June 1 marks the halfway point for 2021, believe it or not. It signifies many beginnings: the beginning of a new month, the second half of the year, and the beginning of Pride.
To celebrate the beginning of Pride, Facebook has changed (and animated) their logo.
On their page LGBTQ@Facebook, the “official LGBTQ+ Resource Page for Facebook”, the company states that it is “dedicated to creating an environment where people can be their authentic selves and share their own diverse backgrounds, experiences, perspectives and ideas.”
Many private and public Facebook users have posted their support for Pride, tagging their posts #ShareWithPride.
“Pride” is celebrated every year in June, paying tribute to the Stonewall riots that occurred in June of 1969. The Stonewall Inn, in New York, was an open watering hole for the city’s lesbian, gay and transgender community. The riots were a protest against a police raid that occurred in the bar.
The celebration of Pride has now spread around the world.
The first celebration of Pride in the Philippines has been a topic of debate, with different sides recognizing either the march in 1994 or the march that came two years after, as being the first. The 1994 Pride march was organized by the Progressive Organization of Gays (PROGAYS) and the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), with an original turn out of around 50 people.
Despite these initial efforts, the 1996 march is argued to be the first Pride march in the Philippines due to the fact that this was the time when the entire queer community in the Philippines was involved. Teilhard Paradela of the Babaylan Archive Project believes that:
“The effect of these [prior] marches were also limited to their own constituents. These events did not necessarily lead to ‘unified’ and ‘continuous efforts to organize’ the entire Philippine LGBT+ community.
Though, Paradela recognizes the efforts and effect of the 1994 march, adding that “The turning point for this development […] was the 1996 Metro Manila Pride March. And yet, at the same time, the 1996 edition would not have been possible without them [the prior marches].”
Regardless of which march you deem as the “first”, their unified efforts resulted in the continuous growth of these yearly marches. Pride in the Philippines has definitely grown throughout the years. In 2019, 70,000 attendees were recorded to have participated in Pride.
This year, Pride still can’t return to its former (pre-pandemic) glory, but this doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to still celebrate. Pride is not solely defined by the ability of taking to the streets, what is essential is the commemoration of those who came before us and fought hard for the luxuries we currently have today, as well as to bring awareness to the current injustices against the LGBTQ+ community.
Whether you’re a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community or a loving ally, don’t let the pandemic get you down and make sure to celebrate safely this June. Have a happy Pride Month!
Other POP! stories you might like:
Just a reminder that Pride Month wasn’t made for your ‘hetero clout’
Masks on, fists up: Protesting in the time of COVID-19
4 books to read during Pride Month
HERstory: The evolution of motherhood & women’s roles in the Philippines
PH TikTok seems to fall behind on progressive beliefs and women’s issues
