Senti

Napansin na kita noon pa.
Nagpacute ako sa yo, alam mo ba?
kaso hindi mo ko pinansin ha.

Sad.
Fast forward.

Ilang taon na ang nakaraan. 
mula sa kung saan,
bigla kang nagparamdam.

Chineck ko status mo,
ikaw ay may SO.

Hmm...

Syempre, kahit matagal na,
kinilig pa rin ako ng bahagya.
Kaya ayun, pinansin naman kita.

Haha. Hindi na nagpakipot!
Ambilis kong sumagot.

kaya muli akong nagsulat.
Pero hindi lang dahil sa yo ang lahat.
madaming dahilan, maraming pinag-ugatan.

pero isa ka na dun.
naexcite ako, alam mo ba yun?
Siguro naexcite ka din ng ganun.

kasi mula noon nagsulatan na tayo.
May pananabik sa kung anong bago.
Walang malisya to, maniwala kayo. :)

Kilig lang. 
Masaya lang.

Ang sulatan ay naging tawagan.
Nagsulputan ang mga langgam.
At nagsimula akong dagain.

Status ko ay muling sinilip.
In a relationship.
Tae. Badtrip.

New Jersey Gay Marriage Bill Fails To Pass

i'm a tad sad by this. but they already have civil union at least.
i suggest you read the comments on the article in huffington. you will see very interesting arguments. here's a few i was able to chew on:

1. you can’t marry your partner, but you can marry your first cousin in 27 states
see it here

2. the bill is about regulating acceptable (norm) sexual behaviors

3. this is not about love, because truly, we can love anybody we want (just don't marry them). There are no rules limiting who loves whom and how.

4. what is the meaning of marriage in US anyway? Divorce is very common. Do we want to be associated with their definition of marriage?

5. Marriage is about a legal and societal norm.

6. Marriage is between one man and one woman. But bible shows stories of multiple partners. Bible didn't have annulment and divorce, so I think we have long deviated from the bible yet we keep using it as source for argument.

7. 19 different Christian clergymen came forward in support of same-sex marriage in NJ. That's grand for me.

8. A battle is lost; the war goes on. - Leland R. Erickson

=======================

New Jersey Gay Marriage Bill Fails To Pass



| 01/ 7/10 05:00 PM |AP
-----------------------
TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey's state Senate has defeated a bill to legalize gay marriage, leaving it unlikely the state will have a gay marriage law in the very near future.

The bill needed 21 votes to pass; only 14 senators approved the measure Thursday.

Gay rights advocates had pushed hard to get the bill passed before Jan. 19, when Republican Chris Christie becomes governor. Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine promised to sign the bill if approved by the Legislature but Christie has said he would veto it.

New Jersey offers civil unions that grant the legal rights of marriage to gay couples. Five states – Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont – allow gay marriage.

source: The Huffington Post

Catholic Portugal set to legalize gay marriage

sharing :)

the world is expanding, we are getting more options to live freely with our love.
cheers to Portugal!

--------------------------------
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 21:11:00 01/06/2010

Filed Under: Social Issues, Gender Issues, Religions

LISBON- Catholic Portugal, traditionally one of Europe's most socially conservative countries, is expected to approve the legalization of gay marriage on Friday with a minimum of fuss.

With the governing Socialists and other left-wing parties enjoying a strong majority, the new law is likely to sail through the first reading debate and gain final approval before a visit by Pope Benedict XVI, due in Portugal in May.

In contrast to Spain, where the lead-up to the legalization of gay marriage in 2005 brought hundreds of thousands of demonstrators onto the streets, the bill in Portugal has provoked only muted opposition even from the right.

While normally vocal on the role of marriage and the family in society, the Catholic Church has refused to mobilize on a subject which, according to Lisbon's Cardinal Patriarch Jose Policarpo, is "parliament's responsibility".

"I think the Portuguese people have learnt one of the fundamental tenets of democracy: respect for the rights of the individual," Miguel Vale de Almeida, Portugal's first openly-gay lawmaker who was elected in September, told AFP.

Vale de Almeida, who is the Socialists' pointman on the legislation, said there is now a political majority in favor of gay marriage and that it is "too simplistic to link Catholicism and conservatism."

According to poll conducted late last year by the Eurosondagem institute, while a strong majority (68.4 percent) of Portuguese are opposed to adoptions by same-sex couples, they are more evenly divided when it comes to gay marriage with 49.5 percent against, with 45.5 percent in favor.

