Pinoy Pride in 2025

I would not be surprised if today’s Pride PH Festival 2025 dubbed “Love Laban sa Diliman” would smash attendance records for Pride events in the Philippines and in Asia.

- TONYO CRUZ

Unlike last year, when the gates of the Quezon Memorial Circle had to be closed due to crowd overflow (with an estimated 212,000 at peak), we could be certain that the spacious University of the Philippines campus can easily accommodate more than a hundred thousand people.

There are reasons to celebrate. For one, the city of San Juan has approved a resolution adopting the Right to Care Card for the city’s LGBT couples. Quezon City blazed the trail for this health proxy measure. We hope other cities would do the right thing and make this available to more couples.

There are also newly-elected and reelected LGBTs and allies in Congress and local governments.

There are reasons as well to protest.

Family and friends of Ali Macalintal, Kierra Apostol, Shalani Dolina, Ren Tampus and other slain transgender persons demand justice.

Maybe, just maybe, the anti-discrimination bill would finally be passed by Congress and enacted into law. It has been 25 years this year since Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago first introduced such bill in the Senate.