May 17, 2020
Cubao, Quezon City

Yearly, every 17th of May, we are observing an event that raises awareness of LGBTQ+ Rights which is International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. And amidst of us facing this pandemic crisis , we are today celebrating the resilience of the LGBTQ+ community. However we all know that we still have a long way to go through in fighting for our rights.

This Covid 19 crisis has a great impact for most people in LGBTQ+ community in a lot of different way. Let’s start with these LGBTQ+ people living with HIV which has a real challenge to access medicines in spite of the help of volunteers from different organizations for they need to pass through checkpoints.

LGBTQ+ people work on a daily income and most of them had lost their jobs and was forced to return to their parents who most of them have not accepted and may also now be experiencing violence. Some are unable to perform work and operate their businesses and lost their sources of income, struggling where to get money for food. We also had this recent case of death of a respected professor of a famous university who had a partner for fifteen (15) years yet had to undergo great struggle and pain for recognition as next of kin just because we don’t have protection under the law.

We are fighting for our rights that is supposed to be given to us as rights but here we are asking for it just to be even a “privilege” This day is to mark those rights and a reminder to all advocates, members of LGBTQ+ Community that we will not stop from fighting for what is for equally for us.

There will be a lot of different unlikely cases and scenarios that LGBTQ+ Community must face, and regardless of whatever it is WE WILL NOT GIVE UP. WE WILL FIGHT. WE WILL WIN !!!

#LOVEWINS

#IDAHOBIT2020

Ping James HAPI Pride Ambassador