On Tuesday, campaigners handed a petition with more than 90,000 signatures to demand a referendum on the subject into parliament.

But having had its fingers burnt by two referendums which preceeded the legalization of abortion in 2007, the government has ruled out consulting with the public as the measure was part of its manifesto in last year's election.

Prime Minister Jose Socrates' Socialists may have lost their majority in the September 27 election, but still command the support of other left-wing parties in parliament who should guarantee that the gay marriage bill is passed.

While opposed to the concept of same-sex "marriages", the centre-right opposition Social Democrat party says it is favor of a civil partnership that would give gays and lesbians the same rights as heterosexual couples minus adoptions.

Deputies are also expected on Friday to vote two other bills submitted by the Green party, the Left Bloc and others which would grant gay and lesbian couples the right to adopt children.

If the gay marriage proposals do pass through parliament, they will the have to go through a parliamentary commission before coming back for the final approval.

According to media reports, both the government and the Catholic Church want the gay marriage issue to be resolved before the visit of the pope, scheduled for May 11-14.

source: inquirer.net

outing

I hate it that I'm hesitating.

I love womyn. It's as natural to me as my period. It gives me joy and makes me happy. Womyn excite me. Well, only the hot, cool, confident, intelligent, fun, out of the box kind. I can burst into a song (uhm, probably just a poem, since I have below average singing voice. Haha) just to express my feelings on womyn. I can readily infuse it in my day to day conversations:

I tasted a dessert that's so divinely delicious and I go, "This food is soo good! Wow! I'm soo happy to be gay. I hope they make this dessert in womyn shape."

So why the hell am I not out? But then, if it's so innate, why the need to be out with it huh? *I'm turning schizo here* I think it's more oppressive to be out, because you feel the need to explain to people your sexuality. Why? Do we owe them anything just because we're gay? To officially give the homophobes the signal to lambast gays? Not a chance!

Other gays may feel the need to be out because they've intentionally hidden/denied their gay selves. I have not actually hidden, just not telling, because I don’t like explaining to people unless it's required. I'll confirm if anybody asks. So far, none has a clue or the guts to ask me yet or maybe it just doesn’t matter anymore, which is a feeling close to equal.

They say to be gay and stressing it is redundant. So I think I don’t need to be defensive and just live. Let it radiate from me and simply let go. That should lift a ton of burden. :)

I don’t need to be out. I'm gay, so I'll live my life and by doing so I'm outing myself.

New Hampshire now 5th state to allow same-sex marriage

Good news for 2010! :-)

--------------------------------
New Hampshire now 5th state to allow same-sex marriage
January 1, 2010 -- Updated 1721 GMT (0121 HKT)




(CNN) -- After 19 years together Linda Murphy and Donna Swartwout tied the knot at 12:01 a.m. Friday, when New Hampshire's law legalizing same-sex marriage took effect.

They were among several couples early Friday who married under a full moon on the steps of the New Hampshire Statehouse in Concord.

At midnight, New Hampshire became the fifth state to allow same-sex couples to marry, joining Connecticut, Vermont, Massachusetts and Iowa.

The couple, who live in Hudson, New Hampshire, said they wanted to be married as soon as they could.

"We were thrilled and proud of New Hampshire ... it was a such a historic moment," Murphy said.

Swartwout said the marriage gives them "words and language that the rest of the world uses."

"When my nephew asks, 'Who's Linda?" I get to say, 'she's my wife,' " she said.

------

See article here: cnn.com

friendly friends

It's hard being gay, much more not being out.
But what's worse than that?
Your closest friends leaving to work overseas.
What's worse than that?
Reaching out for new friends, like starting over again
What's worse than that?
Getting rejected
What's worse than that?
Getting rejected because I intimidate them.

Ouch.
I realized I may not be for everyone. While some people enjoy reading my entries, it's an altogether different story about meeting me. I come with good intentions, but people have varying perceptions.

I had high hopes of what's out there, but that incident zapped me back to reality. Thanks for making me grounded and now, guarded.

To my future friends,
I can be intimidating without knowing it. But I can't mellow just to make you comfortable.
I'm not consciously sweet. I tell things as is, so you may get hurt. I won't apologize for that.
I may seem demanding because I ask questions point blank, but to answer is entirely your choice.
I love the outdoors and will often want to hang out with you, so please make time for me :-)
I will believe you and fight for you because I'm very loyal, so better be honest or you lose my trust.
I enjoy playful banter and witty repartee, don't take them seriously, let's just have fun.

