LGBT rights in the Philippines

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See also: LGBT in the Philippines

LGBT rights in the Philippines

Philippines

Same-sex sexual Legal

activity legal?

Military service Gays and lesbians allowed to serve since

2009

Discrimination None at the national level but many anti-

protections discrimination ordinances at the local

government units.

Family rights

Recognition of None
relationships

Restrictions: The Family Code of the

Philippines defines marriage as "a special

 contract of permanent union between a

man and a woman". The Constitution of

the Philippines does not prohibit same-

sex marriage.[1]

Adoption Yes (Step-adoption only)[2]

The Philippines is ranked as one of the most gay-friendly nations in the world, and the most LGBT
friendly in Asia.[3] The country ranked as the 10th most gay-friendly in a global survey covering 39
countries, in which only 17 had majorities acceptinghomosexuality. Titled "The Global Divide on
Homosexuality," the survey conducted by the Pew Research Center showed that 73 percent of adult
Filipinos agreed with the statement that "homosexuality should be accepted by society," up by nine
percentage points from 64 percent in 2002.[3]
In the classical era of the country, prior to Spanish occupation, the people of the states and
barangays within the archipelago accepted homosexuality. Homosexuals actually had a role of a
babaylan, or a local spiritual leader who was holder of science, arts, and literature. In the absence of
the datu of the community, the babaylans, homosexual or not, were also made as leaders of the
community. During the Islamic movements in Mindanao which started in Borneo, the homosexual
acceptance of the indigenous natives were subjugated by Islamic beliefs. Nevertheless, states and
barangays that retained their non-Islamic cultures continued to accept homosexuality. During the
Spanish colonization, the Spaniards forcefully instilled Roman Catholicism to the natives which led to
the end of acceptance of homosexuality in most of the archipelagic people. This deep Catholic roots
nationwide (and some Islamic roots in Mindanao) from the colonial era resulted in much
discrimination, oppression, and hate crimes for the LGBT community in the present time.[4][5][6][7]
The LGBT community remains as one of the country's minority sectors today. Lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender people often face disadvantages in getting hired for jobs, acquiring rights
for civil marriage, and even in starting up personal businesses. This has led to the rise of the cause
for LGBT rights, defined as the right to equality and non-discrimination.[8] As a member of the United
Nations, the Philippines is signatory to various international covenants promoting human rights.[9]

Contents
[hide]

 1History
o 1.1Precolonial Period
o 1.2Spanish-Colonial Period
o 1.3American Colonial Period
o 1.4Martial Law
o 1.51970s-1980s
o 1.61990s
o 1.7Contemporary (2000s-Present)
 2Laws affecting LGBT community
 3Religion
o 3.1Roman Catholicism
o 3.2Iglesia ni Cristo
o 3.3Islam
 4Media
 5Views
 6Economy
 7Military
 8Politics
 9Marriage and family
o 9.1Marriages by the Communist Party of the Philippines
 10Community
 11Summary table
 12References
 13External links

