United in Advocacy

Held last September 3, 2009, the 3rd Getting-To-Know Org Heads Meeting, the biggest among the three (3) G2K Org Heads, was a success with more than 20 LGBT organizations who attended and collaborated in addressing the three (3) point agenda: Hate Crimes, Pride March, and the “We Dare, We Care” campaign. Below is the list of different organizations who went to the meeting:

Ang Ladlad Partylist
Animo Dugon Berde
EnGendeRights
GABAY
Gabriela UPD
GALANG
Ketchup Magazine
LeAP!
Manila Pride Fest
Metropolitan Community Church Quezon City
One Bacardi
OutPhilippines
Pinoy Bi Society
Project Equality
Queer Pagan Network
Rainbow Bloggers Philippines
Single Guys Online
STRAP
Task Force Pride
TeaFrosters
The Library Foundation
UP Babaylan

Hate Crimes:
Thought to be a serial killer, the different organizations decided that it’s not really a single person who is doing it, but different people who express anger to gay people since these cases where from different places in the archipelago. The recent brutal killings of gay men, and those that were documented way back four (4) years ago, were classified as hate crimes. “Pinahirapan muna bago pinatay”, as stated by Marlon Lacsamana and is the description of how they were killed. Some of the victims were found wearing only their underwear in their bathroom, meaning, there could be a possible angle of using sex as a bait in murdering the victims. You can read an article posted in Rainbow Bloggers Philippines regarding some of the cases. There is a consensus that there will be a comprehensive research on the different killings and launch a campaign against these Hate Crimes sooner or later.

Pride March:
The organization heads vowed their support to the Manila Pride March that will be held on December 5, 2009, the tentative venue is in Malate, Manila. However, there are some motions to have a possible venue such as Ayala, Makati. TFP also addressed the need for volunteers to help out in the preparation of the upcoming grand event. This year, the target is to attain more that the number of attendees compared to the previous Pride Parades.

WE DARE, WE CARE:
“We Dare, We care” is an online campaign that is being brewed by the different organizations and will address different LGBT issues such as HIV/AIDS awareness, LGBT Rights, etc. The orgs can have their own interpretation of the campaign to cater to their organizational goals but will use the same tagline to show unity with the other LGBT groups. Tentative launching is on September 26, 2009 and the venue is yet to be announced.


Moderated by Red of SGO, the meeting started at 7:30pm and was adjourned at 9:30pm. As emphasized, the organizations who attended the event are not forming an alliance. The G2K Org heads was mainly for the dialogue of different LGBT issues and possible support with the different activities of the said organizations. The next Getting-to-know Org Heads meeting will be announced and hopefully, more organizations will attend and will again have a wonderful discussion on the different advocacies for the LGBT Community in the Philippines.