I will tell you more, just go knock my door. :-)

Share tayo :)

Six and a half years na kong nagbablog. Akalain mo yon?! Binandera ko ang buhay ko, mula kalamnan hanggang kaluluwa.

Sabi nila, wag daw todo todo magbigay kasi baka walang matira sa yo. Sa dami ng binahagi ko, hindi minsan ko naramdamang nabawasan ako. Kung may nawala man, yun ay ang mga sintemyento ko sa mga kung anik-anik na olats na parte ng pakikipagsapalaran ko. Kasi gumagaan ang pakiramdam ko every time sumusulat ako. Sa panahon ng "No therapeutic claims", ito na ang pinakamura at mabisang therapy! Sankapa di ba? :)

Ang totoo, mas nadagdagan ako mula nang nagsulat ako. Sa pagdami ng entries ko, dumami kaibigan ko. Nagka-fans pa ko! Naks! Wehehe. Obviously, nadagdagan din yabang ko. Haha!

Nung binalikan ko past entries ko, nagugulat ako. Sinabi ko talaga yon?! Ako talaga gumawa ng tulang yan? Akalain mo, naisip ko yun! Ang galing kasi! *ayan, ang yabang na naman! Haha!*

Kung magkaroon man ng pagkakataon na maisip ko na dumaan lang ang panahon ng ganun na lang na para bang nasayang, balikan ko lang ang past blog entries ko at madali akong maliliwanagan. Mas maliwanag at maputi pa sa naputikang t-shirt na binabad sa Tide Oxy-bleach. Ito ang patotoo - naging makabuluhan ang nakaraan.

Kung gusto nyo ko makilala, madali lang. basta marunong ka magbasa at may access sa internet. Malalaman mo lahat ng kabaliwan at kakornihan ko. Kung pano ako ka-OA magmahal at magreklamo. Kung gano ako katsismosa at kadaldal. Kung sinu-sino ang pinagnasahan ko at mga jinowa ko, pati kung kelan kami nagbreak at iba pang escapades!. Ultimo grammar errors at bloopers ko mabibisto mo! Haha. Madalas kasi type lang ako ng type at tamad na mag-edit.

Nitong papalapit ang Pasko, medyo detached ako. One week na lang, hindi ko pa rin feel ang espiritu ng Pasko. Magtrabaho ka ba naman hanggang Dec. 23 e. Pero nung nagshashopping na ko ng mga regalo sa pamilya ko, unti-unti sumigla ang pakiramdam ko. Plano ko nung una pa lang, magtitipid talaga ako, kaso pag namimili ka na at ito'y nakalaan sa mahal mo sa buhay, lalambot din susi ng pitaka mo e. Dahil ang totoo, mahal para sa mahal. :) Kung si jowa ko nabibilhan ng mga bonggang regalo, pamilya ko pa titipirin ko? Kesehodang pasaway si kapatid o kaya mahirap ispelengin si mother at sobrang higpit ni tatay, aminin na natin, mahal natin sila! :-p Ito pala ang meaning ng Pasko… mahal sa mahal! Haha! :)
Sorry, pero hindi lang para sa mga bata ang Pasko (ahahaha) kundi para sa lahat! Wag kayo madamot!

Super gasgas man sabihin, pero sa pagbibigay ko natagpuan ang sigla ng Pasko.

Salamat sa inyong lahat na nagbasa, nakiramay, nakipagflirt, nagcomment, naglurk , nang-okray, kinilig at nakitsismis. Mas malawak ang mundo sa world wide web. Excited na uli ako magkwento at magbigay ng sarili ko sa inyo. Share tayo! :)

"Ang Ladlad" issue splits Comelec - ouch!

sad, hurtful news for LGBTQ in the Philippines :(
"Ang Ladlad" is an LGBTQ political party which got rejected by the Commission on Elections for two consecutive elections now. The reasons they rejected the party will make you cringe.

--------------------------------
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:51:00 12/18/2009

Filed Under: Eleksyon 2010, Inquirer Politics, Elections, Gender Issues, Religion & Belief

MANILA, Philippines — A petition for party-list accreditation from a gay rights group has become a divisive issue among the election commissioners, forcing Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair Jose Melo to intervene and cast the final dissenting vote against Ang Ladlad.

The Comelec, meeting en banc on Wednesday to hear Ang Ladlad’s motion for reconsideration, voted to uphold a Second Division ruling last November rejecting Ang Ladlad’s petition to be recognized as a party-list group.

