huling hirit ng pride weekend

ay, masaya itey! kitakits sa lovapalooza! tsup tsup! i am so there! taralets!

pride+passion:

The 2007 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT)
Pride March Post Parade Party
(featuring The Great LGBT Kiss Fest)
December 15, 2007, Saturday, 10 pm, Government Bar, Makati City

The Post Parade Party

Every year, Task Force Pride (TFP), the official network that sponsors the annual pride parade in Manila holds an official after-party to celebrate the success of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Pride March.

This year’s post-parade party, which will be held on December 15, 2007, Saturday at 10 pm at Government Bar in Makati, as in the previous years, aims not only to give members of TFP, its volunteers and all those who supported the Pride March a chance to meet each other and have fun but also to showcase the achievements of TFP and its organizational and individual members to encourage greater participation from the LGBT community here and abroad.

The Great LGBT Kiss Fest (a.k.a. Our Own Version of ‘Lovapalooza’)

On September 1, 2007, almost 7000 couples in Tuzla , Bosnia kissed for 10 seconds thereby breaking the previous Guinness World Kissing Records set by Hungary and the Philippines .

In June this year, 6614 couples gathered in Hungary for synchronized osculation beating the February event in Manila dubbed Lovapalooza with its tally of 6124 couples.

Up to now it is not clear whether LGBT couples were allowed to participate in the Manila kiss fest. Some say they were not. Others say they were, but were not counted.

To put matters to rest, this Saturday we will be holding The Great LGBT Kiss Fest! This community kiss-in aims to gather the largest number of LGBT couples to kiss for 10 seconds as a culminating activity to this year’s Manila pride celebrations. The kiss fest is our community’s way of celebrating LGBT love and will be our greatest show of pride and passion for the LGBT cause.

Gates open at 10 pm for on site registration followed by a short program featuring various performances to entertain the crowd prior to the kiss fest.

MECHANICS

ATTIRE: Please wear something pink (or any of its versions) to be allowed to enter the Kissing Area in Government.

ELIGIBILITY: To join the kiss fest, you and your partner have to be an adult under Philippine law (i.e., you must be 18 years old and above). To prove that you are of legal age, kindly bring any of the following: an ID that shows your birth date (e.g., driver’s license, etc.), an ID and/or a copy of your birth certificate.

BEFORE THE EVENT: To ensure participation, member organizations of TFP including its partners will pre-register couples from now until December 14, 2007, Friday. TFP members are encouraged to pledge a minimum number of couples for the event.

DURING THE EVENT: On-site registration starts at 10 pm at the TFP Booth in front of Government. A separate sign-up sheet for those who want to join TFP will also be available.

WHY KISS IN: Every year we celebrate pride but tend to forget that what we are, in fact, celebrating is love: love for ourselves, our dignity and rights and love for our significant others who are at the core of our LGBT identities. And of course, we’re just really looking for an excuse to kiss in public!

So let’s celebrate LGBT love! Pucker up and come to The Great LGBT Kiss Fest! (If you are single, find a willing partner or friend and join the kiss in!)

See you there!


at ito pa! noon ko pa gusto jumoin pero wala ako kakampi hehe.

bloomingdames got pride

this is not the first time this year that i heard that term applied to me: blooming. blooming flower? i hope so. blooming idiot? hehe i hope not. although that's what i used to fire back when someone kids that i am blooming daw. sige na nga.

when my friend froggy dropped by my office some months ago, she told me that i looked different from when she saw me last, here in the office, same spot, about early this year. she said before, i looked harassed or heavy, in spirit and aura, i guess. but as she said, i look different now, happier, lighter, blooming. maaliwalas kumbaga.

then another friend, lia, told me earlier that i actually look blooming nga. so to reaffirm what i have been hearing lately, yes, indeed, blooming nga siguro ang lola niyo.

