TRANSGENDERS MARCH FOR LGBT RIGHTS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Some 65 transgender people paraded in a park in Quezon City, Philippines on Sunday to celebrate International Day Against Homophobia and Transgenders.

Participants walked the two-kilometre (1.2 mile) route in resplendent evening gowns with extravagant head pieces and big smiles before awards were handed out for the best dressed.

The International Day against Homophobia and Transgenders marks the date that homosexuality was removed from the International Classification of Diseases of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1990.

But Soxy Topacio, the chairman of the Quezon City Pride Council, said more work needs to be done to ensure equality for gay, lesbian and transgender people.

AP Television

Quezon City, Philippines, 18 May 2014

1. Wide of crowd surrounding two transgender participants in the parade

2. Mid of transgender participant walking

3. Close of a participant

4. Mid of participant waving

5. Various of participants parading in evening gowns and elaborate head pieces

6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Francine Garcia, transgender activist:

"This event is made to stop the people from their phobia on homosexuals and transgenders. Transphobia, that is"

7. Participant smiling while walking

8. Participant with a fan, walking

9. Participant in white and gold dress walking with escort

10. SOUNDBITE: (Tagalog) Soxy Topacio, Quezon City Pride Council chairman:

"Though gays are now accepted, homophobes still exist. They are still having a hard time accepting gays and lesbians that excel in fields that they don't like."

11. Participant in green waving

12. Participant showing off pink dress with a floral motif

Some 65 transgender people paraded in a park in Quezon City, Philippines on Sunday to celebrate International Day Against Homophobia and Transgenders.

Participants walked the two-kilometre (1.2 mile) route in resplendent evening gowns with extravagant headpieces and big smiles before awards were handed out for the best dressed.

The International Day against Homophobia and Transgenders marks the date that homosexuality was removed from the International Classification of Diseases of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1990.

But Soxy Topacio, the chairman of the Quezon City Pride Council, said more work needs to be done to ensure equality for gay, lesbian and transgender people.

AP TELEVISION

++NIGHT SHOTS++

1. Wide of crowd surrounding two transgender participants in the parade

2. Mid of transgender participant walking

3. Close of a participant

4. Mid of participant waving

5. Various of participants parading in evening gowns and elaborate headpieces

6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Francine Garcia, transgender activist:

"This event is made to stop the people from their phobia on homosexuals and transgenders. Transphobia, that is"

7. Participant smiling while walking

8. Participant with a fan, walking

9. Participant in white and gold dress walking with escort

10. SOUNDBITE: (Tagalog) Soxy Topacio, Quezon City Pride Council chairman:

"Though gays are now accepted, homophobes still exist. They are still having a hard time accepting gays and lesbians that excel in fields that they don't like."

11. Participant in green waving

12. Participant showing off pink dress with a floral motif

STORYLINE:

Thousands of people joined the annual Metro Manila Pride March, on Saturday, in celebration of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT+) Pride Month in Marikina City in the Philippines.

The LGBT+ Pride March aims to promote gender equality and protest against current issues regarding human rights, peace, poverty and joblessness, under the Rodrigo Duterte administration.

This year's theme, "Rise Up Together", calls for equality and unity amidst a culture of impunity, misogyny and other forms of discrimination.

Manila - 30 June 2018

1. Various of participants during pride march

2. Participants holding placards

5. 'Pride March' placard

6. People holding up and playing under a rainbow flag

7. Participants holding up flags

8. 'Rise Up Together' banner held up during march

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Pastor Joseph San Jose, 33, Open Table Metropolitan Community Church:

"Our advocacy, primarily is, a LGBT acceptance, anti-discrimination bill and of course the freedom to marry, marriage equality."

10. People hoisting rainbow flag

11. Participants wearing costumes

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Paul Junio, 28, Love Yourself HIV Advocacy Group:

" First, I'm here because I'm an LGBT, I'm part of the LGBT community. I'm also here because I want to honor the people who have fought in the past to have our rights represented, to have our rights earned so we can have this march."

13. Participant holding rainbow flag

14. Participants during march

15. Rainbow flag

16. SOUNBITE (English) Maraya Nadora, 18, participant:

"I'm here because I want to celebrate my sexuality and I want to let people know that it's okay to be like this, it's okay to love someone with your same gender. God loves us no matter what we are because he created us like this.