The decision, released Thursday, effectively bars Ang Ladlad, which advocates for gay rights, from joining the 2010 elections as a party-list group.

The commissioners voted along division lines, with the Second Division members reiterating their earlier decision to reject Ang Ladlad and the First Division members voting to overturn that decision.

Tie break
With the en banc evenly split at 3-3, Melo cast the tie-break vote on the side of the Second Division.

Melo defended the Second Division’s ruling that Ang Ladlad advocated immorality and violated the “moral parameters” set by the Bible and the Koran, the Christian and Muslim holy books, respectively.

“They are possibly religion-based, but as a society, the Philippines cannot ignore its more than 500 years of Muslim and Christian upbringing, such that some moral precepts espoused by said religions have seeped into society and these are now publicly accepted moral norms,” the Comelec chair said in his separate opinion.

“Until the time comes when Ladlad is able to justify that having mixed sexual orientations and transgender identities is beneficial to the nation, its application for accreditation under the party-list system will remain just that,” he added.

Original decision
In their original decision, the Second Division, composed of commissioners Nicodemo Ferrer, Lucenito Tagle and Elias Yusoph, quoted passages from the Bible and Koran and said that the lifestyle of the 22,000-strong Ang Ladlad violated morals and faith. It also said the group posed a danger to young Filipinos.

The First Division, made up of Commissioners Rene Sarmiento, Armando Velasco and Gregorio Larrazabal, disagreed and voted to overturn the decision.

The First Division members said there was no legal basis for rejecting the Ang Ladlad petition in the first place, with Sarmiento noting that the group’s petition “contains nothing that is morally reprehensible.”

What immorality?
Larrazabal denounced the Second Division decision, noting that the “resolution’s reliance on biblical and koranic provisions to sustain its finding of immorality blurs the separation between Church and State.”

He said Ang Ladlad’s petition made it clear that the group does not promote immorality.

“On the contrary, it merely attempts to make this commission appreciate the size of the country’s LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender] community, its current plight, and the means by which petitioner-movant intends to help correct this situation,” he wrote in his opinion.

The 2009 petition was the second attempt by Ang Ladlad to join the party-list race. The Comelec rejected their first try in 2007 because of their lack of national presence. Kristine L. Alave

SEE U ALL TONIGHT @ Generator Bar!! PARTY 4 A CAUSE

hey ladies, time to par-teh! I'll be going tonight.
If you wana meet up, just email me.
I'm excited to meet new peeps in this exclusive party.




FOR COMPLETE PARTY DETAILS TEXT or CALL :

0916.3860069 / 0918.5021910 / 0922.2886061

Houston (biggest US city) elected openly lez mayor - HOORAY!

by MONICA RHOR, Associated Press Writer Monica Rhor, Associated Press Writer – 51 mins ago


HOUSTON – Houston became the largest U.S. city to elect an openly gay mayor, with voters handing a solid victory to City Controller Annise Parker after a hotly contested runoff.

Parker defeated former city attorney Gene Locke with 53.6 percent of the vote Saturday in a race that had a turnout of only 16.5 percent.

"This election has changed the world for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community. Just as it is about transforming the lives of all Houstonians for the better, and that's what my administration will be about," Parker told supporters after Locke conceded defeat.

Parker, 53, has never made a secret or an issue of her sexual orientation. But it became the focus of the race after anti-gay activists and conservative religious groups endorsed Locke and sent out mailers condemning Parker's "homosexual behavior."

Locke, 61, tried to distance himself from the anti-gay attacks while courting conservative voters who could tip the election in his favor. Meanwhile, gay and lesbian political organizations nationwide rallied to support Parker by raising money for her campaign and making calls urging people to vote.

Several other U.S. cities, including Portland, Ore., Providence, R.I., and Cambridge, Mass., have openly gay mayors, but none as large as Houston.

A little more than 152,000 residents turned out to cast ballots in the nation's fourth largest city, which has a population of 2.2 million. Of those voters, 81,743 chose Parker — some 11,000 votes more than Locke received.

Although Locke condemned the anti-gay rhetoric, two of his key supporters contributed money to a conservative political action committee that sent out an anti-gay mailer earlier this month, urging voters not to pick Parker because she was endorsed by the "gay and lesbian political caucus."

Campaign finance reports show Ned Holmes, finance chairman of Locke's campaign, and James Dannenbaum, a member of the campaign's finance committee, each gave $20,000.

