By Jason B. Neola
TWO pedestrian lanes in the city were painted with bright colors like the rainbow.
The work of art was undertaken in support to the members of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersexual, and asexual plus (LGBTQIA+) who will be celebrating the Pride Month, this year.
Pride Month is celebrated annually in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots, and works to achieve equal justice and equal opportunity for LGBTQ Americans.
In the Philippines, the Pride Month is being celebrated to allow advocates from different backgrounds and constituencies to work together to promote the human rights of gender and sexual minorities.
Ex-officio City Councilor Kylie Tripulca, who represent the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation in the city council, said she endorsed the adoption of Resolution No. 2022-474 that authorizes the painting of the pedestrian lanes across the Kinastillohan Street between Plaza Rizal and Plaza Quezon.
Tripulca said the color which was painted on the pedestrian lanes will be temporary only or shall be removed immediately after the celebration of Pride Month.
She said that the painting of the lanes symbolizes the youth’s support to the LGBTQIA+ in connection with the celebration of Pride Month. The resolution was authored by Tripulca’s counterpart, City Youth Councilor Shane Bea Brazil.
The resolution said that it is provided in the 1987 Philippine Constitution that the enactment of measures that protect and enhance the right of the people to human dignity, reduce social, economic, and political inequalities and remove cultural inequities shall be given highest priority.
Another provision in the resolution said that LGBTQIA persons are entitled to the full protection of their rights under the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, and there’s an urgent need for the government to address human rights violations on the basis of Social Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression (SOGIE) such as homophobic and transphobic hate crimes in the country.