17. Various of people in the parade

Over a thousand people took part in the annual Metro Manila Pride march on Saturday, celebrating and advocating for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Others (LGBTQ+) community in the capital of the Philippines.

This year's theme "Here Together" sought to foster an inclusive and supportive community, including non-LGBTQ+ people who stand up for those who are discriminated.

Nicky Castillo, Metro Manila Pride co-coordinator, said that his year's pride "is really about solidarity."

Aside from strengthening the community, the event also hopes to help fight against discrimination which is still an issue across various areas in the Philippines.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, who is known to be an advocate for the LGBTQ+, was invited to be a keynote speaker to inspire attendees.

Hontiveros was also responsible for filing the Anti-Discriminatory Act in 2016, a senate bill that sought to eliminate prejudicial treatment of the LGBTQ+ such as in employment and education.

Currently, the bill still has not been passed into a law.

The march went on peacefully and participants were in high spirits, despite a few Christian protesters showing up in the area with their banners calling to "trust Jesus".

Marikina City, Manila 24 June 2017

1. Participants holding (English) "Here Together" banner for the pride march

2. Participant holding up rainbow flag

3. Placard reading (English) "LBT (lesbian, bisexual and transgender) well-being matters"

4. 'Team Rainbow' sign held up during march

5. People marching in the Metro Manila Pride march

6. Nicky Castillo backstage

7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Nicky Castillo, co-coordinator of Metro Manila Pride:

"We were thinking we need to rally more of our allies to speak up and stand up for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) rights. So 'Here Together' is really about solidarity."

8. People from abroad march at the Metro Manila Pride

9. Child waving flag and participating at the march

10. Attendees dressed up in traditional clothes in block colours to make those of a rainbow at the march

11. Senator Risa Hontiveros speaking on stage

12.SOUNDBITE: (English) Senator Risa Hontiveros, guest speaker at Metro Manila Pride:

"We are still fighting against certain limitations, constraints, even threats to the lives and rights of LGBT persons."

13. Gay couple posing in front of "Here Together" backdrop

14. Participants take pictures under giant rainbow flag

15. Amber Quiban posing for a photo

16. SOUNDBITE: (English) Amber Quiban, attendee of Metro Manila Pride:

"So I am here today to celebrate my pride. My pride which is my diversity from everyone. My pride which is my identity. And my pride which is myself - like, my real self that is not the ones being suppressed by community."

17. Small group of Christian protesters at the march holding a placard that reads (English) "Trust Jesus"

18. Participants march while holding giant rainbow flag

English/Nat

Hundreds of gay and lesbian Filipinos were joined by their supporters when they marched through the streets of the capital Manila in celebration of gay pride month.

Wearing colourful costumes and holding placards, they danced and paraded to push for the recognition of the gay community and to end discrimination.

The placard says it all.

The gay and lesbian community in the Philippines sees nothing wrong with love between people of the same sex.

This was the message of a colourful parade in Manila on Saturday.

More controversially they want to promote same-sex marriage in this predominantly Catholic nation, where it is considered very much a taboo.

Hundreds of Filipino gays and lesbians joined by their supporters - some from as far away as Europe and the United States - got together for the festive affair.

Wearing colourful and unique costumes, they managed to draw the attention of many onlookers.

Participants in this march say there is nothing wrong with people from the so-called third sex.

They hope the march will give them greater recognition and end some of the discrimination against gays in the Philippines.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"We are doing this event because we are proud of what we are, we are proud of how God made us to be."

SUPER CAPTION: Edgar Mendoza, Gay man

This parade is held every year in June, as the gay and lesbian community around the world celebrate gay pride month.

Manila, Philippines - June 26 1999

1. Tight shot of placard "same sex, same love"

2. Wide shot of lesbians holding placards and streamers

3. Wide shot of gay supporters with umbrella display

5. Group with umbrella display

6. Cutaway of spectators

7. Close up of three gays dancing

8. Spectator watching

9. Wide shot of gay march showing gay in a swimsuit wearing red cape

10. Spectators

11. Tracking shot of two gay men in colorful costumes

12. Tracking shot of gay man wearing costume

13. Gay man wearing Marilyn Monroe costume marching

14. Edgar Mendoza on stage

15 SOUNDBITE: (English) Edgar Mendoza, gay man

16. Tight shot of dancing feet, pan up to back of gay dance, zoom out wide

17. Shot of gay man dancing

English/Nat

Gays and lesbians in the Philippines celebrated their second Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride March this weekend.