Late Saturday, Locke offered his congratulations to Parker and urged the city to move on from the bruising campaign fight.

"Here's what our city needs now: It needs unity. It needs us to come together and heal like we've never healed before, and to move forward under a new administration," he said.

Parker and Locke, both Democrats in the nonpartisan race, advanced to the runoff after garnering more votes than two other candidates on Nov. 3. Parker will succeed Bill White, who is term-limited after serving six years and is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor.

Houston is predominantly Democratic and about 25 percent black and one-third Hispanic. About 60,000 of its residents identify themselves as gay or lesbian.

let me

I will touch you and glide my fingertips to your velvety folds of skin
Raise my moistened fingers and bring them near my mouth
Smell your essence with subtle longing
I'll open my lips just a little bit to extend my tongue
So that through my fingertips flavored with your yearning
We can be introduced,
Like shaking hands for the first time.
I want to know you more and slowly taste all your desires.
I'll do this until just a thin film of your moisture is left on my skin.
Then swallow your fluid so that you become part of me and fuel my fervor
I'll take your tentative hands, bring them to me,
So you'll know me intimately.
I'll guide you to my inner longings
Make you understand the depth of my feelings
I'll flow with no rush, as if to say we have all the time
Let you pass by, even go back and forth if you like
Then when you're done,
I'll lift your hands so that I can kiss it
And be affirmed of how I feel for you.
Make me your lollipop candy,
Experience my sweet intentions and my firm convictions
I'll cup your face, kiss you deeply
Tongue you forcibly and delete your doubts
With each probe, I want you to trust me,
Let me go further
Until you submit.
Because I have long surrendered
To this force we are enslaved of

chaaat up!

it's been around four years since I last chatted via YM. i stopped since i transferred to a job that prohibits it. before, i can't imagine life sans YM, but then after years of not doing it, i unlearned the habit.

recently, i noticed that many people in the office are using YM. one idle moment, i tried to install one and use it. but i lost interest easily. weeks went by and i don't even think about it.

but i got idle again. so there.

----------
Chat 1 - to a friend who's from the South and working now in Manila now.

Firewomyn: How long have you been staying in Manila now?
Southwomyn: It's been two years

Firewomyn: And how is it so far?
Southwomyn: It was hard toadjust at first, but now I'm okay. I learned a lot.

Firewomyn: Can you give me the top three things you learned?
Southwomyn: What is this, a beauty contest?

Firewomyn: Nope, it's a quiz contest
Southwomyn: Hahahaha

Firewomyn: So?
Southwomyn: Your question is tough

Firewomyn: I thought you said you learned a lot?
Southwomyn: …. *still thinking*

Firewomyn: *hay, bummer*

----------
Chat 2 - to someone I thought I know

Firewomyn: Hi! 'Long time.
Overseaswomyn: Hello

Firewomyn: How have you been?
Overseaswomyn: I'm okay.

Firewomyn: Where are you now?
Overseaswomyn: In Jakarta.

Firewomyn: *starts to think* what are you doing there?
Southwomyn: pre-school teacher

Firewomyn: aah, are you X? (name of my friend)
Overseaswomyn: err, no.

Firewomyn: *oh gosh. bummer again*

-------

well, at least it brought me a topic to share :D

Forum for Us

UP Law, UP Center for Women's Studies, Libertas, and Rainbow Rights Project

invite you to a forum on

the State of the Party List System in the light of the decisions on Ang Ladlad and other petitions

Dec. 8, Tuesday 9am
at Malcolm Theater,
UP Law, Diliman, QC.

I know it's short notice, but I hope you can come.

525,600 minutes

"There's only now. There's only here.
Give in to love, or live in fear.
No other path, no other way.
NO DAY BUT TODAY.”



Embrace a new Valentine Experience!
Watch RENT Musical on FEBRUARY 14, 2010 (Sunday, 8PM)

For tickets to the Valentines Night schedule:
Contact Onay (0918.536.2116)
Email rentfeb14@yahoo.com
Visit www.rentfeb14.blogspot.com

Available seats as of December 4, 2009:
Orchestra Center (Php1700): 83 out of 177
Orchestra Side (Php1600): 119 out of 121
Loge Center (Php1400): 53 out of 88
Loge Side (Php1100): 16 out of 20
Balcony (Php 800): 21 out of 66

RESERVE NOW TO GET GOOD SEATS!
Please click on the link below to view the updated seat plan:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AtpmvO-z1jG3dHRBX1M5MTkzY1UxNEhUZnRaUUxNY0E&hl=en

For other schedules, visit www.9workstheatrical.com

Pride March today! Dare, Join!

