Wednesday, June 29, 2011

UP PRIDE MARCH @ TV Patrol

And because ABS-CBN wont allow embedding of the video here, we are instead posting screencaps from the report that was aired later that day on TV Patrol which featured the 2011 UP PRIDE MARCH.


1) UP Babaylan member, USC Councilor and Head of the USC Gender Committee - Ms. Heart Dino leads the delegation from the USC and different Local College Councils who participated in the march. Ms. Heart Dino rallied the students and gender advocates around the UP Academic Oval as the University begins its UP PRIDE WEEK.

2) UP Babaylan member  Ms. Trixie Maristela and UP Babaylan alumna Ms. Daria Maristela

3) UP Babaylan Vice-President Pat Bringas quoting Lady Gaga's "We were born this way.." as she explains to TV Patrol how the LGBT community should be accepted and accorded equal rights.

4) UP Babaylan members BJ Eco, Ms. Hender Gercio (read about the status of the ongoing discrimination case Ms. Gercio filed at the College of Arts and Letters HERE...) and UP Babaylan alumna Ms. Jet Evangelista.

You may view the full video HERE.

Join and Support the 1st UPLB PRIDE MARCH on July 6!

As our sister organization UPLB Babaylan celebrates their 2nd Anniversary, they will spearhead the very first UPLB PRIDE MARCH on JULY 6. Join and Support the UPLB PRIDE MARCH!

UP PRIDE MARCH @ SAKSI

"Everyone has a right to education without discrimination. Dapat lahat ng tao, maging bakla, lesbiyana, transgender, bisexual, hindi nadidiskrimina sa loob ng academic institution" - Ms. HEART DINO - USC Councilor, Head - USC Gender Committee 2011-2012, Member, UP BABAYLAN



For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

PHOTOS FROM UP PRIDE MARCH 2011


At least one hundred gender advocates composed of LGBT individuals, friends and families joined the 2011 UP Pride March. This UP Pride March has been one of the largest edition of the annual event celebrating the month of June as Pride Month.


Gender Advocates

University Gender Advocates - UP Center for Womens Student Director Dr Sylvia Estrada-Caludio, CSSP Chair JC Tejano, USC Councilor Carlo Pangalangan and USC Councilor Ace Ligsay, and UP gender advocate students


Media was well represented as all the major networks joined the coverage of the UP Pride March.

USC Councilor HEART DINO, Head of  USC Gender Committee, giving out a speech during the UP Pride March

Gender Advocates


Photos by Pat Bringas and Erika Pascua

UP PRIDE MARCH @ GMA NEWS TV LIVE


For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

Monday, June 27, 2011

LOVE. OUT. LOUD.

Oblation supports UP PRIDE WEEK

UP Babaylan, in celebration of the UP PRIDE WEEK, adorned the Oblation with rainbow wings reminiscent of the logo of the first and largest LGBT student organization in the University. This event serves as the launch of the UP PRIDE WEEK, a weeklong celebration of diversity where activities that were prepared were geared towards gender equality. UP Babaylan, together with the USC Gender Committee, headed by Councilor Heart Dino, a proud member of UP Babaylan, and AKEI bring you several events that will promote and advance gender equality and human rights in the University. Join and support the UP PRIDE WEEK activities. Join us and be part of the first and largest LGBT student organization in the University.

For 19 continuous years, UP BABAYLAN has fought long and hard so that you may no longer hide your true self from your friends in the University. For 19 continuous years, we have served avenues for growth and learning so that your friends will understand how you truly feel as a member of the LGBT community. For 19 continuous years, UP BABAYLAN has made the University of the Philippines a BETTER and SAFER home for YOU. Let us continue this legacy and advocacy so that no more LGBT student may have to hide who they really are from their friends and eventually their families.For 19 continuous years, we have always believed that you have the freedom to love who you choose. Live the life you deserve. UP Babaylan fights for your freedom to love.

LOVE. OUT. LOUD. UP BABAYLAN.



Rainbow hugs to Dawn Fabrero for taking these wonderful photos. UP Babaylan loves you.




Photos by Amy Bringas

Monday, June 20, 2011

UP DILIMAN PRIDE MARCH

Rising up to Hate Crime

Proud to be LGBT

UP Babaylan Vice-President Amy Bringas, was featured as part of the campaign for the Proud to be LGBT Photo series. Support the campaign for advancing LGBT rights in the University of the Philippines. Go here.


Amy Bringas, Vice-President of UP Babaylan
Photos taken by: UP IRIS
Layout by: Peng San Agustin

Friday, June 17, 2011

Historic Decision: UN Human Rights Council Passes First-Ever Resolution on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity


Today’s resolution is the first UN resolution ever to bring specific focus to human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and follows a joint statement on these issues delivered at the March session of the council. It affirms the universality of human rights, and notes concern about acts of violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This commitment of the Human Rights Council sends an important signal of support to human rights defenders working on these issues...

Geneva, June 17, 2011 -- In a groundbreaking achievement for upholding the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the United Nations Human Rights Council has passed a resolution on human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity (L9/rev1).

The resolution, presented by South Africa along with Brasil and 39 additional co-sponsors from all regions of the world, was passed by a vote of 23 in favour, 19 against, and 3 abstentions. A list of how States voted is attached. In its presentation to Council, South Africa recalled the UDHR noting that “everyone is entitled to all rights and freedoms without distinction of any kind” and Brasil called on the Council to “open the long closed doors of dialogue”.

