September 4, 2008
Hello Partners,
On SEPTEMBER 6-8, 2008, IWAG DABAW INC. will hold its 13th ANNUAL GAY FESTIVAL with the theme “Gay Rights are Human Rights.
The following activities will be held in three different venues:
- September 6, 2008 Opening program will be held at Rizal Park
- Sptember 6-7, 2008 Volleyball tournament will be held at Barangay 21-C Boulevard, Davao City
- September 8, 2008 Musical Variety Competition will be held at Gaisano Mall of Davao
This year’s affair is being sponsored by:
Mayor Rodrigo Duterte (Major sponsor)
Congressman Vincent Garcia
Councilor Pilar C Braga
Gaisano Mall of Davao
Let’s celebrate GAY PRIDE!
Sincerely,
Rhoy Diaz
Executive Director
IWAG DABAW, INC.
Tags: Davao, gay pride, human rights, Iwag Dabaw, sports
Published in Sunstar Davao
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Cover Story
Smashing stigma
By Radzini Oledan
THE higher the society builds barriers, the taller it becomes. In a community where there are norms of conduct and prescribed set of conducting one self, those who dare take risk to be true to themselves are often ostracized.
Homosexuality, while being tolerated by the community, appears to be the area where gays are still treated with disdain and are stereotype as laughing stock. In many areas, most appear comfortable with gays as long as they fit to certain stereotypes and behave according to accepted, non-threatening norms.
The 13th Annual Gay Festival held on September 6 to 8, 2008 in Davao City was designed to raise the awareness and stop the discrimination of gays.
Iwag Dabaw, an organization that works for the empowerment of the male gay community to improve their social and economic status organized the event. It was organized on October 1994.
Mr. Rhoy Diaz, Executive Director of Iwag Dabaw, said there is a need to better understand the issues of homosexual men to enable the public to fully recognize that gay rights are human rights.
“The gay fest was meant to unite the male gays in the city and to advocate for respect and recognition of their rights,” Diaz added. The gay festival also showcased the talents, skills and creativity of gay men in the city.
Eddie Batuon, Iwag Dabaw Program Coordinator, said that gays in the city have generally been victims of discrimination, homophobia, violence and poverty.
Despite the relative openness about sexual diversity, gay repressions are still prevalent in the city, he said.
“Due to lack of access to equal opportunities and the obligation to financially support their families and the passion to lead a ‘gay’ life, those who belong to the urban poor communities have succumb to prostitution, pimping and sometimes drugs,” he said.
Diaz said that gays have to confront the fact that homosexuality is viewed as a sin, or an illness or betrayal of one’s culture.
The discrimination is evident when gay are unable to access services, employment, legal protection and remedies. “The gays find difficulty in asserting their full humanity in our community,” Batuon added.
The Committee on Human Rights of the House of Representatives “approved in principle” what could be the first legislative measure on LGBT human rights in the country.
House Bill 2784, more popularly known as the Anti-Discrimination Bill, seeks to criminalize discriminatory practices and policies against Filipino homosexuals. Such discriminatory offenses include policies of some schools that prohibit the admission of gay applicants and the use of homosexuality as a cause or reason for the dismissal of lesbian and gay employees. It also intends to punish medical institutions and commercial establishments that refuse or maltreat Filipino homosexuals.
The discrimination of gays is supported by a Reuters report that points out that “while homosexuality is accepted as an element in entertainment and comedy on popular television shows, true tolerance is hard to come by” in the Philippines (11 October 2004), where over 80 per cent of the population is Catholic, and a “paternalistic, often macho culture” presides.
Stereotypes of the “flamboyant” homosexual who works as an actor, a hairdresser or a fashion designer predominate.
The social intolerance of and discrimination against homosexuality starts within the family where abuse has been often directed at children who reveal their homosexuality. In a recent study conducted by Iwag Dabaw, majority of the respondents cited “non-acceptance” by family members, community and even teachers as reasons that prevent them from coming out.
“Acceptance does not mean unconditional acceptance. For example, there are families who may accept their gay son to cross dress but cannot take it when he bring home his lover,” Batuon said.
Homophobia is still prevalent in families, especially among straight male members. “My older brother does not even want me to go near my nephew for fear that they would be like me,” one participant of an FGD reveals.
Because of their disadvantaged situation, many gays are jobless. “They are lucky enough if they land a job in the underground economy,” Batuon quips. Fifty percent of the research respondents earn an average of P5,000 a month as beauticians, hairdressers, tinderas or pimps.
Those who have small capital or have the dancing prowess become parlor owners and dance instructors.
In terms of employment, Batuon said that it had been noted that some companies will not hire “effeminate” male applicants or will ask pointed questions about marital status during a job interview to determine applicants’ sexual preference.
A house bill that outlaws sexual orientation-based discrimination in the workplace, the public service, and educational, police and military establishments was approved by Congress in early 2004. However, the legislative measure was shelved by the Senate in the same year.
Abuses are also rampant. Seventy-six percent of the respondents noted having experienced physical, verbal and sexual abuse. Gays have been verbally abused in public places by being called mean names, such as ‘bayot, pangit or buwisit.’ Iwag said there are also cases of forced anal sex perpetrated against gays.
Incidentally, even with physical and verbal abuse experienced by gays in their community, they seldom report them to law enforcers and simply keep it to themselves. A gay oftentimes say ‘deadma’ even when he is bawled at, stoned or mocked in the streets.
Ironically, gays who start to earn for their families are no longer inflicted with these abuses. “However, this is a perverted view of financially able gays as milking cows in their own family,” Batuon added. Diaz said the patriarchal and macho culture is just a product of social construction that can still be changed. “Addressing this situation means deconstructing the meta-narratives of the powerful institutions and people who socially construct the ‘morals’ of our society,” he said.
Gay rights are all about human rights. It’s living out one’s truth.
hello, i really missed davao specially my organization which is Iwag Davao, when i was a President Mandug Chapter,on this organization i have more confident, to face any obstacle in our life specialy we gays.. thanks god that i’ve been to this organization…. KUDOS!
dear iwag,
I salute your courage braveness and unity in celebrating your 13th gay festival!though i am so late in my greetings but its better late than never!
more power to you guys!
Louie
april_foola1958@yahoo.com