QUEZON City Mayor Herbert Bautista on Wednesday ordered the city’s 142 barangays to create their own pride council as part of the comprehensive implementation of anti-discrimination policy and programs based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.
“There is a need to create the barangay pride council in each barangay. That provision is already in the ordinance. The 142 barangays are mandated to create their barangay pride council,” he told the pride council meeting.
The council is chaired by Bautista in support of the gender and development plans and programs with the aim of integrating and synchronizing projects and programs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in the city, and to ensure its effective implementation.
He recently signed a memorandum directing all village executives to form their barangay pride council and set the deadline on Aug. 31.
“We also mandate through the QC pride council that the 142 barangays adopt the barangay pride council programs and integrate the funding source in their GAD barangay budget,” he said.
Barangays Apolonio Samson and Old Balara are the only barangays in Quezon City that have established a pride council.
City Ordinance 2357 of 2014 or the Quezon City Gender-Fair Ordinance recognizes the social, economic, cultural and political potential to allow people with diverse sexual orientation, gender identity and expression to achieve full participation in development and in the exercise of their human rights.
The pride council during the meeting also adopted the annual activities of the LGBT community, the pink festival in November and pride march in December.
“The Quezon City pride council shall spearhead cultural, arts, film, sports, and other related events including education campaigns on LGBT issues and concerns. It shall conduct trainings and livelihood programs for the LGBT community in coordination with other city government departments/offices and national government agencies, including private agencies,” the Quezon City Gender-Fair Ordinance read.
Meanwhile, the 36-member city council passed a resolution congratulating John Fernandez Raspado of New Manila for winning Mr. Gay World 2017 title on May 10 in Madrid, Spain.
Raspado is the first Filipino and Southeast Asian to win the title.