Today’s resolution is the first UN resolution ever to bring specific focus to human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and follows a joint statement on these issues delivered at the March session of the council. It affirms the universality of human rights, and notes concern about acts of violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This commitment of the Human Rights Council sends an important signal of support to human rights defenders working on these issues, and recognizes the legitimacy of their work.

“The South African government has now offered progressive leadership, after years of troubling and inconsistent positions on the issue of sexual orientation and gender identity. Simultaneously, the government has set a standard for themselves in international spaces. We look forward to contributing to and supporting sustained progressive leadership by this government and seeing the end of the violations we face daily”, said Dawn Cavanagh, of the Coalition of African Lesbians

The resolution requests the High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare a study on violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and calls for a panel discussion to be held at the Human Rights Council to discuss the findings of the study in a constructive and transparent manner, and to consider appropriate follow-up.

“That we are celebrating the passage of a UN resolution about human rights violations on the basis of sexual orientation is remarkable, however the fact that gender identity is explicitly named truly makes this pivotal moment one to rejoice in,” added Justus Eisfeld, Co-Director of GATE. “The Human Rights Council has taken a step forward in history by acknowledging that both sexual and gender non-conformity make lesbian, gay, trans* and bi people among those most vulnerable and indicated decisively that states have an obligation to protect us from violence.”

"As treaty bodies, UN special procedures, and national courts have repeatedly recognized, international human rights law prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.”, declared Alli Jernow, of the International Commission of Jurists.

The resolution is consistent with other regional and national jurisprudence, and just this week, the 2011 United Nations Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS recognised the need to address the human rights of men who have sex with men, and the Organization of American States adopted by consensus a resolution condemning violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Earlier in this 17th session of the Human Rights Council, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Rashida Manjoo, reported to the Council that:

“Contributory factors for risk of violence include individual aspects of women’s bodily attributes such as race, skin colour, intellectual and physical abilities, age, language skills and fluency, ethnic identity and sexual orientation.”
The report also detailed a number of violations committed against lesbian, bisexual and trans women, including cases of rape, attacks and murders. It is therefore regrettable that a reference to "women who face sexuality-related violence" was removed from the final version of another resolution focused on the elimination of violence against women during the same session.

"Despite this inconsistency, we trust the UN resolution on sexual orientation and gender identity will facilitate the integration of the full range of sexual rights throughout the work of the UN.", said Meghan Doherty, of the Sexual Rights Initiative.

A powerful civil society statement was delivered at the end of the session, welcoming the resolution and affirming civil society’s commitment to continuing to engage with the United Nations with a view to ensuring that all persons are treated as free and equal in dignity and rights, including on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.

“Now, our work is just beginning”, said Kim Vance of ARC International. “We look forward to the High Commissioner’s report and the plenary panel next March, as well as to further dialogue with, and support from, those States which did not yet feel able to support the resolution, but which share the concern of the international community at these systemic human rights abuses.”

Signing this Press Release:
ARC International, John Fisher (Geneva) +41 79 508 3968 or john@arc-international.net 


Amnesty International, Peter Splinter (Geneva) +41 (0) 22 906 9483 or Emily Gray (London) +44 (0) 20 7413 5865
CAL – Coalition of African Lesbians, Dawn Cavanagh (South Africa) + 27 11 918 6115 or dawn@cal.org.za 


COC Nederland, Björn van Roozendaal
(Netherlands) +31 6 22 55 83 00 or BvanRoozendaal@coc.nl


Council for Global Equality, Mark Bromley (Washington) +1.202.719.0511 or Mark@globalequality.org
GATE - Global Action for Trans* Equality, Justus Eisfeld (New York) jeisfeld@transactivists.org, +1-646-341-1699 or Mauro Cabral (Argentina) mcabral@transactivists.org or +54 9 351 5589876
Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights, Stefano Fabeni (Washington) +1 312-919-3512 or sfabeni@heartlandalliance.org


Human Rights Watch, Siphokazi Mthathi (South Africa) mthaths@hrw.org or + 27 82 777 1319/ +27 11 484 2640 or Juliette De Rivero (Geneva) +41 079 640 1649 or derivej@hrw.org


IDAHO - International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, Joel Bedos (France) jbedos@dayagainsthomophobia.org


IGLHRC - International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, Jessica Stern (New York) + 1 212 430 6014 or jstern@iglhrc.org



ILGA- the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, Renato Sabbadini, +32 474 857 950 or renato@ilga.org
International Campaign Stop Trans Pathologization STP 2012, Amets Suess, stp2012@gmail.com
International Commission of Jurists, Alli Jernow (Geneva) +41(0)22 979 3800) or allison.jernow@icj.org
International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), Bjorn Pettersson (Geneva), b.pettersson@ishr.ch, +41 22 919 7117


Sexual Rights Initiative, Meghan Doherty, Sexual Rights Initiative, +41 (0)78 871 6713 or meghan@acpd.ca
Thailand's Sexual Diversity Network, Paisarn Likhitpreechakul +66 81 634 3450 or forsogi@gmail.com
Transgender Europe (TGEU), Carla LaGata (Germany), mana@zedat.fu-berlin.de

Records of Vote and Co-Sponsorship
Council member States supporting the resolution: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Hungary, Japan, Mauritius, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Republic of Korea, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, Thailand, UK, USA, Uruguay

Council member States against the resolution: Angola, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Djibouti, Gabon, Ghana, Jordan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Moldova, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Uganda.

Abstentions: Burkina Faso, China, Zambia

Absent: Kyrgyzstan, Libya (suspended)

Co-Sponsors of the resolution: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Timor-Leste, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, and Uruguay.

Download Resolution HERE.
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