History[edit]
Precolonial Period[edit]
The babaylan, also called katalonan, bayoguin, bayok, agi-ngin, asog, bido and binabae depending
on the ethnic group of the region,[5] held important positions in the community. They were the spiritual
leaders of Filipino communities tasked with responsibilities pertaining to rituals, agriculture, science,
medicine, literature, and other forms of knowledge that the community needed.[10] In the absence of
a datu, the babaylan could take charge of the whole community.[5]
The role of the babaylan was mostly associated with females, but male babaylans also existed. Early
historical accounts record the existence of male babaylans that wore female clothes and took the
demeanor of a woman.[11][12] Anatomy was not the only basis for gender. Being male or female was
based primarily on occupation, appearance, actions, and sexuality. A male babaylan could partake
in romantic and sexual relations with other men without being judged by society.[5]
Precolonial society accepted gender-crossing and transvestism as part of their culture. Rituals and
trances performed by the babaylan mirrored the reunification of the opposites, the male and
female.They believed that by doing this they would be able to exhibit spiritual potency, which would
be used for healing spiritual brokenness. Outside this task, male babaylans sometimes indulged in
homosexual relations.[5]
Spanish-Colonial Period[edit]
The Spanish conquistadors introduced a predominantly patriarchal culture to precolonial Philippines.
Males were expected to demonstrate masculinity in their society, alluding to the
Spanish machismo or a strong sense of being a man.[13][14] Confession manuals made by the Spanish
friars during this period suspected that the natives were guilty of sodomy and homosexual acts.
During the 17th-18th century, Spanish administrators burned sodomites to enforce the decree made
by Pedro Hurtado Desquibel, President of the Audiencia.[5]
Datus were appointed as the district officers of the Spaniards while the babaylans were reduced to
relieving the worries of the natives. The removal of the datu system of localized governance affected
babaylanship.[5] The babaylans eventually disappeared with the colonization of the Spaniards. Issues
about sexual orientation and gender identity were not widely discussed after the Spanish
colonization.[15]
American Colonial Period[edit]
Four decades of American occupation saw the promulgation and regulation of sexuality through a
modernized mass media and a standardized academic learning. Furthered by the growing influence
of Western biomedicine, it conceived a specific sexological consciousness in which the
"homosexual" was perceived and discriminated as a pathological or sick identity. Filipino
homosexuals eventually identified to this oppressive identity and began engaging in projects of
inversion, as the disparity of homo and hetero entrenched and became increasingly salient in the
people's psychosexual logic.[16][17]
Though American colonialism brought the Western notion of "gay" and all its discontents, it also
simultaneously refunctioned to serve liberationist ends. While it stigmatized the local homosexual
identity, the same colonialism made available a discussion and thus a discursive position which
enabled the homosexualized bakla to speak.[17] It was during the neocolonial period in the 1960s that
a conceptual history of Philippine gay culture began to take form, wherein a "‘subcultural lingo’ of
urban gay men that uses elements from Tagalog, English, Spanish and Japanese, as well as
celebrities’ names and trademark brands" developed, often referred
as swardspeak, gayspeak or baklese.[18] Gay literature that were Philippine-centric also began to
emerge during this period.[19] Further developments in gay literature and academic learning saw the
first demonstrations by LGBT political activists, particularly LGBT-specific pride marches.[20]
Martial Law[edit]
During the implementation of the Martial Law, citizens were silenced by the government through the
military. People, including the LGBT community, did not have a voice during this period, and many
were harassed and tortured. At the behest of Imelda Marcos, an anti-gay book was published that
clarified the agonistic situation of gay culture at the same time that all other progressive movements
in the country was being militaristically silenced.[21] There were some homosexuals that were exiled
by Marcos in America where they joined movements advocating the rights of the LGBT
people.[22] The community responded to this through the use of several mediums, such as the 1980s
film, Manila by Night, which introduces an LGBT character in its plotline.[23] When the regime ended,
those exiled returned to the Philippines, introducing new ideas of gay and lesbian conceptions.
1970s-1980s[edit]
During the 1970s and 1980s, Filipino concepts of gay were greatly influenced by Western notions.
According to Being LGBT in Asia: The Philippines Country Report, LGBT people who are exposed to
the Western notion of being "gay" starting to have relationships with other LGBT, instead of with
heterosexual-identifying people.[24] Towards the end of the 1980s, an increase in awareness of LGBT
Filipinos occurred. In the year 1984, a number of gay plays were produced and staged.[25] The plays
that were released during the said time tackled the process of "coming out" by gay people.[25]
1990s[edit]
Based on the report made by USAID, in partnership with UNDP entitled "Being LGBT in Asia: The
Philippines Country Report", the LGBT community during the early 90s, made books that help
Filipinos become aware of the prevalence of LGBT communities like Ladlad, an anthology of
Philippine gay writing edited by Danton Remoto and J. Neil Garcia and Margarita Go-Singco
Holmes’s A Different Love: Being Gay in the Philippines in 1994 and 1993, respectively.[9] This
decade also marks the first demonstration of attendance by an organized sector of the country’s
LGBT community in the participation of a lesbian group called Lesbian Collective, as they join the
International Women’s Day march of 1992.[9] Another demonstration of attendance was made by
ProGay Philippines and MCC Philippines, led by Oscar Atadero and Fr Richard Mickley respectively,
when they organized the Pride march on 26 June 1994, that marked the first Pride-related parade
hosted by a country in Asia and the Pacific.[9] And throughout the decade, various LGBT groups were
formed such as Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) in 1991 and University of the Philippines
(UP) Babaylan in 1992 and ProGay Philippines in 1993, and according to the report, the 1990s are
the "probable maker of the emergence of the LGBT movement in the Philippines".[9] In 1998, the
Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party became the first political party to consult the LGBT community and
helped in the creation of the first LGBT lobby group, Lesbian and Gay Legislative Advocacy
Network, otherwise known as LAGABLAB, in 1999.[9] LAGABLAB was the group who proposed
revisions in the Lesbian and Gay Rights of 1999 and the filing of the Anti-Discriminations Bill (ADB)
of 2000.[9]
Contemporary (2000s-Present)[edit]
The LGBT movement has been very active in the new millennium. In the advent of the 2000s, more
LGBT organizations were formed to serve specific needs, including sexual
health (particularly HIV), psychosocial support, representation in sports events, religious and spiritual
needs, and political representation.[9] For example, the political party Ang Ladlad was founded
by Danton Remoto, a renowned LGBT advocate, last 2003.[26] The community has also shown their
advocacies through the 21st LGBT Pride March held inLuneta Park last June 27, 2015, with the
theme, "Fight For Love: Iba-Iba. Sama-Sama". This movement aims to remind the nation that the
fight for LGBT rights is a fight forhuman rights. Advocates are calling on the Philippines to recognize
the voices of people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.[27] In present time, there
remains no umbrella LGBT organization in the Philippines.[9] Therefore, organizations tend to work
independently of each other.[9] Due to these divisions, there remains no prioritization of efforts, with
organizations focusing on what they consider as important for them.[9]
In a United Nations Assembly for the establishment of an UN-backed LGBT Watch Personnel, the
Philippine permanent delegate to the UN 'abstained' from the voting. Islamic nations and some
eastern European nations voted against its establishment. Nevertheless, countries from western
Europe and the Americas with the backing of Vietnam, South Korea, and Mongolia, voted in favor for
its establishment. The LGBT Watch Personnel was established after the majority of nations in the
meeting voted in its favor.
In 2016, Geraldine Roman became the first openly transgender woman elected to Congress in the
Philippines. The Equality Champs of Congress are currently pushng for the full passage of the Anti-
Discrimination Bill after 16 years of being neglected.[28]

