Rainbow flags waved by in campus as members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) Community and allies gathered to rally their pride in the university’s third Pride March held last June 27, 2018, from the Dotterweich Park to Arrupe Hall.

On its third year of launching the rainbow banner, the school’s Pride March continues to aim to empower the LGBT and to take a positive stance against violence and discrimination.

Leandro Villar, president of the Libulan Circle mentioned that the main goal of the event was to obtain equality. Also, the said official organization of the LGBTQ+ celebrated its first anniversary since its university recognition.

Succeeding the parade, a talk show called #LunarAsks invited guest speakers from the LGBT community and catered questions from the students.

Mr. Lunar Fayloga, the talk show’s namesake and host queried the guests on matters of acceptance, tolerance, discrimination and insights on the plights of the LGBT community.

Mariel Alonzo, one of the talk show’s guest, talked about her research and how the objective of acceptance needs to be furthered.

“According to our research, Ateneo [LGBT] students feel safe here in the university and in Davao City [in general]. However in households, such as in slums, there is still the need for positive reception,” Alonzo shared.

JC Alquizar added that education is key in promoting acceptance rather than mere tolerance.

“Culturally speaking, the reason we are tolerated is because in movies the LGBT are merely used as ‘laughing stock’. We are being tolerated only because they are being entertained. For us, the cure to ignorance is through education,” Alquizar stressed.

Jhoanna Lynn Cruz, author of Women Loving, gave a talk on queer writing. She shared the difficulty of the craft especially since it tends to pose as straight writing.

“Even though my practice is queer, as for my writing it may come out as straight, I need to stretch my writing a little more each time until I can achieve my goals—queerish writing. I understand queer writing in its ambiguity. It is not this and not that. It is maybe this and maybe that,” Cruz remarked.

The event concluded with the launch of its regionalized queer book, “Libulan: Binisayang Antolohiya sa Katitikang Queer Talk.

An exhibit of queer literature from around the world was also free for public viewing and is a collection of local pieces and texts donated from Germany, Singapore and the United States.

The Pride March event was conducted in collaboration among organizations including Samahan, Ateneo Libulan, Amnesty International Philippines and AdDU Campus Clubs Organization.