(written by Beatriz Torre)
Sunday, May 2, 2010
5:00pm – 11:00pm
Metropolitan Community Church Quezon City, 56 Mindanao Avenue, Quezon City
PRIDE & ACCEPTANCE
The 2010 Flower Pride Parade / LGBT Flores de Mayo.
Flores de Mayo celebrates the harvest season and pays tribute to the saints and marian folklore. The mainstream Catholic church claims exclusive franchise on this event and opposes the participation of gay men and transgendered Filipinos as Floreses. In 2008, Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales said, “It is very disgusting that we see gays as the center of attraction in the Santacruzan, which is supposed to be religious in nature as this is for our love of the Virgin Mary. If we continue doing this, we are not giving praises to the Virgin Mary; we become instruments in destroying this sacred devotion.”
However, LGBT Filipinos and their allies continue to resist the Church’s homophobia and heteronormativity, and assert the right to participate in the Flores de Mayo.
Progay Philippines and the Metropolitan Community Church of Quezon City are working together to hold this Sunday’s queer Flores de Mayo. This event aims to encourage creative Pride celebrations that promote acceptance of LGBT citizenship.
In lieu of our regular meet-up, the Filipino Freethinkers are invited to participate in this queer Flores de Mayo. [update: There will still be a regular meetup on May 2.] As allies of the groups and individuals who assert their rights in the face of religious dogma, we can show our support for this effort in a number of ways:
(1) Help design one of the arkos that will be used in the procession.
(2) Help carry the arkos during the parade itself. This can be done by people of any sexual orientation and any gender identity. Up to 20 volunteers are needed for this.
(3) Watch and cheer as the parade goes by, maybe with a few counter-placards ready in case rabid anti-LGBT fundies show up.
Volunteers who would like to help design an arko can go to MCCQC in the afternoon/evening of Saturday, May 1 (after the FF-UPD chapter meetup). Those who want to help carry the arkos or support the parade itself can go to MCCQC on Sunday, May 2 at around 7 pm. Fancy gowns, tiaras, and barong Tagalogs are NOT required–you’re free to wear whatever you like. 🙂
If you want to help design or carry the arkos, PLEASE inform us by posting a comment on this event’s wall along with your RSVP. We need to know how many of us are volunteering, especially for those who will carry the arkos. Also, if you have ideas for placards to show our support for the event or to counter anti-LGBT fundies, do share!
The LGBTQIA Flores de Mayo this Sunday is another opportunity to go beyond our coffeeshop-comfort zone and try our hand at social action. Let’s be freethinkers against homophobic religious dogma and allies for pride and acceptance. 🙂
*For more information on this Pride event, please contact Rev. Ceejay Agbayani, moderator and pastor of MCC Quezon City ([email protected]) or Mr. Oscar Atadero ([email protected]). For location, type “Metropolitan Community Church” in the Search box of this website http://www.wiki-maps.com/manila/lid/mindanao-avenue
