5 storybooks teaching gender equality and diversity to Filipino kids have just been released

Terms like 'gender equality' and 'gender diversity' don't have to be stuck among adults anymore.

On Tuesday, Mulat Sulat launched five storybooks that teach Filipino children about the importance of equality and diversity of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions (SOGIE).

Under the Academy of Political Management by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung-Philippines and Center for Youth Advocacy and Networking, the project Mulat Sulat released a series of five books to address the lack of SOGIE representation in children's media, by bringing the concepts of SOGIE to children through metaphors. 

Mondi Ruedas, author of "What's My Power Gear?" one of the five books, said, "May nagtatanong sa mga bata na, 'Ay bakit ka nagsusuot ng ganyan? Hindi dapat ganyan ang suot mo'."

"Pero hindi natin nakikita 'yung epekto noon sa bata na parang gusto nila suotin eh, bakit mo sila pagbabawalan? Eh doon lumalabas pagkatao nila, so ngayon sa kuwento, pinapakita namin na ang damit kung gusto talaga ng bata lumalakas siya," he added.

According to Jason del Rosario, Mulat Sulat spokesperson, 100 copies of each book have been produced and distributed already from Ilocos to Zamboanga, but they are still in need of help and funds to have greater coverage.

LGBT rights advocate and former National Youth Commission official Perci Cendaña said, "Kung masimulan natin sa bata ang pagkakakilala na tayo ay magkakaiba pero pantay-pantay baka 'yung problema na kinakaharap natin ngayon ay mawala sa hinaharap."

He added, "Baka we can change the world one story at a time, and in this case, we can change the world of discrimination and stigma, one children's story at a time." — LA, GMA News

The books are downloadable for free at tinyurl.com/mulatsulat (Reproduction is allowed as long as it is not sold)