Decked out in colourful costumes, and carrying pro-gay banners, they marched around Manila's Malate district calling for a "truly free society".

The sound of beating drums led a very festive gay pride march in Manila on Saturday.

Some 300 gays and lesbians, wearing fancy costumes gathered together to signify unity among Filipino gays, bisexuals, lesbians and transgenders.

44 different homosexual organisations took part in this colourful parade replete with floats and cultural dances.

Their message- "stop discrimination".

They say members of their sector of the society should be allowed to pursue their dreams and each one should be regarded just like any other individual- regardless of their sexual orientation.

Among those who stood out in the parade is one participant who came wearing a police costume.

His message of protest was directed to the military and police forces of his homeland.

Recently, the Chief of the Philippine Armed Forces drew criticisms from the gay community after he was quoted as saying that there is no place for gays in the military.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"This would be a good venue for me to stage my own protest against the policy of exclusion. I want to tell them that not all gays and lesbians are you know, incapable of serving the military or the police force. I think that....just give us a chance and you'll see we can make good policemen and good military men."

SUPER CAPTION: Joaquin (Last name withheld)

This is the second parade of its kind in Manila and organisers say they will hold it every year in line with their desire for freedom of expression in a truly free society.

Manila, Philippines - 21 June 1997

1. Drums beating before march

2. Gays in bikinis riding float

3. Wide shot of march

4. Gays in various costumes during march

5. Gays dancing to beat of drums

6. Tracking of crowd watching parade

7. Gays in horse-driven carriages

8. Gays holding banners

9. More of gays in various costumes

10. Placard showing gender signs

11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Joaquin

12. Various top shots of parade

THOUSANDS MARCH FOR PRIDE IN MANILA

Thousands of people joined the annual Metro Manila Pride March, on Saturday, in celebration of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT+) Pride Month in Marikina City in the Philippines.

The LGBT+ Pride March aims to promote gender equality and protest against current issues regarding human rights, peace, poverty and joblessness, under the Rodrigo Duterte administration.

This year's theme, "Rise Up Together", calls for equality and unity amidst a culture of impunity, misogyny and other forms of discrimination.

Manila - 30 June 2018

1. Various of participants during pride march

2. Participants holding placards

5. 'Pride March' placard

6. People holding up and playing under a rainbow flag

7. Participants holding up flags

8. 'Rise Up Together' banner held up during march

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Pastor Joseph San Jose, 33, Open Table Metropolitan Community Church:

"Our advocacy, primarily is, a LGBT acceptance, anti-discrimination bill and of course the freedom to marry, marriage equality."

10. People hoisting rainbow flag

11. Participants wearing costumes

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Paul Junio, 28, Love Yourself HIV Advocacy Group:

" First, I'm here because I'm an LGBT, I'm part of the LGBT community. I'm also here because I want to honor the people who have fought in the past to have our rights represented, to have our rights earned so we can have this march."

13. Participant holding rainbow flag

14. Participants during march

15. Rainbow flag

16. SOUNBITE (English) Maraya Nadora, 18, participant:

"I'm here because I want to celebrate my sexuality and I want to let people know that it's okay to be like this, it's okay to love someone with your same gender. God loves us no matter what we are because he created us like this.

17. Various of people in the parade

English/Nat

About 500 gays and lesbians marched through the streets of Manila on Saturday to celebrate \"International Gay Pride Month\".

Colorful and outlandish costumes characterised the parade which calls for a stop to discrimination against non-heterosexuals.

It was a first for the Philippines, a turnout of about 500 people for a march in support of the country's gays and lesbians.

Demonstrations have been held here before, but in a predominantly Catholic country, few people attended.

Gays in colourful and outlandish costumes led the march along the streets of Manila to mark \"International Gay Pride Month\".

Drums were beating as the marchers held streamers and raised placards to demand equal rights for non-heterosexuals.

The message was to urge the Philippine society to stop discrimination against gays and lesbians and accept them as normal people.

