Tag: gay philippines

Rainbow Defenders

Outrage Magazine launched Bahaghari Media Awards to give recognition to media personalities whose works not only highlight the real plight of LGBTQI Filipinos, but – by doing so – help in the struggle for equal rights. As a move to give recognition to people who assist in the struggle for equal rights by lesbian, gay,… Read more »

Philippines: Lawmaker files bill for LGBT desks in police stations to combat anti-gay killings

A Philippines Congresswoman has filed a bill seeking to reform police responsibility to anti-gay hate crimes by placing LGBT desks in every police station. The bill comes as an amendment to the Philippine National Police Reform and Reorganisation Act of 1998, which placed desks in police stations to handle crimes against women and children. Congresswoman… Read more »

Persecuted gay immigrant allowed to stay in US

San Francisco — Federal judges have permitted a gay Filipino immigrant to stay in the U.S. despite deportation orders because he has suffered persecution for his sexual orientation in his native land. In a decision issued Wednesday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said 37-year-old Dennis Vitug was harassed and threatened… Read more »

Baguio LGBT Pride Parade in Philippines goes ahead in a cyclone

Participants in the 7th annual Baguio City Pride Parade marched despite rain and cyclonic weather Marchers in the 2013 Baguio City Pride March Not even a cyclone put the dampers on participants in the annual Baguio City Pride Parade. Participants march despite rain being dumped on the city by a weather event termed Severe Tropical… Read more »

World’s only LGBT party launches election campaign

The Philippines’ Ladlad launch a campaign to win a seat in congress in the May election The world’s only political party solely dedicated to LGBT issues, Ladlad in the Philippines, launched its election campaign yesterday. The first day of campaigning started with a blessing at 7am from Rev Ceejay Agbayani from LGBTS community church and… Read more »

Oldest Pride in Asia sees 1,500 march in Manila

Groups demand that congress pass the Anti-Discrimination Bill to protect the rights of LGBT people 1,500 people marched for LGBT rights in Manila on Saturday at the 18th Metro Manila Pride parade in the Philippines’ capital. The primary demand of the dozens of advocacy groups was for congress to pass the Anti-Discrimination Bill. ‘After eighteen… Read more »

Dying of fear in the Philippines

After seeing too many of their friends die of Aids before even taking an HIV test, a group of gay men in Manila formed Love Yourself to educate their peers that they have nothing to fear but fear itself HIV among gay men in the Philippines is spreading rapidly, but in an age when the… Read more »

Filipina trans wins Miss International Queen beauty pageant

Kevin Balot, 21, says she hopes winning the transgender contest will make her dad finally accept her A transgender woman from the Phillipines has been crowned Miss International Queen 2012. Kevin Balot beat 21 finalists from 15 countries to be named this year’s winner of the annual trans beauty pageant in Pattaya, Thailand. Balot, who… Read more »

Transgender beauty pageant crown awarded to Miss Philippines

The finals of the 2012 Miss International Queen competition reached a colourful and spectacular climax in Thailand on Friday. The annual beauty pageant for transvestites and transgender males saw contestants from around the world battling for the crown. The event in Pattaya, 130 kilometres southeast of Bangkok, is fashioned after the Miss World beauty pageant… Read more »

Cebu becomes first province in the Philippines to pass anti-discrimination law

The Cebu City Council on Wednesday passed a landmark anti-discrimination ordinance on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, disability, age, health status, ethnicity and religion. The landmark ordinance will prohibit excluding, refusing or dismissing any person from public programs and services and educational institutions on the basis of disability, age, health status, sexual… Read more »

Philippines: UN Human Rights Committee identifies LGBT rights violations

Members of the UN Human Rights Committee expressed concern about reports of LGBT violations received from NGOs at the fourth periodic review of the compliance of the Philippines with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in Geneva this week. The following is a press release issued by the International Gay and Lesbian… Read more »

Philippines: UN Human Rights Committee Identifies LGBT Rights Violations

Justice Secretary Declares Interest in Moving Forward as Regional LGBT Rights Leader (Geneva)—The United Nations Human Rights Committee completed its fourth periodic review of the compliance of the Government of the Philippines with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in Geneva this week. The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC),… Read more »

Boxing champion lauds Cruz for becoming first openly gay boxer

Manila, Philippines – Puerto Rican boxing champion Miguel Cotto has commended his fellow boxer, friend and countryman Orlando Cruz for announcing that he is gay. “For many years, Orlandito and I spent time together on the national team in Puerto Rico,” Cotto said in a radio interview, as quoted by Boxing Scene. “We went to… Read more »

The ASEAN declaration – Good news or bad news?

We now know what the draft ASEAN Human Rights Declaration will say. Is it good news or bad news for LGBTI? Douglas Sanders looks at the issues. First the bad news. We are not named. In the anti-discrimination provisions there is no reference to “sexual orientation” or “gender identity” or “gender expression.” Perhaps we don’t… Read more »

Japan to take official steps in support of LGBT youths

Following in the footsteps of the United States, where the “It Gets Better” project started two years ago in order offer support to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youths thinking of suicide, a new program in Japan hopes to do the same. Fumino Sugiyama, a co-founder of the project, which loosely translates to “Connected… Read more »

New Regional Community Youth Leader And Policy Briefing Paper Announced

(Bangkok)   The Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (APCOM) has been a leader in mobilising attention and action to promote the health and human rights of men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people since 2007. Today, APCOM reaffirms its commitment to working with young MSM and transgender people by supporting… Read more »

Lady Gaga responds religious protests with emotional speech

International pop star who has met protests from Christians and Muslims during Asian tour speaks out during Manilla concert Lady Gaga’s Asian tour has been met with religious protests in Korea, the Philippines and Indonesia. At last night’s concert in Manilla she finally aired her views. ‘So many people have been protesting and it really… Read more »

Filipino father admits burning son after discovering three children were gay

A Filipino father has told police he drunkenly attacked his son after learning that three of his children were gay. The Philippine LGBT Hate Crime Watch said today that 19-year-old Edmund Padilla was left with burns and blisters after his father, Erano, attacked him with boiling water. Erano Padilla reportedly told police he attacked his… Read more »

Philippine HIV cases rose 89% in November

The number of new HIV cases in the country jumped by nearly 90 percent in November compared to the same period in 2010, a Department of Health (DOH) report said. The Philippine HIV and AIDS Registry report released last week said there were 212 new HIV cases reported in November last year, an 89-percent increase… Read more »