Addressing the many layers and manifestations of gender and sexual discrimination is difficult. Recent events have shown that, despite how difficult it may seem, our community needs a strong organization advocating for issues like Gender and Development (GAD), sexual and reproductive rights, and SOGIE rights, among others, in order to articulate our problems, strengthen our claims for rights, and address the many obstacles that face us. However, efforts to establish these kinds of discourses seem to center heavily on urbanized areas such as cities leaving LGBTQIA+ members living in rural areas to rely on their own to gain knowledge about these topics.
To help broaden and foster a space for the civic participation of the LGBTQIA+ community in the cities of Cotabato and Iligan as well as in the provinces of Lanao Del Norte and Maguindanao, the Initiatives and Movements for Gender Liberation against Discrimination conducted a series of Community Assemblies to respond to this call.
These Community Assemblies serve toward (1) Introducing IMGLAD and Voice, (2) Raising awareness of the Philippine LGBTQIA+ situation and SOGIESC, (3) identifying the salient issues within their communities, and (4) Electing new chapter officers. Community assemblies not only contribute to identifying the difficulties our members experience, but they also contribute to the establishment of new IMGLAD chapters that will empower the LGBTQIA+ members within the community.
In conducting these community assemblies, we first, introduce who IMGLAD and Voice are, and what is IMGLAD’s project to Consolidate Pride in Mindanao. This is important in making sure that potential members and other participants are oriented on IMGLAD’s goal to Amplify the Tri-people pride and Voice Philippines’ role in realizing this.
Prior to identifying issues at the grassroots level, a refresher on the LGBTQIA+ situation in the Philippines is discussed. This is done to first provide a background on the current situation of the LGBTQIA+ here in the Philippines. This helps raise awareness among LGBTQIA+ members on the issues, struggles, and challenges faced by the community on a national scale.
One of the main focuses of the assemblies is to identify the salient issues faced by LGBTQIA+ members within the community. Identifying these issues is done through focus group discussions where members are encouraged to share what issues they face on the macro and micro scale along with any ideas they may have to solve these issues. It also encourages them to provide what they envision as possible issues looking forward and that IMGLAD should prioritize these. Lastly, this process also asks the question ‘What else can IMGLAD do?’ in terms of supporting and collaborating with these grassroots communities.
Lastly, in any chapter formation or organization, there is also a need to designate leaders that will continuously empower members of the community. Hence, during the community assembly, an election takes place to determine the President, Vice-president, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Auditor, and Treasurer. The people elected will be in charge of spearheading the advocacy in their locale.
These aforementioned processes are what one would generally expect in attending an IMGLAD Community Assembly. And so far, IMGLAD has implemented 4 assemblies in Lanao Del Norte.
The first community assembly was held in the hailed city of waterfalls, Iligan City. Iligan has an incredibly diverse population of Indigenous people, Moro, and Migrant Settlers (Catholics) who make up the Tri-people. This provides for a complex context of the LGBTQIA+, with members coming from all three groups.
This community assembly was conducted at Plaza Alemania, Iligan City on February 27, 2022. This activity was participated by 14 LGBTQIA+ Iligan Members.
The second session was conducted in Rogongon, Iligan city. Rogongon is located an hour away from Iligan City and home to the Higaonon. The Higaonon is one of the least known ethnolinguistic groups in Mindanao meaning, narratives regarding the tribe along with the LGBTQIA+ living within often go unnoticed.
The Community Assembly in Barangay Rogongon was held on March 19, 2022, and was participated by 13 LBGTQIA+ Rogongon members.
Mr. Jake Balanay, a Member of the City Council of Iligan briefly attended the assembly to express his solidarity and support for the LGBTQIA+ cause and initiatives.
Mx. Andie Ver Cenizal and Ms. Mirasol Quiamco from the City Health Office provided a comprehensive discussion on HIV/AIDS and STD Awareness. Using props and visual images to discuss the different sexually transmitted diseases and prevention methods made for a very interactive discussion. Ms. Quiamco even went as far as to demonstrate the ‘magic condom’ which was really informative.
Mx. Renante Namocatcat, Policy Advocacy and Networking Staff of Alagad Mindanao also shared during the assembly, the Behavioral Change Communication of Risk Assessment regarding HIV/AIDS. To help gauge the risk factor of how susceptible a person is to acquiring HIV/AIDS, Mx. Namocatcat provided a series of guide questions for the participants to reflect upon. This stressed the importance of practicing safe sex to minimize the risk of getting HIV/AIDS and other STD’s.
Following the discussion, participants were invited to take free HIV tests and were given contraceptives.
The third community assembly was implemented at Kolambugan. Kolambugan is a municipality of Lanao Del Norte located 45 minutes to an hour away from Iligan City. Kolambugan has numerous active LGBTQIA+ members that work closely with Kolambugan’s Local Government Units to organize events such as pageants and festivals. The LGBTQIA+ is visibly present in Kolambugan.
The Community Assembly for Kolambugan was held at KIBC Municipality of Kolambugan, Lanao Del Norte on April 20, 2022 and was participated by 29 LGBTQIA+ Kolambugan members and allies.
The discussion was led by Mr. Carls Adrian Liba-o who discussed the LGBTQIA+ situation in the Philippines. The discussion provided insights into what is SOGIESC and why we fight so hard to establish an anti-discrimination law such as the SOGIESC Bill here in the Philippines. It is important for us to know who we are, and that whoever we are, we deserve to be protected. Establishing a law that defends the rights of the LGBTQIA+ is a significant step to ending discrimination and members of the community should be well aware of its urgency.
The final community assembly in Lanao Del Norte was conducted at Sultan Naga Dimaporo (SND). SND, like Kolambugan, is a municipality of Lanao del Norte relatively far from Iligan City. It takes about 3 to 4 hours to get there coming from Iligan City.
During IMGLAD’s visit to SND, there was a power outage however, this power outage did not dampen the mood of the very enthusiastic queerblings from SND.
The Community Assembly for Sultan Naga Dimaporo (SND) was held at DUMS in SND, Lanao Del Norte on April 23, 2022; This activity was participated by 15 LGBTQIA+ SND members and allies.
Mr. Jhon Loyd E. Nailga, the Project Officer of IMGLAD was assigned to speak about the LGBTQIA+ situation in the Philippines and Mindanao. After Mr. Nailga’s discussion, he provided an emphasis on the need for LGBTQIA+ members to come together and tackle the issues of discrimination, homophobia, hate crimes, etc. – as one.
In all of the community assemblies, the FGDs were implemented. The focus group discussions provided insight to the intersectional issues faced by the community. Most members of the LGBTQIA+ are subject to multiple systems of oppression relating to gender, economic status, culture, religion, ethnicity, and so and so forth. However, on a positive note, there was also a recurring theme from all their shared experiences, and this was hope. Despite the discrimination faced by members of the community, most hope that in the future they will be embraced and celebrated. Despite the hate speech and micro-aggressive statements, they hope to be respected and accepted. Although difficult, achieving this is not impossible so long as we fight as one. Hence, Let Us Reassemble our Tri-People Pride.
In the spirit of IMGLAD creating safe spaces, these photos are posted with the consent of the participants.
IMGLAD is currently implementing a project entitled "IMGLAD to Consolidate Pride in Mindanao." This project is hosted by Mindanao Peoples' Peace Movement (MPPM) and supported by Voice. This activity is under the project’s three-pronged strategy, Living the Pride.
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