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Gay parade in honor of Mary

Campaigners will also push for protection against hate crimes
Gay parade in honor of Mary
A parade of gays in northern Philippines
Published: May 27, 2011 09:57 AM GMT
Updated: May 27, 2011 10:05 AM GMT

Gay Filipinos are holding a Flores de Mayo (Flowers of May) – a traditional Catholic festival during the month of May – on Sunday to honor the Virgin Mary as well as to call attention to rights abuses against their community. Members of the ProGay Philippines said they will push for the passage of the Anti-Discrimination Act of 2010 or House Bill 1483 during a parade they call “FlorEZ de Mayo.” The proposal, filed by militant Rep. Teddy Casino of Bayan Muna party, aims to ban discriminatory acts against lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT) in the workplace, schools and government offices. This year's event will be hosted by Barangay Pinyahan in Quezon City, which the group regards as the “most gay-friendly metropolis” in the conservative Catholic nation. “During this FlorEZ de Mayo, we are pressing the government to act decisively to stop the extrajudicial killings of LGBTs and pass the Anti-Discrimination Act so the country's queers can enjoy life of equality without fear of violence and death,” said Rev. Ceejay Agbayani, head pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church and the event’s main organizer. Human rights groups also expressed concern over the unexplained cruel deaths of transgendered people in the past decade. The Hate Crimes Watch, an alliance of activists monitoring hate-motivated murders of LGBT in the country, said 10 LGBTs died in hate-related crimes from January to May this year, compared to 14 in the entire 2010. The FlorEZ de Mayo is supported yearly by local firms manufacturing condoms, lubricating jelly and birth control pills, products that are gaining attention due to ongoing debates in Congress around the reproductive health bill. Gay rights activists recently figured in a spat with the mother of anti-RH poster boy and boxing champ Rep. Manny Pacquiao for criticizing gays about their use of oral contraceptives to enlarge their chests. Many of the parade participants promise to come in provocative evening gowns that blend Filipiniana fashion with political calls for gay rights and reproductive health advocacy. PM14328

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