Pilipinas, Tara Na! :)
Squatter settlements in Manila Bay, Luzon, Philippines
A #kitty comfortably sleeping atop a tray of warm #Balut eggs during a stormy night in the #Philippines (Taken with Instagram at Pilipinas/Filipinas/Philippines)
proposed flag of Bukidnon (includes easternmost Misamis Oriental)
Kalesa’s Horse
Photo taken in Manila, Philippines
proposed flag of Isabela
Just don’t mind the watermark. That’s just my previous url. And I’m just reposting stuff.
Posted on 13 Jun 2011 at 3:38am
Graphic Nation
By Psyche Roxas-Mendoza
Rev. Ceejay Agbayani of the Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC)
It was the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community’s night of support for the Reproductive Health (RH) bill. And judging from the slogans and fighting words spouted, the war on the RH bill may have just gone a notch higher.
A huge tarpaulin stressing the wondrous benefits of a lubricating gel and another tarp pushing for a brand of condom decorated the four walls of the covered basketball court. At the center stood an elevated makeshift stage and a raised wooden ramp, about 10 to 12 feet in length, festooned on both sides with bright lights and cocky bird-of-paradise floral arrangements.
Outside, the early evening rain had stopped and a Flores de Mayo was underway in Brgy. Pinyahan, Quezon City. There, in the middle of Malakas street, moved arch after arch of fully made-up gays dressed in frilly, gossamer, white and not-white sagala gowns.
Curious bystanders tittered in amusement while others hollered their support for the gay parade that came complete with gay escorts, a posse of motorbike riders for traffic control, a streamer bearing the message: “Gay Alliance for Councilor RJ Belmonte (GARB),” and a marching green-and-yellow brass band.
It was the Quezon City lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community’s Flores de Mayo and beauty contest, organized by the Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) in support of the Reproductive Health (RH) bill. And judging from the slogans and fighting words spouted by the sagalascum- beauty contestants, the war on the RH bill may have just gone a notch higher.
Priest for gays
Rev. Ceejay Agbayani is the second Filipino ordained as Pastor by the MCC, an international religious movement ministering to gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders.
Started on Oct. 6, 1968 in the United States by MCC Rev. Troy Perry, the religious group reached the Philippines in 1991, opening its first church in Manila through another MCC priest known to its members as Father Richard Mickley.
In a span of 20 years, the MCC in the Philippines has grown, opening two more churches, one in Baguio and another in Quezon City, which was founded by Agbayani, together with his gay partner, Marlon.
MCC-Philippines also has its Union Theological Seminary in Dasmariñas, Cavite, which offers a masters degree in Divinity. Like all churches, the MCC also has its Sunday Worship Service, support group meetings and retreats.
“MCC is known as a Gay Church primarily because most of its members are LGBT and its founder is an openly gay minister. But now we are known internationally as the Human Rights Church for all,” Agbayani explained.
The MCC priest added that their adherence to human rights led them to support the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) Bill still pending in Congress.
“MCC favors the RH Bill because we believe that women, men and children should have a voice with regard to their reproductive and sexual rights. We believe that women should have access to available (contraceptive) methods for protecting themselves. Women should have a right to their bodies. They own their own bodies and they should be responsible for their bodies,” Agbayani elaborated.
Gays for RH Inside the covered basketball court, some 400 organized gays and a smattering of straight spectators attended the beauty contest that came right after the Flores de Mayo.
Loud calls of “Reproductive Health Bill, Ipasa! Ipasa! Now na! [Pass the RH Bill at once!]”—first chanted in the streets during the parade, now reverberated inside the medium-sized hall.
Gays dressed in their glam gowns had fighting words addressed to homophobics and anti-RH supporters everywhere. As first stated by Agbayani: “The hypocrisy of the Philippine Roman Catholic Church is evident in their being homophobic, considering many of their members are closet gays.”
“We’re queer! We’re queer! We can never disappear!” said one contestant dressed in a white sequined gown.
A contestant that claimed to represent the Society of Transsexual Women in the USA said they were going all out in support of the RH bill. Another primly said: “Not all women are created female.” And still another quipped: “Homosexuality is not a disease, it’s a gift from God.”
The MCC announced that it will hold its next Flores de Mayo-cum-Beauty Contest in Quezon City on May 6, 2012, hopefully this time, in celebration of a Reproductive Health Law.
Meanwhile, the MCC task of educating Filipinos on the uses of lubricant jelly products and condoms continue. G