Laws affecting LGBT community[edit]

Noncommercial, homosexual relations between two adults in private are not a crime, although
sexual conduct or affection that occurs in public may be subject to the "grave scandal" prohibition in
Article 200 of the Revised Penal Code, which states:
"ARTICLE 200. Grave Scandal. — The penalties of arresto mayor and public censure shall be
imposed upon any person who shall offend against decency or good customs by any highly
scandalous conduct not expressly falling within any other article of this Code."[29]

While on the Family Code of the Philippines, stated on Article 1, Article 2, and Article 147
respectively:
"Marriage is a special contract of permanent union between a man and a woman entered into in
accordance with law for the establishment of conjugal and family life. It is the foundation of the family
and an inviolable social institution whose nature, consequences, and incidents are governed by law
and not subject to stipulation, except that marriage settlements may fix the property relations during
the marriage within the limits provided by this Code."[30]

"No marriage shall be valid, unless these essential requisites are present:

(1) Legal Capacity of contracting parties who must be a male and a female; and

(2) Consent freely given in the presence of the solemnizing officer."[30]

The Magna Carta for Public Social Workers also address the concern regarding the discrimination of
public social workers because of their sexual orientation:
"Section 17. Rights of a Public Social Worker. - Public social workers shall have the following rights:
1.) Protection from discrimination by reason of sex, sexual orientation, age, political or religious
beliefs, civil status, physical characteristics/disability, or ethnicity;

2.) Protection from any form of interference, intimidation, harassment, or punishment, to include, but
not limited to, arbitrary reassignment or termination of service, in the performance of his/her duties
and responsibilities";[31]

The Magna Carta for Women also provides an insight regarding the state's duties towards
maintaining the rights of women, regardless of their sexual orientations:
"The State affirms women's rights as human rights and shall intensify its efforts to fulfill its duties
under international and domestic law to recognize, respect, protect, fulfill, and promote all human
rights and fundamental freedoms of women, especially marginalized women, in the economic,
social, political, cultural, and other fields without distinction or discrimination on account of class,
age, sex, gender, language, ethnicity, religion, ideology, disability, education, and status."[32]

