Manila Diversity and Equality Week (Manila DEW)
2009 is a significant year for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT) all over the world as it marks the 40th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. The Stonewall riots were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, in the Greenwich Village neighbourhood of New York City. The Riots are frequently cited as the first instance in American history when gays and lesbians fought back against a government-sponsored system that persecuted homosexuals, and they have become the defining event that marked the start of the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world. On a similar vein, on June 24, 1994, marking the 25th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the first LGBT Pride March in Asia and in the Philippines was held in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, and organized by Progressive Organization of Gays in the Philippines (PROGAY-Philippines) and Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) Manila.
2009 is also the 61st Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). In 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – a historic milestone in the evolution of our common understanding, and affirmation, of inviolable values: that all human beings are born free and with equal and inalienable rights and fundamental freedoms. In relation to the UDHR, in 2006, in response to well-documented patterns of abuse, a distinguished group of international human rights experts met in Yogyakarta, Indonesia to outline a set of international principles relating to sexual orientation and gender identity. The result was the Yogyakarta Principles: a universal guide to human rights which affirm binding international legal standards with which all States must comply. They promise a different future where all people born free and equal in dignity and rights can fulfil that precious birthright. Both the Yogyakarta Principles and the UDHR’s universality is a sign of the shared human values that bind us together no matter our age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity or race, ability, religious and political affiliation or other status. The rights and values contained in the Declaration stand as a truly binding force in today’s diverse world.
Unfortunately, today we are experiencing how neo-liberal economic globalization is destroying our cultural-, economic-, social-, and biological diversity. Socially constructed group-level inequalities on the basis of assumed or perceived sets of identities or characteristics (internalized varieties of discrimination, for example sexism, heterosexism-homophobia, racism, xenophobia, ethnocentrism, ageism etc), stigma and intolerance, indifference combined with institutionalized socio-economic inequality, and insincere equitable distribution of wealth and power results to greater marginalization of people. Consumerism is today’s ethos and transnational companies are making profit through monoculturization while destroying biodiversity and the diversity of cultures in the world. In a globalized world, competition is emphasized, even when the playing field is uneven, leaving many people more marginalized and discriminated due to institutionalized forms of discrimination. Filipinos continue to be subjected to violations of their fundamental rights and freedoms inside and outside the country. The Philippines remain underdeveloped, impoverished and indebted due to the dynamics of international financial institutions, transnational corporations, North countries and local elites. And while the rich biodiversity in the Philippines continues to be eroded for profit adding to the global environmental and climate crisis, for many Filipinos, the struggle for survival remains very basic—food, clothing, shelter, livelihood, social security, education etc.
On the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots there is a need to reaffirm the principles of equal human rights through a united expression of diversity and equality, especially in sexual orientation and gender identity. Now more than ever social-, economic-, cultural-, gender-, sexual-, as well as environmental justice movements in the Philippines are reminded that we share a common struggle for equality, dignity, acceptance, genuine inclusion, and full participation in society.
In the spirit of diversity, equality, justice and peace a Manila Diversity and Equality Week (Manila DEW) from 17 to 21 May 2008 is being proposed. The week will be an opportunity for all (marginalized groups and sectors) to come together, to recognize our common struggle for equality and diversity, and to work together towards ending marginalization, all forms of discrimination, oppression and exclusion.
17 May is International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) but to make it more inclusive, it will be called the Manila Sexual and Gender Diversity and Equality Day where we emphasize, affirm, promote and protect sexual and gender diversity and equality in the Philippines. While Western constructs of “LGBT”—lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders—may be used to represent a group of people working towards equal rights and non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in the country, other constructs, orientations, identities and expressions are present and practiced. Sexual and gender diversity and equality is a discourse developed by Latin American, African and Asian activists that recognizes the unique struggle of the diverse sexual orientations and gender identities in global South countries with experiences of colonization, strongly-imposed religious morality and codes of conduct, cultural and ethnic diversity, socio-economic inequality, and poverty, and argues for a similarly unique plan of action that address said issues and concerns.
21 May is the UN World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. Article 11 of the UNESCO Declaration on Cultural Diversity states, “Market forces alone cannot guarantee the preservation and promotion of cultural diversity, which is the key to sustainable human development.”
22 May is the International Day for Biological Diversity. The International Day for Biological Diversity (or World Biodiversity Day) is a United Nations-sanctioned international holiday for the promotion of biodiversity issues. Recently, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment indicated that climate change is likely to become the dominant direct driver of biodiversity loss by the end of the century. The unprecedented pace of change we are presently experiencing is so rapid that a great number of species cannot adapt fast enough to the new conditions, or move to regions more suited for their survival due to habitat fragmentation. In fact, recent estimates show that up to a million species may become extinct as a result of climate change.
Components/Activities:
- Conference on Economic, Social and Cultural and Solidarity (Development and Environment) Rights
- Sports and Philippine Games for Diversity and Equality
- Celebration of Philippine Culture and Arts
- Pride and Community Action