SOUNDBITE:

\"We're parading, we're trying to be proud of ourselves, we're celebrating our being gays and lesbians, we're fighting for equality, we're trying to fight for indiscrimination and we're here to party.

SUPER CAPTION: Tonette, Lesbian

Many of the marchers waved rainbow-coloured paper ribbons associated with the gay movement.

Some of the marchers belonged to the five-year-old Metropolitan Church of Manila, which advocates same-sex marriage. The rite is condemned by the Roman Catholic church.

In a bold gesture, one participant was wearing a priest's robe with a rosary dangling on his chest. He was holding a crucifix as he paraded along the streets. He said it was his way of winning the attention of the church and compelling it to recognise and accept gays.

SOUNDBITE:

\"I know a lot of people there that they feel...they hide themselves although they are gay but they will not tell about themselves that they are gay, you see because they are so afraid about it, because they are going to be discriminated they are gay, but I'm asking for in behalf of all the gay community, they should be respected and they should be treated equally.

SUPER CAPTION: Joshua, Gay

The marchers say that lesbians and gays face discrimination at work and within their families. Some of them have been kicked out of work when their employers find out their sexual orientation.

But others who have been successful in show business and other professions, are generally tolerated by Filipinos, though they are often objects of ridicule.

Manila, Philippines June 22 1996

1. Gays holding banner "Lesbian Gay Pride March"

2. gay wearing latex breast

3. various of gays in outlandish costumes

4. gays dancing to beat of drums

5. wide shot of march

6. banner "gay awareness year"

7. placard "lesbian rights now"

8. lesbians holding banner "lesbian rights are human rights"

9. crowd waving at march, pan to young gay boy in pink swimsuit

10. SOUNDBITE: Tonette

11. marchers waving colorful ribbons during march

12. reverse shot of march

13. Joshua among other gays

14. placard "stop homo phobia"

15. SOUNDBITE: Joshua

16. far shot of marchers

17. various close ups of gays in costumes

18. crowd watching

19. reverse shot of gays holding hands

20. reverse of gay with condoms hanging on his costume

SHOTLIST:

1. Wide of parade with participants holding banner reading in English "Task Force Pride"

2. Mid parade passing by

3. Mid woman holding placard reading in English "love sees no gender"

4. Wide of Malate church then pan down to gay parade

5. Participant wearing catholic priest clothing

6. Participants hold placard reading in English "whether you're straight or queer God created us equally" and another participant holding banner reading in English "everyone deserves to be respected"

7. Close on-lookers watching parade

8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Eva Callueng, participant:

"We are celebrating human rights week and part of the human rights week is the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) rights where we are pushing for the recognition of sexual orientation and gender identities..."

9. SOUNDBITE: (Filipino) Eva Callueng, participant:

"...so we are her to celebrate our rights and freedom and to have fun."

10. Wide of on-lookers watching the parade

11. Gay participants dancing on a float

STORYLINE:

The gay and lesbian community came out in force in Manila's Malate tourist district on Saturday to hold a gay pride parade.

Around two hundred lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youths filled the streets, calling for an end to discrimination, ahead of Human Rights week.

They carried placards demanding equal rights, and dressed up in colourful costumes.

One participant, Eva Callueng said the parade was important to the gay community.

"We are celebrating human rights week and part of human rights week is the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) rights where we are pushing for the recognition of sexual orientation and gender identities so we are her to celebrate our rights and freedom and to have fun" she told AP Television.

Police who guarded the march said it was peaceful and ended without any incident.

GAY PRIDE MARCH IN MANILA

Over a thousand people took part in the annual Metro Manila Pride march on Saturday ( 24 JUNE), celebrating and advocating for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Others (LGBTQ+) community in the capital of the Philippines.

This year's theme "Here Together" sought to foster an inclusive and supportive community, including non-LGBTQ+ people who stand up for those who are discriminated.

Nicky Castillo, Metro Manila Pride co-coordinator, said that his year's pride "is really about solidarity."

Aside from strengthening the community, the event also hopes to help fight against discrimination which is still an issue across various areas in the Philippines.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, who is known to be an advocate for the LGBTQ+, was invited to be a keynote speaker to inspire attendees.