Official TFP Statement For Press Release
Posted by Task Force Pride

LGBT Filipinos Dare, Care and March with Pride in 2009


Once again, the Filipino Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community along with their friends, families, allies and supporters, will come together in one massive and colorful parade at the 2009 Manila Pride March. On Saturday, December 5, 3pm at Remedios Circle, Malate, right in time for Human Rights week, LGBT Filipinos will come out in full-force not only to show their pride but also to stake their claim on their right to participate fully in civil, political, economic, cultural and social life in the Philippines and beyond.


The theme of this year’s Pride Parade is “We Dare. We Care” to signify the LGBT community’s proactive stance in addressing the human rights problems affecting their sector. “We shall no longer be complacent. We dare to remind the Philippine government and the rest of society that we have an obligation under international human rights law to promote and protect the rights and well-being of all people, including LGBT Filipinos, who are being threatened by the looming economic crisis, natural disasters, armed conflict, religious intolerance and lack of political will of some government officials,” according to Great Ancheta, Head Coordinator of Task Force Pride (TFP) Philippines 2009.


“The LGBT community will march to show their indignation and concern over the lack of human rights protections for LGBT Filipinos as shown in the recent decision of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) not to accredit Ang Ladlad, a partylist group for LGBT Filipinos, the non-passage of the Anti-Discrimination Bill and the increasing incidence of violence and discrimination committed against them in large-scale because of their sexual orientation and gender identity,” adds Great.


“The 2009 Pride March is the Filipino LGBT community’s expression of solidarity with our brothers and sisters who have braved the streets of Taipei, Hong Kong, Tokyo, London and other parts of the world to fight discrimination, homophobia, lesbophobia, biphobia and transphobia at the national and international levels,” according to Naomi Fontanos also of TFP. Worldwide, pride marches have served as a platform of solidarity, consciousness- raising and empowerment for the LGBT community.


Prominent human rights actors in the Southeast Asian Region have expressed their support for TFP. In its statement, Forum-Asia, an international human rights organization, stated that “the Pride March is an excellent platform for the LGBT groups and individuals to forge further solidarity and network to express themselves on the various ongoing issues that affect the community not only in the Philippines but the rest of the world.”


Dr. Sriprapha Petcharamesree, the Thai representative to the ASEAN Inter-governmental Commission on Human Rights, said in her solidarity message, “the rights of everyone [have] to be guaranteed and the space has to be equally created without which the building of ASEAN Community could not be fully realized.”


The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) of the Philippines also endorsed the 2009 Manila Pride March. According to CHR Chair, Atty. Leila De Lima in their message of solidarity, “We laud TFP Philippines for organizing this annual Pride March, and we recognize the courage of those who choose to participate in it. The Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines stands ready to offer whatever support it can, not only in relation to this event, but also in order to generally advance respect for, and the protection of, the human rights of the LGBT community.”


The Pride March will take place on 5 December 2009, Saturday and will pass by designated streets in historic Malate after the assembly at the Remedios Circle at 3 pm. It will begin with a grand parade, followed by a magnificent program, an extraordinary pageant and culminate in an unforgettable night of partying.


The 2009 Manila Pride March is organized by Task Force Pride (TFP) Philippines, a network of LGBT and LGBT-supportive groups and individuals who seek to promote positive visibility for the LGBT community including Bed Malate, Gay, Transgender and Bisexual Advocates for Youth (GABAY), Lesbian Advocates Philippines (LeAP), Metropolitan Community Church Quezon City (MCCQC), Outragemag.com, Single Guys Online (SGO) PH, and Society of Transsexual Women of the Philippines (STRAP). Founded in 1999, it is the official organizing network of the annual LGBT Pride Parade in Manila.


This year’s Pride March partners and sponsors are EZ Lubricating Jelly, Frenzy Condoms, Absolut, Andrew Christian, Archion Architects, BED, Beverly Hills 6750, Gabriela Women’s Party, Crobar, Gay and Lesbian Activist Network for Gender Equality (GALANG), Sen. Loren Legarda, Great Ancheta, Lookal, O Bar, Pride Exchange, Rainbow Bloggers Philippines, Rainbow Radio Pilipinas, MyFemme Magazine, Silya and The Library.