it takes a while for me to be in this state of mind and heart, especially my soul. malaki rin ang nalampasan kong kabigatan nitong mga nakaraang taon in getting over my former relationships, i guess. took a while, super, kaya nga matagal akong single. single but not looking. masaya naman ang state na ganoon. i'm not the kind of person na mamamatay kapag walang syota. i'm not bridget jones. o kaya yung kind na parang di makahinga kung walang ka-date. hindi rin ako girl crazy, girl addict or girl-driven. di ko alam bakit ang ibang tao e hindi kumpleto ang sarili kapag walang partner. napaka-clingy. ayoko ng ganun. hindi ako ganun. but unfortunately, yung huli kong jowa e medyo ganun, kaya nga distancia amiga ako sa kanya dahil sa kabigatan lang ng hatak niya. mahirap magkaroon ng jowa na high maintenance na self-absorbed. never more.

i'm just lucky now because i'm in a new relationship with someone who makes me bloom. for the first time kasi, nagkaroon ako ng girlfriend na out. as in, super duper out. first time magka-hhww in public, peck on the cheek or lips, hugs, the works, man. as in, lantad. at iba pala talaga ang pakiramdam. sobrang nakaka-reaffirm ng advocacy. walang praning, walang guwardiyadong galaw, walang pangamba. nagtataka nga yung isa kong friend dati, si roselle, kung saan daw ako nakakakuha ng energy na mag-keep ng relationship na closeted gayung ako mismo e hindi closeted na tao. kasi naman, lahat yata ng relasyon ko e nasubaybayan niya, at kloseta lahat ang drama. hm, ako rin nagtaka. bakit nga ba? saan nga ba? kaya siguro madalas nauubusan ako ng energy reserves sa aspetong ito, kasi hinihila ng black hole ng closet ng mga klosetang partner ang energies ko, creativity, and everything else. well, never more.

kaya siguro mas ginanahan ako sa pagsali sa task force pride this year. kasi for the first time, walang jowang magbabawal sa akin na magmartsa o makisama sa pag-oorganisa. walang jowang magbabawal sa akin na lumabas at magsalita sa media dahil baka makita ng mga nanay nila ang mukha ko at magtaka. walang jowang hahayaan lang akong magmartsa kasi "org activity" lamang ito at "requirement" lang.

for the first time, nagkaroon ako ng kasama sa pagmartsa sa lgbt pride march na alam ang kaibuturan ng dahilan ng pagmamartsa ng daan-daang bakla, lesbyana, trans at bi sa pilipinas/maynila. for the first time, kasama kong nakimartsa ang kasama ko sa buhay. at for the first time, nagmartsa siya na walang kiyeme at takip sa mukha, dahil alam niya kung para saan ang paglaladlad, paglalahad at paglalakad na iyon.

oh yes, we got pride. indeed. lots. and more to come!

and to quote dranreb in a long long ago interview with boy abunda:

B: are you gay?
D: i'm very happy.

oh yeah, i'm very happy, too. indeed. happy to be gay! :)

everything pride march - come on let's join us! hehe

to quote jodie foster my love--who by the way is just inches away from coming out yeheeeeeeeeeeeey--in the sci-fi film CONTACT: "WE'RE GOOD TO GO! I'M GOOD TO GO!"

good to go na ang LESBIAN GAY BISEXUAL TRANSGENDER PRIDE MARCH 2007. bukas na ito, sabado, december 8 (birthday ni mama mary at national lesbian day sa pilipinas). mangyayari ito sa malate, rajah sulayman park in front of malate church.

check out the route:

ayus to!

bilang miyembro ng task force pride organizing network, naatasan akong magbitbit ng tfp banner, so nasa unahan ang byuti ng lola niyo.

pero bilang kasapi rin ng biggest all-women contingent bukas, nakadamit puti ako at blue bandanna kasama ang dose-dosenang byanakers sa patch ng earth na ito bukas.

eto yung final edit longer version ng Pride9 video na chinorva ko. nakapaloob na rin yun shorter version diyan.

ilang paalala mula sa ating mga kaibigang magmamartsa:

Tomorrow’s the big day. Please don’t forget the following:

• Bring your Lola’s colorful, vibrant, and humungous umbrellas. A little trivia – one of the reasons why the Pride March was moved from June to December is to avoid the rainy season (the main reason is that we want it to be part of the December commemoration of the human rights week). But it never fails to rain during our parade, so if you’re not really after that wet look, bring umbrellas.