The only bill directly concerning the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community in
the Philippines is the Anti-Discrimination Act. This bill seeks that all persons regardless of sex or
sexual orientation must be treated the same as everyone else, wherein conditions do not differ in the
privileges granted and the liabilities enforced. The bill was introduced by Hon. Kaka J. Bag-ao the
District Representative of Dinagat Islands on July 1, 2013 and is yet to be passed.[33]

Religion[edit]
Several religious beliefs exists within the country, some of them including Roman Catholicism,
the Iglesia ni Cristo, and Islam, among many others. These different faiths have their own views and
opinions towards the topic of homosexuality.
Roman Catholicism[edit]
The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country with approximately 82.9 percent of the
population claiming to be Roman Catholics.[34] The Roman Catholic Church has been one of the most
active religious organizations in the country in opposition to the LGBT community.[35] The Catholic
Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines firmly states that marriage should only exist between
a man and a woman.[36] Also, they have called on individuals and politicians to actively oppose same-
sex marriage.[37] They said that individuals should refuse to take part in ceremonies celebrating
same-sex relationships and politicians should resist legalizing marriages of homosexual
couples.[37] They also stated that "A homosexual union is not and can never be a marriage as
properly understood and so-called."[38] However, they also said that "being a homosexual is not a sin.
It is a state of a person."[39] The Catholic Church welcomes members of the LGBT community, yet, as
stated, gay people should be "welcomed with respect and sensitivity."[39]
Iglesia ni Cristo[edit]
The Iglesia ni Cristo adheres to the teachings of the Bible and they denounce those who
practice homosexual acts, as they are seen as immoral and wicked.[40] These acts include having
sexual affairs and relations with partners of the same sex, cross-dressing, and same-sex
marriage.[40] Also, in the Iglesia ni Cristo, men are not allowed to have long hair, for it is seen as a
symbol of femininity and should be exclusive to women only.[40] Due to the fact that the INC's faith is
founded upon the Bible, when a member of the INC is found out to be LGBT, he/she will be asked to
leave the congregation as being a homosexual is not in line with their beliefs.
Islam[edit]
Muslim communities, like all other religious groups, face the challenge of
confronting diversity.[41] However, for many Muslims, dealing with homosexuality or transgender
issues is a matter of sin and heresy, not difference and diversity.[41] The Islamic community in the
Philippines views homosexuality in a negative manner. It is considered to be a great sin to have a
relationship with someone of the same sex. Muslims see homosexuals as persons who suffer from a
moral disorder.[42] For the Muslim community, homosexuality is a sin that is to be severely punished
for it is not in Allah’s plan.[42]

Media[edit]
Recognized as an important venue for the promotion of issues related to the LGBT by participants in
a national dialogue facilitated by the UNDP, the participants also acknowledged the negative impact
of religion with regard to the treatment of such issues, whereat it provides a blanket context that
society views homosexuality as negative.[9]
In May 2004, producers of several television programs received a memorandum from the chair of
the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), which warned against positive
depictions of lesbian relationships; it was stated in the memo that "lesbian and homosexual
relationships are an abnormality/aberration on prime-time TV programs gives the impression that the
network is encouraging homosexual relationships."[9]
The lack of sexual orientation and gender identity awareness is emphasized in other circumstances;
transphobia is ubiquitous with media practitioners who do not address transgender people in
accordance with how they self-identify.[9] At the 2013 Cinemalaya indie awards, transgender actress
Mimi Juareza won under the Best Actor category, and in reports, she was referred to repeatedly
using the male pronoun.[9] In 2014, the death of Jennifer Laude and the investigation into it was
highly publicized, with practitioners referring to her as Jeffrey "Jennifer" Laude.[43]
Participants in the UNDP-facilitated national dialogue stated that content emphasized a general lack
of understanding for sexual orientation and gender identity, such that LGBT stereotypes dominate;
there are many gay men hosting programs at radio stations and television networks, but they are
limited to covering entertainment shows.[9] There is an apparent lack of representation for lesbians
and transgender people.[9] Given their platform, some media personalities have publicly shared their
anti-LGBT sentiments; in 2009 newspaper columnist Ramon Tulfo wrote that LGBT people "should
not also go around town proclaiming their preferences as if it was a badge of honor.[9]"
Beyond mainstream media, which already has a niche for the sector, the Internet has provided
LGBT people ways to tell their stories outside the realm of film, television, print, and radio.[9] There
are blogs kept, opportunities to connect with others, publications with LGBT sections, and a web-
based magazine, Outrage, catering to the community.[9]

