In the continued pursuit of civil rights and equal justice, various speakers tackled pressing concerns of the LGBTQIA+ community in the legal, academic, and religious sectors during the Pride Pulse: A SOGIESC Forum. 

Ateneo Public Interest and Legal Advocacy (APILA) Director Atty. Romeo Cabarde Jr. emphasized the lack of the community’s legal protection and lack of justice, brought by the pending SOGIESC Equality Bill for over 24 years in Congress.

“Despite all the efforts, they [LGBTQIA+] are still being discriminated against in school, community, and even during employment… there is really a need for a push for legislation in the policy congress that will protect all of the people on the basis of SOGIESC,” Cabarde claimed. 

Similarly, Psychological Association of the Philippines – LGBT Psychology Special Interest Groups representative Hadji Balajadia also brought attention to the community’s common problems of widespread microaggression within the academic sector, as well as gender and SOGIE-based violence and the lack of support from other university facilities. 

“They don’t just continue to suffer discrimination, but they’re also suffering SOGIE-based violence; the goal here is not only to inform but to transform institutions,” Balajadia stated. 

Co-Founder of  Young Feminists Collective Mindanao Rose Quimod also recognized the importance of inclusivity in terms of intersectionality.

“Yung intersectionality as mentioned by Ma’am Hadji Balajadia na importansiya, na gina recognize nato ang different experiences, unique challenges of the members of the community… The LGBTQIA+ community has these struggles, especially because very wide ang rainbow, naa tay intersectionality na gina tanaw sa feminism and isa na sa atong common ground between feminism and the LGBTQIA+ community.”

On the question of how the feminist perspective and queer narratives intersect to address unique challenges faced by youth in today’s society, Quimod, and Mindanao Parliamentary Debate Union President French Bandong agree on the fact that the issues of women and issues of LGBTQIA+ are also parts of societal issues.

“When we celebrate pride and go out in the streets, it’s not just gay rights, but should be total liberation of those oppressed in general,” Bandong stated.

Meanwhile, SAMAHAN moderator and faculty of the Theology Department, Lunar Fayloga, addressed the role of religion in supporting the LGBTQIA+ community. 

“It’s not just about identifying that this sector is marginal, but we really have to take time to understand where they’re coming from; they [LGBTQIA+] should be treated with equal respect, justice, and sincerity,” Fayloga said. 

The forum was among the series of events organized for PrideFest 2024, brought together by the Samahan ng mga Mag-aaral ng Ateneo de Davao Department of Campaigns and Advocacies (SAMAHAN – DCA), in partnership with the Ateneo Libulan Circle and Ateneo Public Interest and Legal Advocacy (APILA).

The forum also served as a pre-march orientation for AlterPride: The Real March, which surfaced as a response to the Pride March organized by the Local Government Unit of Davao City, which imposed a significant number of restrictions, making the City Pride March a celebration rather than a protest.

Balajadia emphasized that the month-long celebration not only honors diversity and inclusivity but is also a constant protest for LGBTQIA+ rights and visibility.

“Protests like AlterPride did not just start because of political aspiration; they were actually built on the social fact that we are all born equal,” Balajadia stated.

The Pride Pulse forum was held on June 27 at the Bapa Benny Auditorium, while the AlterPride March was held the next day, starting and ending at the Finster Entrance of the University.