Klea Pineda, Katrice Kierulf, and more queer couples shine on Preview's Pride Month issue

Queer couples took the main stage on the cover of Preview Magazine’s annual Pride Month issue.

Among the couples featured are Kapuso actress Klea Pineda and her girlfriend Katrice Kierulf.

The cover story is titled “All the Lovers: The Fight for Marriage Equality in the Philippines,” and features married and longtime couples.

“In a country where family is sacred and marriage is seen as its foundation, the absence of equal rights is not just a legal gap, it’s a daily reality. Still, they show up. Still, they choose each other; and in that choosing, they challenge the system that says their love isn’t enough,” Preview said on Instagram. “The road is long, but the heart remains steady because love is love, and love deserves the law.” 

The other couples are: Ben&Ben’s Pat Lasaten and Agnes Reoma; LGBTQ+ activist and news anchor Jervi Wrightson or KaladKaren and husband Luke Wrightson; content creator Deo Cabrera and boyfriend Richmond Tabangcura; Olympic athlete Hergie Bacyadan and content creator Lady Denily Digo; makeup artist Jigs Mayuga and husband Ben Ty; Rocketsets’ Rocky Legaspi and Migo Alomajan; and artists Arts Serrano and Agu Crisostomo.

More couples include: volleyball players Ella de Jesus and Jema Galanza; fashion designers Nicolo Perez and RJ Santos; athlete Bethany Talbot and tattoo artist Hyna; HA.MU co-founder and designer Abraham Guardian and producer Gem Ausa; photographers Cenon and Mav; models Raejell Roxas and Catherine Bautista; trans couple Kylie Celebre and Jan Pablo; and content creators Saint Yves and Francheska Lhian.

The couples talked about how they met, their marriages and partnerships, and the fight for same sex marriage and equal rights in the Philippines.

“There are those with a lot to risk and lose, people whose safety might be compromised, but for those who are fortunate enough to love loudly, our stories matter now more than ever,” the cover story said.

“They say that to be queer is in itself a defiant act, but in the lives we long to live and tell, ones that deserve to be heard and understood, the only “luxury” we’re really asking for is the ordinary pleasure of loving simply.”

Pride Month, happening every June, serves to empower the Filipino LGBTQIA+ community by creating spaces where their identities are celebrated, stories are respected, and their rights are recognized.

Pride March and other events also serve as a protest against the abuse and injustices the community faces.

 

 

 

 

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—Nika Roque/JCB, GMA Integrated News