Views[edit]
Ryan Thoreson in his article "Capably Queer: Exploring the Intersections of Queerness and Poverty
in the Urban Philippines" did a research on the Queer community in the Philippines and how it copes
with living here in the country. He interviewed a total of 80 queer informants in order to gather the
data.[44] Based on his survey about employment, and from what he gathered, he claimed that under a
half of the respondents were employed and weekly income mean was only 1514.28 PhP per
week.[44] The survey also stated that "less than one-third have stable income, and very few enjoyed
any kind of benefits"[44] and 75% of its respondents said that they would like to do more wage-earning
work.[44]
As for its empowerment section, the survey stated that when the respondents were asked to tell their
primary contribution to the household, 45% of them named household chores as their primary
contribution, 30% stated giving money or paying the bills, 17.5% provided labor and money, and
7.5% said that they were not expected to contribute anything.[44] As for their privacy, 75% of the
respondents said that they had enough privacy and personal space.[44]
In terms of safety and security, Thoreson’s journal also provides statistical data in terms of the queer
community’s involvement in crimes as victims. According to the survey he made, 55% of his
respondents were harassed on the street, 31.2% were robbed, 25% had been physically assaulted,
6.25% had been sexually assaulted, 5% had survived a murder attempt, and 5% had been
blackmailed by the police.[44]

Economy[edit]
The LGBT community, although a minority in the economic sphere, still plays an integral role in the
growth and maintenance of the economy. LGBT individuals face challenges inemployment both on
an individual level and as members of a community that is subject to discrimination and abuse. This
can be compounded by the weak social status and position of the individuals involved.[9]
A USAID study conducted in 2014, entitled "The Relationship between LGBT Inclusion and
Economic Development: An Analysis of Emerging Economies", has shown that countries which have
adopted anti-LGBT economic laws have lower GDPs compared to those who do not discriminate
employers/employees based on their sexual orientation.[45]The link between discrimination and the
economy is direct, since the discrimination experienced by members of the LGBT community turn
them into disadvantaged workers, which can be bad for business. Disadvantaged workers usually
practice absenteeism, low productivity, inadequate training and high turnover, which make for higher
labor costs and lower profits.[45] According to the USAID study, LGBT people in their sample
countries are limited in their freedoms in ways that also create economic harms.[46]
On the other hand, studies have shown that the integration of the LGBT into the economic system
yields a higher income for the country. In a recent USAID study, it is said that a wide range of
scholarly theories from economics, political science, sociology, psychology, public health, and
other social sciences support the idea that full rights and inclusion of LGBT people are associated
with higher levels of economic development and well-being for the country.[46] Also, the acceptance of
LGBT people within the office environment can lead to higher income for the company since the
people do not feel as disadvantaged and as discriminated as before.[46] Another thing is that a better
environment for LGBT individuals can be an attractive bargaining chip for countries
seeking multinational investments and even tourists, since a conservative climate that keeps LGBT
people in the closet and policymakers from recognizing the human rights of LGBT people will hold
their economy back from its full potential.[45] Naturally, passing a non-discrimination law will not
immediately lead to a sudden boost in the country's economy, although less discrimination should
eventually lead to more output.[45]

Military[edit]
Sexual orientation or religion does not exempt citizens from Citizen Army Training (CAT), although
some reports do suggest that people who are openly gay in this high school curriculum are
harassed.[47] On 3 March 2009, the Philippines announced that it was lifting its ban on allowing
openly gay and bisexual men and women from enlisting and serving in the Philippine Armed
Services.[48]

