Rainbow over Malate

Whoever has been to Malate during the wee hours, weekends especially, will agree that it is the niche for gay culture—a small niche in a bustling community of young professionals, urban dwellers and even muggers. For some, Malate is an old Manila district where upper and lower middle class people live in and where petty theft is a common practice. But for others, it is the go-to place for a good night hangout, a place for meeting new friends and a place for just having fun.

The 40-meter long rainbow flag waving through the sea of proud LGBT people and allies. Image from Proud to be LGBT Campaign

Gay night life in Malate along the streets of Adriatico, Ma. Orosa and J. Nakpil among others has continued to grow with the non-stop rising of bars and clubs, most of which are for the lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people who are more commonly labeled as the LGBT.


Being the center of gay night life, it came to no surprise as the Manila Pride Parade took place in Malate. Dubbed as the Pride of the Orient, this year’s pride parade celebrated the rainbow-like personalities of the proud LGBT people who continue to battle societal discrimination rooted on gender and sexuality, and who nonetheless survive the harsh realities with a bang! Placards and banners bearing statements like “I’m proud to be an LGBT” and “walang masama sa pagiging bakla (nothing is wrong with being gay)” flooded the streets as more than 1,500 LGBT and friends marched along Remedios St., Roxas Blvd., Pedro Gil, Jorge Bacobo and Orosa-Nakpil streets.

More than 75 organizations joined the event this year according to Task Force Pride Philippines, the official organizer of the annual pride parade in Manila. And among those organizations were different individuals who each have different gender, sexuality and outlook in life. Some of the organizations that donned rainbow colors were Amnesty International Philippines, ProGay Philippines, Filipino Freethinkers and the Metropolitan Community Church of Quezon City. Ladlad, Bayan Muna and Anakbayan partylists also joined the parade fighting for equality and anti-discrimination. Proud to be LGBT Campaign and UP Babaylan of the University of the Philippines—Diliman and the Queer Archers of the De La Salle University also rallied their students and expressed their pride and support for the LGBT community.

Not to be outdone by others, the UP delegates charmed the crowd especially photographers with its 40-meter long rainbow flag. The first time ever to have a long colorful flag paraded in the annual march stole the scene as passersby and bystanders were bedazzled by the flag’s eight colors.

The Proud to be LGBT Campaign together with UP students taking over the streets of Malate. (I'm the one in the striped red and black shirt on the lower left) Image from Proud to be LGBT Campaign and photo credit to Quentin Gaudilliere Photography

Each color represents different personas of the LGBT community, the same with the different stories, expectations and purposes every participants shared. A first time pride marcher was surprised as to how many people assembled at Remedios Circle before the parade, wearing bright colors complete with signs and props. Some wore long gowns, fairy-like costumes with emphasis on the wings while others went to more symbolisms like the closet and the image of Jesus Christ with the sign “I grew up with two dads and I turned out just fine.”

Wings, long hair and everything fabulous--a must have for the pride parade. Image taken from Spot.ph

But there will always be the other side of the story—those who oppose the LGBT. Individuals from the Concerned Christian Church strolled along the streets of Malate carrying banners that encourage the LGBT people to change and embrace heterosexuality by warning the former that being any letter not pertaining to heterosexuality was not created by God and therefore is a sin that merits them a one-way ticket to hell. But instead of engaging in a word or fist fight, the LGBT community ignored it, while some even gave the fundamentalists flowers to show that lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people are not as bad as they think they are.

Anti-LGBT protestors from the Concerned Christian Church. Image taken from Spot.ph

Nothing can surely rain on their parade, literally and figuratively, as the skies cleared out and stopped raining despite the heavy rains days before the event. And with every cheer, laughs, smiles and dances the crowd made, the louder and stronger the message was sent across and beyond the streets of Malate.

This year’s pride parade has only shown the growing LGBT community in the country, where being LGBT should be freely and indiscriminately embraced. And what better way to celebrate the colorful existence of the LGBT people than to walk the runways of the hub of gay culture. No one knows yet where the rainbow colors will next fill the air. One thing is for sure, Malate will always have a rainbow above it. 


This post has been previously published in my other blog.