For more information, please contact any of the following members of the TFP 2009 Executive Committee: Great Ancheta (0920.926.4322), Naomi Fontanos (0920.269.7607).
Email: tfpexecom-owner@yahoogroups.com, Website: taskforcepride.blogspot.com.

i

so what if i love you? nothing else matters. i don't care if you're unstable, an atheist, closet or attached. i love you and only you. there's no question or condition. not even if you don't reciprocate. i love you in the simplest and most selfish form. just affirming it and feeling it is happiness already. i feel powerful with this love. because no external force can destroy this love. it starts from me and if in any case, will end from me. i love you and no one can take that from me. i love you and i don't care.

dreamer

I had a dream.
I was about to get married that day.
But due to an unknown reason, I wasn't able to go to my wedding.
Another girl played proxy at the church.

Next scene, afternoon after the wedding.
The person I married thru a proxy was sitting and sad.
I felt the sadness too.
The person I married is about to leave that night to work overseas.
Sob.
We hugged.
Tight.
I felt warmth from my inner being radiate slowly
Outward, up to my fingertips.
We hugged.
Tighter.
As if quelling the impending gloom.
The feeling was so intense.
Synonymous to deep feeling
I have long forgotten.
I stepped back an inch.
To look at the this person who's about to go
And leave me broken.
Gulp!
I married a man.
OMG!

End of the dream.

-----------------------
You might be thinking that it's not a dream, but a nightmare.
I don't know what to make of it. Even after waking out of the dream, I can still feel the sensations and all the emotions they stood for - love , commitment, sacrifice, separation. But he's a man for goodness' sake! In my dream, I did not care. Now fully awake, I'm concerned. Does this make me bi? I'm not really a fan of labels, but as Tim Gunn always say in Project Runway, "It worries me." I think part of the explanation is my "dream husband" was a character in a Filipino lgbt film I watched a few months ago, In My Life. It's the story of three people - the mom, mark (son of mom) and noel (mark's partner). Mom went to the US to live with Mark, but can't accept his being gay much more his partner Noel. That's it in a gist. Now back to my predicament. Could it be that I'm also attracted to males? Male gays? In pursuit of enlightenment, I discovered more reasons why I'm not really a fan of labels. See the list below:


Androgenosexual: Attraction to androgyny

Androsexual: Attraction to males without reference to that person's own gender

Bicurious: "Someone who think they might be bi but haven't explored them selves enough to be sure"

Gray-A asexuality: Generally asexual, but with occasional sexual attraction. Demisexual is a subgroup of this.

Gynosexual: Attraction to females without reference to that person's own gender

Heteroflexible: Mainly heterosexual, but can be attracted to those of the same gender sometimes

Homoflexible: Mainly homosexual, but can be attracted to those of the opposite gender sometimes

Pansexual: Attracted to people regardless of sex/gender, and so including intersexed people and such.

Polyamory: people who like to engage in more than one relationship at a time.

Polysexuality: refers to people who are attracted to more than one gender or sex but do not wish to identify as bisexual because it implies that there are only two binary genders or sexes.

Pomosexual: or undefined sexual orientation, is a neologism used to describe a person who shuns sexual orientation labels (such as heterosexual and homosexual), and in turn chooses not to label oneself with a sexual orientation

Queer: Any sexuality other than heterosexual

Quite confusing huh? Maybe I'm a combination of homoflexible and pomosexual. My question now is, how come someone who shuns labels has a label? Haha. Go figure.

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picture my "dream husband", the one in the middle.

taste of discrimination

On my way home I had the unfortunate coincidence to see a high school classmate. I haven't seen this female classmate in years. I thought my luck would never end until that day I chanced upon her in the train.

Here's an excerpt of that unbelievable encounter:

Classmate: kamusta ka na?
Firewomyn: I'm okay
Classmate: may asawa ka na?
Firewomyn: wala
Classmate: e boyfriend
Firewomyn: uhmmm…
Classmate: foreigner ba?
Firewomyn: wala akong boyfriend. Girlfriend meron.
Classmate: ha?! Ano ka ba naman, ba't hindi pa sa normal
Firewomyn: normal naman kami. And if you must know (you idiotic piece of shit!) gay marriage is legal in seven countries. Would you dare call them not normal? (you ignorant moron!)
Classmate: wala bang nanliligaw sa 'yo?
Firewomyn: madami (I'm sure sa 'yo wala). Lack of choice is not the issue. We have a steady long relationship.
Classmate: okay lang yun. Pwede pa naman kayong maghiwalay
Firewomyn: (my inner self just slapped her to pieces right there and then). Sino may sabi sa 'yong gusto ko makipaghiwalay?

