LGBT Community
The main gay rights organisations in the Philippines are University of the Philippines Babaylan UP Babaylan founded in 1992, and is the oldest and largest LGBT student organization in the Philippines, Progay-Philippines, founded in 1993, which led the first Gay March in Asia in 1994, LAGABLAB, the Lesbian and Gay Legislative Advocacy Network established in 1999, STRAP (Society of Transsexual WOMEN of the Philippines), a Manila-based support group for women of transsexual experience and transgenders established in 2002, and Philippine Forum on Sports, Culture, Sexuality and Human Rights (TEAM PILIPINAS), a non-profit organization which evolved from the Team Philippines to Sydney 2002 Gay Games and is now working to promote and strengthen human rights, sexual and gender diversity and equality and peace through research and advocacy and through organizing the participation and representation of diverse Filipino sexual orientations and gender identities in local, regional and international LGBT sporting, cultural and human rights events.
The first gay lesbian bisexual and transgender pride parade in Asia and also the Philippines was led by ProGay Philippines on 26 June 1994 at the Quezon Memorial Circle. It was attended by hundreds and the march coincided with the march against the imposition of the VAT or the value added tax imposed by the government.
Since the 1990s LGBT people have become more organized and visible, both politically and socially. There are large annual LGBT pride festivals, and several LGBT organizations which focus on the concerns of University students, women and transgender people. There is a vibrant gay scene in the Philippines with several bars, clubs and saunas in Manila as well as various gay rights organizations.
Read more about this topic: LGBT Rights In The Philippines
Famous quotes containing the word community:
“This is the only “wet” community in a wide area, and is the rendezvous of cow hands seeking to break the monotony of chuck wagon food and range life. Friday night is the “big time” for local cowboys, and consequently the calaboose is called the “Friday night jail.””
—Administration in the State of Texa, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)