just heard, but actively listened to and acted upon. Read more
Executive Order 51 revitalizes the national Diversity and Inclusion Program and establishes a special committee dedicated to tackling discrimination against LGBTQIA+ individuals. This committee is designed not just to involve us in policy discussions but to shape policies from the ground up. While this initiative builds on the Diversity and Inclusion Program introduced in 2019, aimed at eliminating discrimination across various government sectors, it requires more than just words to be effective. It demands a commitment to empathy, accountability, and a genuine connection to grassroots realities. Learn more
From Structure to Support: Defining Strength
For this national LGBTQIA+ body to be truly effective, it must be grounded in real-life experiences. The executive order mandates that committee members be drawn from credible LGBTQIA+ organizations. This provides a crucial opportunity to ensure that a broad spectrum of our community is represented, including bakla, trans, lesbian, bisexual, queer, intersex, asexual, and nonbinary identities. Organizations like LGBT Pilipinas, which operate in 76 out of 81 provinces, demonstrate the power of extensive grassroots networks in bringing local issues to the forefront. Discover more
True strength, however, lies in action, not just intention. Despite promising executive orders, many commitments fall short in practice. LGBTQIA+ individuals, such as lesbian, bisexual, and queer women, along with older and intersex people, continue to encounter violence, stigma, and barriers to justice and essential services. A functional national body must address these gaps transparently, collaborate with agencies like DSWD, DOH, and DepEd, and ensure that there are clear timelines, adequate funding, and accountability. Find out more
Heart to Heart: Our Role in Building this Body
Dear friends, government structures alone are insufficient. A truly supportive LGBTQIA+ affairs body requires ongoing dialogue with communities, mental health and legal support hotlines, and safe spaces in educational and professional environments. It is crucial to have channels through which even a single, quiet, struggling queer individual in a distant province can be heard.
Starting small yet significantly can make a difference: engage with or support local LGBTQIA+ groups, disseminate accurate information about the new committee, and participate actively when consultations are announced. Ask questions like, “Who are you representing? How will you hear people like me?” Each inquiry, each story, contributes to the foundation of this national support system we are collectively building.
Our vision is both straightforward and profound: a Philippines where a national LGBTQIA+ affairs body is not just a bureaucratic entity in Manila but a genuine lifeline, one that reaches into our homes, schools, workplaces, and those quiet moments when reassurance is needed, reminding us that we are not alone.