Politics[edit]
Marginalized sectors in society recognised in the national electoral law include categories such as
elderly, peasants, labour, youth etc. Under the Philippine constitution some 20% of seats in the
House of Representatives are reserved. In 1995 and 1997, unsuccessful efforts were made to
reform the law so as to include LGBT people. A proponent of this reform was Senate President Pro
Tempore Blas Ople who said (in 1997), "In view of the obvious dislike of the ... administration for gay
people, it is obvious that the president will not lift a finger to help them gain a sectoral seat."[49]
The Communist Party of the Philippines integrated LGBT rights into its party platform in 1992,
becoming the first Philippine political party to do so.[50] The Akbayan Citizens' Action Party was
another early party (although a minor one) to advocate for LGBT rights in 1998.
Philippine political parties are typically very cautious about supporting gay rights, as most fall along
the social conservative political spectrum. A major political opponent of LGBT rights legislation has
been Congressman Bienvenido Abante (6th district, Manila) of the ruling conservative Lakas-
CMD party.[51]
The administration of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was recently called "not just gender
insensitive, but gender-dead" by Akbayan Party representative Risa Hontiveros. Rep. Hontiveros
also said that the absence of any policy protecting the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and
transgender betrays the government’s homophobia: "this homophobic government treats LGBTs as
second-class citizens,.[52]"
On June 17, 2011, the Philippines abstained from signing the United Nations declaration on sexual
orientation and gender identity, which condemns violence, harassment, discrimination, exclusion,
stigmatization, and prejudice based on sexual orientation and gender identity. However, on
September 26, 2014, the country gave a landmark yes vote on a follow-up resolution by the UN
Human Rights Council to fight violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender
identity(SOGI).[53]
The Ang Ladlad is a new progressive political party, with a primary agenda of combating
discrimination and harassment on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
On 11 November 2009, the Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC) denied
the Filipino LGBT political party Ang Ladlad's petition to be allowed to run in the May 2010 elections,
on the grounds of "immorality".[54][55] In the 2007 elections, Ang Ladlad was previously disqualified for
failing to prove they had nationwide membership.[56]
On 8 April 2010, the Supreme Court of the Philippines reversed the ruling of COMELEC and allowed
Ang Ladlad to join the May 2010 elections.[57][58]

Marriage and family[edit]

The Philippines does not offer any legal recognition to same-sex marriage, civil unions or domestic
partnership benefits.
Since 2006, three anti-same sex marriage bills have been introduced and are pending before the
Senate and Congress. In early 2011, Rep. Rene Relampagos of Bohol filed a bill to amend Article 26
of the Philippine Family Code, to prohibit "forbidden marriages." Specifically, this seeks to bar the
Philippine state from recognizing same-sex marriages contracted overseas. The bill is in
committee.[59][60][61]
In December 2014 Herminio Coloma Jr, a spokesperson for the Presidential Palace, commented on
same-sex marriage, saying; "We must respect the rights of individuals to enter into such
partnerships as part of their human rights, but we just need to wait for the proposals in Congress".[62]
Right after Ireland legalized same-sex marriage through a popular vote in May 2015, the Philippines
has the possibility to legalize this law by a petition. [63] The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the
Philippines, however, is opposed to the idea despite stating that it supports 'equality for all'. To the
extent of even stating that 'same-sex marriage' and 'falling for the same sex is wrong'. [64]
Marriages by the Communist Party of the Philippines[edit]
The illegal Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) respectively its armed wing New People’s
Army (NPA) does perform same-sex marriages among their members since 2005 in territories under
their control.[65]
Community[edit]
In LGBT community did not begin to organize on behalf of its human rights until the 1990s. Poverty
and the political situation in the Philippines, especially the dictatorship, may have made it difficult for
the LGBT community to organize. One of the first openly gay people of significance was the
filmmaker Lino Brocka.
The first gay lesbian bisexual and transgender pride parade in Asia and also the Philippines was co-
led by ProGay Philippines and the Metropolitan Community Church Philippines (MCCPH) on 26
June 1994 at the Quezon Memorial Circle. It was organized just a few years after students organized
the UP Babaylan group. The pride event was attended by hundreds, and the march coincided with
march against the government's VAT or the value added tax.
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.

 UP Babaylan founded in 1992, remains the oldest and largest LGBT student organization in the
Philippines
 Progay-Philippines, founded in 1993, which led the first Gay March in Asia[66] 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
trans women established in 2002.
 Philippine Network of Metropolitan Community Church, a network of LGBT Affirming Churches
that reclaims spaces for sexuality and spirituality, the first MCC is Established in 1991. Member
Churches are MCC Quezon City, MCC Metro Baguio, MCC Makati, and MCC Marikina.