• Bring your friends, LGBT or not. The march is an inclusive expression of diversity and solidarity. The more, the manyer, the happier! Don’t forget to register, and ask for assistance should you wish to take part in a contingent. There will be marshals during the parade to assist you.

• Make sure that you would feel comfortable during the march. Check the route of the March. Wear comfortable clothes. While it is your choice to wear high heels, please remember that a true beauty queen understands that the price of beauty is poverty and a little suffering. As for your hairdo, consider a friend’s motto: the higher the hair, the closer to God.

• The media will be there. While we need their help to convey our message to a broader audience, please remember that journalists have the obligation to practice ethical coverage of our event. If you don’t wish to be interviewed, SAY NO. Ask the assistance of the marshals to bring them to the designated spokespersons for the parade. If they ask you to kiss your partner but you feel you don't want to, then DON'T DO IT! It's your prerogative. Use your better judgment!

• There will be a cultural program after the Pride March. We have performances for you, from poetry reading to drag shows. There also post-parade activities: A Pride Mass organized by the Metropolitan Community Church Philippines on December 9, 2007 at 5 PM. Club Government is also organizing the official post-parade party on December 15, 2007. The Ms. U! Bowling Pageant, which is regularly organized by TLF Share Collective (and its non-profit partner, the Bowlibining Charities), will take place on December 16, 2007. More details at www.pridemanila.wordpress.com/events.

eto ang mga official prs.

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LET THE WOMAN-LOVING WOMAN’S VOICE BE HEARD!
JOIN US MAKE HERSTORY!

“The woman-loving woman’s voice must be heard. We must claim our place in the LGBT community, yet ensure that our unique voice as women is heard loud and clear”, said Angie Umbac, President of the Rainbow Rights Project (R-Rights), Inc., when asked why her organization is spearheading the mobilization of the biggest all-women contingent in the 2007 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride March. “We are doing this to define and claim the space for lesbian, bisexual, and queer women in the Philippines”, she added. R-Rights is a group of LGBT lawyers and legal advocates that provides a legal resource center and policy think tank for the LGBT community.

R-Rights is joined by Radar Pridewear, Lunduyan ng Sining, and the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines (UUCP) in this massive effort to organize as many women as possible to march in Malate, Manila on December 8, 2007. The group would like to have the widest representation of lesbian and women’s organizations in the march. Close to eighty women are set to march in support of the fight for visibility and empowerment. They will be joined by straight supporters who recognize the struggles of the woman-loving women community in the country.

“We, at Lunduyan, would like to see gay women represented in all facets of society. It is high time that lesbian, bisexual, and queer women become visible not as sexual deviants but as positive role models for today’s youth”, explained Peach Natividad, Core Member of Lunduyan ng Sining (Sanctuary of Art), a group of young and active woman-loving women that believes in the artistic ability and beautiful vision of lesbians.

According to Rebie Ramoso, Proprietor of Radar Pridewear, “We must remember that December 8 is National Lesbian Day, and it is only fitting that we celebrate this day with a tribute to our identity as woman-loving women. We are also one with Task Force Pride’s theme for this year’s pride march, `Got Pride!’ Lesbian, bisexual, and queer women will be marching with pride not only for their individual achievements in their respective fields, but more importantly, for our collective milestones as an invaluable sector in society.” Radar Pridewear is the first alternative lifestyle line for women in the Philippines.

“The Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines will be marching with the theme, `UU Supports LGBTs!’”, explained Tet Gallardo, an active member of UUCP Quezon City. UUCP is a progressive, inclusive, non-dogmatic religious tradition with roots in liberal Christianity. The religious group is an avowed supporter and advocate of LGBT rights worldwide.

Interested parties may contact the organizers at 0917 8870501. Participants are requested to wear plain or predominantly white shirts to the march. Masks will be provided for those who are not out and do not wish to be identified.

