TASK FORCE PRIDE MANILA

Rainbow Revolution: Igniting Change

27 June 2003

It has been eagerly awaited. Much talked about. Widely publicized.

Today, Task Force Pride Philippines, the official organizer of the LGBT Pride March in Manila, raises the suspense a notch higher, while putting the circulating rumors to rest.

Today, we answer the questions of the Filipino lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community about Pride 2003.

Today, we say that the LGBT community should not worry. Contrary to rumors, the annual Pride March shall push through albeit  as part of Pride Season 2003, a six-month long celebration of pride and diversity.

Of course, all these lead towards the (reloaded and revolutionized) Pride March in December.  A Pride March held in December moves it closer to key dates for Task Force Pride such as, World AIDS Day (Dec. 1), National Lesbian Day (Dec. 8) and International Human Rights Day (Dec. 10). On the other hand, it also escapes the rainy days of June (so you don't have too worry too much about salvaging those butterfly wings).

Pride Season. Way before Rep. Imee Marcos proposed an "X-Men Day" for the Filipino LGBT community, we have been holding our own celebrations. We started with a Pride Day (but that wasn't enough), and then expanded it to the June Pride month. But then again, the days of June proved insufficient.

Thus, for this year we launch Pride Season 2003. An intense season brimming with diverse activities, such as art exhibits, public fora, spiritual retreats, film showings, sports events, concerts, and community parties. We urge everyone to be part of these activities as we celebrate diverse expressions of responsible sexuality.

Appropriately, we hold Pride Season 2003 with the theme, Rainbow Revolution: Igniting Change.

Rainbow Revolution. By any means, we don't mean armed struggle (we're too glamorous for that!). Rather, Task Force Pride seeks to revolutionize our way of thinking, how Filipinos see the gay and lesbian community and how we understand their lives and relationships.

Through the various events initiated by Task Force Pride, we seek to raise the visibility of the Filipino gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. Again, we use the rainbow as a metaphor to symbolize the diversity within the LGBT community - as opposed to the bland stereotypes that continue to be perpetuated by bias and prejudice.

Igniting Change. Beyond highlighting the modifications we have made in our Pride celebration, the theme emphasizes that Task Force Pride is geared towards societal change.  It pushes for the recognition of gay and lesbian rights that transcends rhetoric and respect for the Filipino LGBT community that goes beyond mere tokenism.

With Pride Season 2003, we affirm that a day is not enough to celebrate our identities and recognize that change is a long and continuous process that can only begin with acceptance and open-mindedness.

Let us proud be of ourselves, let us rev up for the Pride March in December! 

Task Force Pride Philippines is the official organizer of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride March and other Pride-related activities in Metro Manila.

It is a network of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) organizations and LGBT-friendly groups committed to promoting respect for the diverse expressions of responsible sexuality, and the recognition of the right of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders to a dignified life without discrimination and prejudice.

For further inquiries, please write to tfpmanila@yahoo.com or visit the Task Force Pride website at <http://www.pridemanila.cjb.net>.

Click here for pictures of the Pride Season 2003 Launch.