Hontiveros was also responsible for filing the Anti-Discriminatory Act in 2016, a senate bill that sought to eliminate prejudicial treatment of the LGBTQ+ such as in employment and education.

Currently, the bill still has not been passed into a law.

The march went on peacefully and participants were in high spirits, despite a few Christian protesters showing up in the area with their banners calling to "trust Jesus".

Marikina City, Manila 24 June 2017

1. Participants holding (English) "Here Together" banner for the pride march

2. Participant holding up rainbow flag

3. Placard reading (English) "LBT (lesbian, bisexual and transgender) well-being matters"

4. 'Team Rainbow' sign held up during march

5. People marching in the Metro Manila Pride march

6. Nicky Castillo backstage

7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Nicky Castillo, co-coordinator of Metro Manila Pride:

"We were thinking we need to rally more of our allies to speak up and stand up for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) rights. So 'Here Together' is really about solidarity."

8. People from abroad march at the Metro Manila Pride

9. Child waving flag and participating at the march

10. Attendees dressed up in traditional clothes in block colours to make those of a rainbow at the march

11. Senator Risa Hontiveros speaking on stage

12.SOUNDBITE: (English) Senator Risa Hontiveros, guest speaker at Metro Manila Pride:

"We are still fighting against certain limitations, constraints, even threats to the lives and rights of LGBT persons."

13. Gay couple posing in front of "Here Together" backdrop

14. Participants take pictures under giant rainbow flag

15. Amber Quiban posing for a photo

16. SOUNDBITE: (English) Amber Quiban, attendee of Metro Manila Pride:

"So I am here today to celebrate my pride. My pride which is my diversity from everyone. My pride which is my identity. And my pride which is myself - like, my real self that is not the ones being suppressed by community."

17. Small group of Christian protesters at the march holding a placard that reads (English) "Trust Jesus"

18. Participants march while holding giant rainbow flag

Several hundred gays, lesbians and transgender people held a Gay Pride rally on Saturday in the Philippine capital to celebrate the US Supreme Court decision recognising gay marriages in all US states.

About 500 people marched around Manila's Rizal Park to promote LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) rights, many carrying placards and streamers reading "Fight for Love" and waving rainbow banners.

Some came with pets dressed in rainbow costumes.

The rally was scheduled to commemorate the 1969 demonstrations in New York City that started the gay rights movement around the world.

In the predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines, where the church has fiercely opposed gay marriages along with divorce and artificial contraceptives, activists said they expect the "conservative majority" to continue to block human rights for LGBT people.

Same-sex unions are not legally recognised in the Philippines because the country's civil code limits marriages to a man and a woman.

AP TELEVISION

Manila - 27 June 2015

1. Wide of rally participants marching on the streets with banners and rainbow flags

2. Close of sign reading (English): "Thank you US Supreme Court for marriage equality!!!"

3. Group holding umbrellas coloured half in white and the other half in rainbow colours, reading (English): "We fight for justice"

4. Close of man getting a rainbow drawn on his right cheek

5. Group of friends talking with one wearing red wings

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Kuya Manzano, 27, actor:

"I'm super happy. It's a big step for humanity. Because everyone looks up to the US; and the Philippines a lot. So it's a big step that a big country made that so we can all follow after. Why not?"

7. Lesbian couple sitting on rainbow-coloured blanket on grass, with their dog wearing a rainbow-coloured cape

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Nikki Castillo, 24, freelance writer:

"I read this morning that the next step would be pushing for a comprehensive anti-discrimination bill. Because even if you have the right to marry the person that you love, all over the US and the Philippines, you can get evicted out of your home just because you married the person you love. So it's a good thing, it's a victory, and we should celebrate it but we shouldn't rest on our laurels because there's a lot of work to be done."

9. Wide of two homosexual couples; one woman with a rainbow flag hanging on her bag

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Nicole Hoy, 48, owner of a call centre company:

"When we get married next year, we're planning on getting married in the States, we can pick any state we want. We're not limited to the states that it ha been approved in. We have the freedom to do it anywhere we want so it's very exciting for us because we're getting married next year."

11. People lining up behind a large rainbow-coloured flag

12. Wide of people marching on the streets, with rainbow flags, and banner in front reading (English): "Fight for love."