Be part of herstory! Join the all-women contingent this Saturday!


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Pinoys got pride, not prejudice:
LGBT Pride March gets bolder and prouder in 2007

The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community will, once again, show off their pride and diversity at the annual LGBT Pride March.

This colorful event will be on December 8, 2007 in Manila’s monumental gay-friendly Malate area. Assembly time is at 3 p.m. at the Rajah Sulayman Park (near Malate Church, facing Baywalk). The parade will go around designated Malate streets and will end up at the Rajah Sulayman stage area where a brief cultural program will be held.

This year’s Pride March theme is “Got Pride!” It is a statement that every proud LGBT person states when asked of their identity – the emboldened decision, passion, and dedication to identify as a person who is true to his or her self, no matter how hard the struggles may be which come with that identity.

LGBTs always get questioned—or worse, harmed and maligned—because of these identities. Prejudice like homophobia and discrimination is very much alive whether in the families or workplace. But pride overrules prejudice any given day. Pride in being, and pride in loving: loving personas that defy societal expectations and norms, and loving one’s self for staying true to their character and principles. Pride is not about being different from the rest of society; it is about happily living and loving within a peaceful society.

The statement could also be a question: “Got Pride?” Stated as such, it becomes a question that is larger than all of us. It is a call to provoke Filipinos, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity, to look beyond stereotypes and understand that pride is inherent in all of us. Pride is an extension of our dignity, and it should evoke honor in who we are.

The Pride March is organized by Task Force Pride (TFP) Philippines, a network of LGBT and LGBT-friendly groups and individuals that seek to promote positive visibility for the LGBT community. Founded in 1999, it is the official organizing network of the annual Pride March. Its member organizations include AKBAYAN Party-list, Ang Ladlad Party-list, TLF SHARE Collective, Inc., U.P. Babaylan, STRAP Philippines, Lesbian Advocates of the Philippines (LeAP!), Womyn Supporting Womyn Center (WSWC), Metropolitan Community Church Manila (MCC) and individuals.

This year’s Pride March partners and sponsors are EZ Lubricating Jelly, Frenzy Condoms, Palawan Bar, Radar Pridewear, Wise Inc., and Government Bar.

For more information, please contact any of the following TFP members:

Eva Callueng (0919 464 1186); Ging Cristobal (0926 684 3831)

Email: tfpmanila@yahoo.com, Website: www.pridemanila.wordpress.com

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Dignidad, 'di diskriminasyon:
LGBT Pride March mas matapang, mas makabuluhan sa 2007

Muli na namang magpapakita ng kinang, sining at galing ang lesbian, gay, bisexual at transgender (LGBT) community sa taunang LGBT Pride March.

Ang magarbo at makulay na paradang ito ay magaganap sa December 8, 2007, Sabado, sa gay-friendly Malate sa Maynila. Ang pagtitipun-tipon ay magsisimula ng 3 p.m. sa Rajah Sulayman Park (malapit sa Malate Church, harap ng Baywalk). Mula roon, dadaan ang parada sa designated routes at muling hahantong sa Rajah Sulayman stage area kung saan isang masayang programa ang magaganap.

Ang tema ng Pride March 2007 ay “Got Pride!” isang deklarasyon ng pagkatao ng bawa’t miyembro ng LGBT community, isang matibay na pagkilala sa karapatan. Isa rin itong paninindigan sa pagkakaroon ng tapat at makataong pagkilala, kahit kaakibat nito ay mga pagsubok sa iba’t ibang larangan.

Ang mga bakla, lesbiyana, bisexual at transgender ay laging kinukuwestiyon ang pagkatao, kung di man inaalipusta o sinasaktan. Iba’t ibang mukha ng diskriminasyon ang kanilang nakakasalamuha sa pang-araw-araw na buhay. Pero laging taob ang diskriminasyon sa dignidad sa anupamang pagsubok -- dignidad sa pamumuhay ng tama, pagmamahal ng tapat, at pakikipagsapalaran ng makabuluhan. Ang pagkakaroon ng “pride” ay pagkakaroon ng siguradong estado at desisyon sa pamumuhay ng mapayapa kasama ang buong lipunan.

