The QC pride march: Love and rainbow colors fill the streets

More than 4,000 members and supporters of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community took to the streets of Quezon City on Saturday for the city's first pride march.

"Our main goal is to deliver the message of equality," Jeffklein Glodove of the Quezon City Pride Council (QCPC) secretariat told GMA News Online in a phone interview on Sunday.

The event was organized to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the first pride march in the Philippines as well as Quezon City's 75th diamond jubilee.

Glodove added that the event was a "pet project" of the recently formed QCPC.

"QCPC defines equality in all aspect of life. Equality in the workplace, social services, and delivery of goods without any discrimination regardless of gender identity and sexual orientation," he said.


The pride march was attended by more than 100 LGBT organizations not only from Quezon City but also from Mandaluyong City and provinces including Ilocos, Rizal, and Cavite. Student organizations, people's organizations, party-list groups, and representatives of barangays in Quezon City also participated in the event.

The float parade, which started at Rembrandt Hotel, concluded with a program at Quezon City Circle.

The program started with a ceremonial candle-lighting for all the HIV/AIDS victims, followed by a speech by QC mayor Herbert Bautista and the awarding of "Best Float" and the "Pride March LBGT Rainbow Award."

The event also featured a diversity fashion show, which showcased LGBT models.

"With Quezon City's goal to be a gender-fair city, our task is to ensure peoples' awareness and education about the LGBT, and to eventually pursue acceptance," Glodove said. — BM, GMA News