Metro Manila Pride today announced the cancellation of all in-person events for the Metro Manila Pride March and Festival 2020 slated for 27 June 2020 in light of continued concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce that the annual Metro Manila Pride March and Festival on 27 June 2020 will not push through as originally planned,” said Jihad Mambuay, March and Festival Events Management Co-Head. “The scale of our annual gathering can bring unnecessary risks to public health. It might further burden our healthcare system and other frontline services that are already struggling to respond to the effects of this pandemic.”
Pride demonstrations in Metro Manila have provided a large platform for the LGBTQIA+ sector to raise awareness on the plights of the community, demand for the passage of crucial laws like the SOGIE Equality Bill, and to celebrate and gather in a space free of prejudice. Last year, the annual Metro Manila Pride March and Festival gathered a record-breaking 70,000+ people.
While all in-person events have been officially cancelled, such as the annual Pride March and its respective in-person events like Pride Speaks, Hang Outs and lectures (done in coordination with the organisation’s Human Rights, Education, and Research (HRER) working group), fundraising activities, and more, the organisation is currently working on shifting these activities to various online engagements.
“At MMPride, our promise is to create safe spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community,” said Mikhail Quijano, March and Festival Communications and Campaigns Co-Head. “Our safe space isn’t just a physical space. It is about creating an environment where our community stands together, helps each other, learns continuously, and fights for the equal rights of all—no matter where we are.”
The organization shares that they have a fully lined up Pride Month 2020 calendar, with special programming designed to allow the LGBTQIA+ community to observe Pride amidst the limitations brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. From digital campaigns to a series of virtual events, the organization’s call is that social solidarity must continue as the country observes physical distancing.
“While the situation prevents us from coming together and marching in the streets, it will in no way stop us from using online spaces to fight for our rights, protest injustices against the LGBTQIA+ sector, stand in solidarity with other vulnerable sectors, and celebrate our communities,” Quijano adds.
The organization, which describes the Pride March as a human rights movement, stresses that while the public observes preventative health measures, it must also remain vigilant in the face of injustice.
“During times of crisis, marginalized groups like the LGBTQIA+ sector are the most vulnerable to violations of their human rights,” says Mambuay. “As injustices happen around us in the name of peace and order, we urge everyone to stand in solidarity with other sectors as well as with our own.”
According to Quijano, MMPride will announce online activities and collaborations on their social media pages, their website, and their upcoming community meeting. The meeting is also pegged as an opportunity for the community to suggest ways to make a more meaningful online Pride celebration. Quijano also urges the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies to support the events organized by various organizations during Pride month. Additionally, the organization has applied to contribute to a Digital Global Pride event on June 27. They will also continue to evaluate the situation and find other ways to gather and observe Pride.
“Social distancing does not mean social disconnection. Whether on the streets or in our homes, Pride must live on in each of us and in our solidarity within and outside the LGBTQIA+ sector,” adds Mambuay. “Dahil, lalo na sa panahon ngayon, dapat lahat, walang iwanan.”
ADVT