Puwede ring maging katanungan ang “Got Pride?” Isa naman itong paghamon sa ating lahat. Isa itong panawagan sa bawa’t Filipino, anupaman ang sexual orientation o gender identity, na lampasan ang pagtingin sa stereotypes, intindihin at unawain na tayong lahat ay dapat mamuhay nang may dignidad. Ang pamumuhay ng may pride at may dignidad ay pamumuhay ng tapat at malaya.

Ang Pride March ay inoorganisa ng Task Force Pride (TFP) Philippines, isang network ng LGBT at LGBT-friendly groups at mga indibidwal na layuning isulong ang positibong imahe ng LGBT community. Itinaguyod noong 1999, ito ang opisyal na organizing network ng taunang Pride March. Ang mga miyembrong organisasyon nito ay AKBAYAN Party-list, Ang Ladlad Party-list, TLF SHARE Collective, Inc., U.P. Babaylan, STRAP Philippines. Lesbian Advocates of the Philippines (LeAP!), Womyn Supporting Womyn Center (WSWC), Metropolitan Community Church Manila (MCC) at mga indibidwal.

Ang Pride March 2007 partners at sponsors ay EZ Lubricating Jelly, Frenzy Condoms, Palawan Bar, Radar Pridewear, Wise Inc., at Government Bar.

Para sa karagdagang impormasyon, kontakin ang sumusunod:

Eva Callueng (0919 464 1186); Ging Cristobal (0926 684 3831);

Email: tfpmanila@yahoo.com Website: www.pridemanila.wordpress.com.

kapwa guro at manunulat

two teachers passed away today. one was monico atienza. the other one was rene villanueva. got texts from friends at KAL.

sad naman. sad lagi kapag may namamatay na manunulat o guro. dalawa ito sa trabahong laging inaalipusta sa mundo, kahit saan ka man magpunta. hitik sa intriga at korapsyon din ang dalawang trabahong ito, pero hitik rin sa mga magagandang damdamin na nakakataba ng puso, lalo na't kung ang produkto ng dalawang trabaho ay may naitutulong sa mundo -- produktong naisulat, at produktong naituro sa mga estudyante, o mga estudyante mismo.

sad kasi itong dalawang trabaho ang trabaho ko noon, at hanggang ngayon. pero mas nauna bilang manunulat. at bilang manunulat na nakilala na rin sa larangan ng pagsusulat ng children's literature and young adult literature ngayon, nasa-sad ako sa kawalan kay rene. inaasahan ko nga sana noon sa barlaya workshop n adarna house na isa siya sa speaker para finally makikilala ko na siya, pero wala siya sa line-up bilang children's lit ang forte niya, at bilang young adult lit ang workshop na iyon.

hindi kami formally nag-meet pero lagi kaming magkasama sa maraming functions, mostly writers' functions. minsan na kaming napakilala sa isa't isa pero siyempre ang tulad niyang marami nang nakakasalamuha e makakalimot ng tulad ko kung di naman din malalim ang pagkakakilala namin sa isa't isa. pero ayos lang yun. tanga ko lang at nahiya akong magpa-awtograp sa kanya nung isang UP Press booklaunch ng apat na dula niya sa sekswalidad or something like that. yun yung libro niyang binili ko, dahil hinahangaan ko siya bilang playwright din.

saka sino ba naman ang makakalimot sa batibot? siya ang dahilan kung bakit meron nun. oo nga't parang local sesame street siya, pero tumatak pa rin sa mga utak namin iyon noon. malaki na ako nang mapanood ko iyon, pero aliw pa rin naman.

two months ago, nabasa ko somewhere na nagba-blog na rin siya (malamang from ian, siya ang naman ang nag-a-announce kung sinu-sinong writers na ang may blog e) kaya masugid ko siyang binabasa. kasi para akong nagfa-flashback sa mga writers workshops noon. daming napupulot na good insights from a fellow writer. saka natutuwa ako kasi honest din siyang mag-blog about being a writer, a teacher and all that. super-relate din ako sa marami niyang binabanggit about writers and teachers and our milieus, lalo na sa mga angst tungkol sa maintrigang mundo ng manunulat at sa mga estudyanteng hindi hilig mag-aral. kaya sayang...wala nang worthy writer blog na mababasa, na honest, tulad ng kanya.

rest in peace, sir.