*translated version*
Classmate: how have you been?
Firewomyn: I'm okay
Classmate: are you married?
Firewomyn: nope
Classmate: you have a boyfriend?
Firewomyn: uhmmm…
Classmate: is he a foreigner?
Firewomyn: I don't have a boyfriend, but I have a girlfriend.
Classmate: What?! Why do you have to do that, can't you be with someone normal?
Firewomyn: we're actually normal dear. And if you must know (you idiotic piece of shit!) gay marriage is legal in seven countries. Would you dare call them not normal? (you ignorant moron!)
Classmate: don't you have suitors?
Firewomyn: I have several (I'm sure you don’t have any). Lack of choice is not the issue. We have a steady long relationship.
Classmate: but you can still break up.
Firewomyn: (my inner self just slapped her to pieces right there and then). Who told you I want to end it?


I've been living freely for a long time now even though I'm not out in my family. I've always been comfortable of myself and so are my friends and a lot of colleagues. Never have I imagined I'd meet a bigot face to face. My gawd! It's so freakin unbelievable! Good thing we're not friends. Gf was fuming when I told her of what happened. How dare her! My friends were laughing about it. That such a person exists in this day and age. Definitely not from UP (University of the Philippines - #1 school in the Philippines). This may pale in comparison to the discrimination US must be facing now, just like what happened in Maine.

truly you cannot make a closed mind understand, the same way you can't shame the shameless.
Before I forget, gotta to delete that classmate in my FB.

Wanted: All!

I want to watch (500) days of summer, but gf can't yet because she has to baby sit with her older sister.

I'm not apologetic for the fact that I don't dig this. Why a kid and two college students need two adult baby sitters is beyond me. I've always been independent and my family's mostly independent except for money.

Another concern is why am I upset? If I want to watch a movie so bad, why can't I just watch it alone? I used to do things single-handed, but the couple status made it convenient to do things together. And had to consider the other on things, ideally because you'd want to share things with the other.

Which presupposes the other, the want to watch the movie or the want to share the watching of the movie?

I'm not really idealistic, so I'd say the personal want came first and because you know it will be personally good, then you'd want to share it with your gf. The couple thing blurs the line between the self and the couple.

Or maybe, it is not watching the movie that is what I really want but to be with gf which predisposes the desire to watch the movie.

Now I think I'm upset because I want it all - watch a movie I like with the person I like. Never mind which is the primary want, I just want it to happen as complete as I want it.

And don’t give me that crap that we can't have it all. Whoever said we can't have it all? I think we all deserve the best, the perfect things. And so what if we're imperfect? I still want the best, everything. We all deserve that. The one who said we can’t have it all probably didn’t get what s/he wants that's why s/he's limiting everybody else on what we can have or be. Well, not me.

helloween!

I'm sneaking up some personal time (to blog) amid the flurry of family activities for the all souls day.

This is the second day where I slept more than seven hours. I usually sleep 6-7hrs only on weekdays because I have long commuting hours. Yesterday, I woke up very late in the hope to catch up on sleep. However, by the time I woke up, I have this pounding headache. All the things I would love to do with my free time, like finishing up on The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, going online, watching 500 Days of Summer, window shopping, I couldn’t do, not without strain. My head hurts more when I do a lot of physical movement or when I strain my eyes. So I just did something out of character and had a chit chat with the family. It was mild and not as painful as I imagined so long as we stick to the trivial stuff like showbiz, neighborhood gossip and what to cook for dinner.

Late afternoon, gf called to ask me out. We were supposed to catch a movie and try some gastronomic adventure but then we saw in a tv ad that our good friend Professional Heckler is a contestant on that night's Who Wants to be a Millionaire show. Wow! We won't miss that for the world even if Professional Heckler told us not to watch. Hehe.

We already know the outcome because he shared to us his experience of it weeks ago, but nothing beats seeing it live. :-) Unfortunately, his exposure was just 30min (with commercials), which means, we can still go out. Yey! We ditched the movie and just bought shoes and ate at Café Bola in Araneta Center. Gf had a surprise for me and handed me this enchanting gift.



I kissed her right there and then :-) We had it turned on while we eat our very healthy dinner of salad, pasta and fruit drinks.








It was a mellow date. Light, easy, sweet and right. The only thing to make it perfect was going home together. But we had to part ways as we go to each other's homes. We just texted each other to sleep. :-)