OMG of the year

man, i just heard the latest from someone about this somebody we used to work with, someone we loathe like hell, and someone no one really respects, really.

oh man oh man oh man.

ateng, you made my year with that news bit. more to come. tara, chismisan pa tayo.

poooooooooooooootangenah.

*

this just goes to show that KARMA FREAKING WORKS! and yet again, wala akong kelangang gawin kundi ang maupo sa isang tabi kung saan ako isinantabi nang walang putanginang pakundangan, at maghintay lang--yet again--to let nature take its course, have its say, spin its way. yun na. basta.

hehehehehehehehehe.

tangina mo. v for vendetta ito. remember remember the 5th of november. the crazy countess contradicting certain crewpeople, commanding cowardly yet coy couture, counteracts current corrections and continues curtailed critiques, culminates to certain catastrophic chenelyns that crave for curtailing of crafts.

hahahaha tangina mo talagaaaaaaaaaaa!

revenge thy name is bayli. word up.

*

kung tatamaan ka nga naman ng malas, oo. kundangan kasi, di ka nakikinig sa akin. akala mo, ikaw lang ang may kilala sa media. ikaw lang ang nagsi-circulate sa media. ikaw lang ang may alam sa pagpapatakbo ng media. o, ano napala natin ngayon?

tangina ka. patay ka. kamusta sa kangkungan? bagay. bagay ka dun. bagay.

as for the other one, pakisabi ikamusta na lang niya ako kay gong li. at sana masaya siya sa mundo ng pagbabalatkayo.

i am by nature a girl...

chos.

one more week...

and thunderbirds are...go! char.

kakabitin! dapat tapos na eh. di pa nangyayari. oh well...

kaya commercial muna.

finally, natapos din yung pinaghirapang tapusing pride9 video ng tfp. expect the full version in the next couple of days or so at youtube. in the meantime, check out the preliminary teaser na ginawa namin para makaabot sa team pilipinas outgames event sa bed malate last week. it's 2something minutes lang. the longer work naman is about 8something minutes, good na rin for a bunch of talking heads chever effect. had to oversee the direction of the postprod work of this one as the prod work was out of my hands. maganda naman ang kinalabasan, thanks to rovie's cool graphics work and toni's original music. yes, naging truli lesbianic production itich. sabi nga ni pau, "i love lesbians!" hehe ako rin.

lesson learned: again, never send a het girl to do a lez girl's job. char.

seriously.

hehe. >:P

naipalabas na naman nila yung longform vid sa palawan event last friday, yung erotica fundraising party, saka sa booklaunch nina danton and neil last night ng ladlad book3. people liked the vid at the booklaunch and at palawan. masaya naman. job well done for all. :)

oh my, never did i realize na may babylon in manila na pala in the form of p2! hanef! yes, babylon, as in queer as folk's babylon mga ati! para siyang ganun. grabe. kaya i felt at home hahaha. too bad my brian kinney bracelet was out of commission to re-live the chenes hehehe. pero syempre hindi naman ako wagi sa lugar na iyon dahil honorary gay man lang ako. kulang sa necessary equipment to function. keber lang. dance dance lang kami ng mga byaningskis doon ever. sarap lang.

how i wish may ganung lugar ulit kaming women loving women, parang third dimension noon or ladida. kahit sampu sampera na ang exclusives these days, iba pa rin yung may fixture na isang lugar na pupuntahan mo na alam mong lbtqi friendly siya.


anyway, less than a week na lang at magkikita-kits na tayo sa pride march. masaya ito mga ati!