“Next Fall” is a play written by Geoffrey Nauffts. It is about an exploration of faith in a modern gay relationship involving Luke and Adam, a gay couple. Luke is a devout Christian and an inspiring actor while Adam is an atheist.

This play is directed by Audie Gemora. David Bianco plays the role of Luke while Bart Guingona plays the role of Adam. “Next Fall” is currently on-going and it will run until February 5, 2012 with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and matinee shows on Saturdays and Sundays at 3:30pm at Onstage, Greenbelt 1.

For tickets, inquiries and other information, call Repertory Philippines at 571-6926 and 571-4941 or email info@repertory.ph. Tickets are also available at Ticketworld at 891-9999 or www.ticketworld.com.ph.

Aside from the speech delivered by the Ambassador, we were made to watch the speeches of President Barrack Obama and US State Sec. Hillary Clinton (of course, they couldn’t grace the event ) showing their support for the It Gets Better Project for LGBT Youth (and perceived as gay or lesbian). Even though we live in a different nation, I believe that we have common struggles and one of which is bullying. This suddenly made me think of my adolescent years.

We’ve heard of stories on young gay boys or are perceived to be gay being bullied in all-male schools. We’ve even heard some schools (usually Catholic all-male schools) giving “pink slips” to students who are perceived to be gay – a “sanction” given to those who do not behave like masculine boys. I studied in a Catholic school for girls and during my stay there, I didn’t hear any type of slip pertaining to sanctioning girls behaving like boys. My hypothesis, and I think others as well, is the traditional machismo culture still prevails in some all-male schools.

Quoting President Obama’s speech:

You are not alone.  You didn’t do anything wrong.  You didn’t do anything to deserve being bullied.  And there is a whole world waiting for you, filled with possibilities. There are people out there who love you and care about you just the way you are. And so, if you ever feel like because of bullying, because of what people are saying, that you’re getting down on yourself, you’ve got to make sure to reach out to people you trust. Whether it’s your parents, teachers, folks that you know care about you just the way you are. You’ve got to reach out to them,  don’t feel like you’re in this by yourself.

(You can view the entire transcript here)

The keywords are YOU ARE NOT ALONE and REACH OUT.

The family should be the first people who the youth should reach out. What if parents are not open about homosexuality, which is very common in Philippine society? Now this is where problem starts. No need to worry LGBT youth, there are support groups in the Philippines where you can find PLUs (People Like Us). We can’t get absolute acceptance from everybody but at least let someone help you make it better. Remember kids, appreciate simple things. It will help you feel better.

Atty. Christine Sun

In another news, I am glad that the Philippine US Embassy is shedding some light on what the US does in terms of LGBT issues. Weeks before the reception, they brought in Atty. Christine Sun, a gay rights lawyer from ACLU. She had a separate round-table discussions with the media and LGBT groups here in Manila and in other parts of the Philippines. It was enlightening to speak with Christine on the present and past cases she worked on and at the same time we gave her a picture on the situation of the LGBTs here in the Philippines and of course the Anti-Discrimination Bill, Reproductive Health Bill and many others.

Lastly, some photo ops during the LGBT reception

With Boy Abunda

With US Ambassador Harry Thomas

I recently attended a cervical cancer prevention bloggers event courtesy of Glaxo Smith Kline held at Melo’s Quezon City. Although this is a boring topic, because of its scientific terms and all, GSK was able to make the bloggers participate in their impromptu play. So while having dinner, the actors from PETA were doing their impromptu acting. It was a 50′s set up dinner wherein the actors and some bloggers were asked to wear 50′s attire. Of course, I didn’t effort to do that but just went with the flow of the whole situation. The whole event focused on Jennifer, a married woman in the 50′s, who mysteriously died. Everybody in her family was a suspect when until they discovered that it was Cervical Cancer who killed Jennifer. During the 50′s, there was no preventive medicine yet for this disease and so Glaxo Smith Kline introduced their Cervical Cancer Vaccine which can be availed by Filipino women. This event made me thought of this: Cervical Cancer and Lesbians.

Question, are lesbians at risk for this killer disease?

Historically, it was a popular notion that Cervical Cancer can be transmitted through heterosexual sex. I guess this is because scientists then were heterocentric and never realized that women can also fuck other women. I am confirming that YES, LESBIANS are at risk for this disease even though you do not have sex with men. Even though I am not a scientist or a doctor, the thought that your partner or ex partner might have sex with men in the past, already is a reason for you to have the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) too. So even doing “digital” sex (fingering) or oral sex, whether with a man or a woman, a lesbian (er woman) can get this.

Basically, women who have sex with different partners have higher risks of getting this disease. It really doesn’t matter what your sexual orientation is. This is not only transmitted through sexual contact, but also through skin-to-skin contact. The symptoms are not that evident at first, sometimes it takes years before the HPV is fully developed.

Cervical Cancer is the second most common killer among women. There is an estimate of 12 women in the Philippines who die everyday due to Cervical Cancer and an estimate of 510,000 new cases globally every year according to the World Health Organization.

The good thing is that Cervical Cancer can be prevented and this is by using condoms, smoking avoidance, eating nutritious food and by undergoing the vaccination. Glaxo Smith and Kline (GSK) already has a cheaper cervical cancer prevention vaccination which only costs around Php 7,000. Just go to your OB-GYN to ask for this. I better get myself vaccinated before it’s too late.

If you want to read up on this, maybe a simple brochure from ILGA on Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer can help you. To know the scientific stuff on cervical cancer, visit this page.

It’s Pride time once more in Manila!

This year’s Pride March will happen on December 5, 2009 at 5 pm. Assembly time starts at 2:30 pm. Starting point will be in Remedios Circle, Malate. Parade route will be:
From Remedios Circle To Roxas Blvd
Right to Pedro Gil
Right to Taft Avenue
Right to Nakpil
Left to Orosa St.

Of course there will be a program to acknowledge the presence of different LGBT organizations in the Philippines in Orosa St. Malate. You may view last year’s Pride March here.

This is a great time to celebrate LGBT Pride and to meet other LGBTs as well. See you there!

For updates, please visit Task Force Pride’s blog.

Mr. Gay World Philippines 2009 will be held on October 25, 2009 at Metro Bar, West Avenue, Quezon City. The pageant will be hosted by Boy Abunda. The winner in the said pageant will represent the Philippines in the upcoming Mr. Gay World 2010 in Oslo, Norway.

Interested to go to the event? Ticket price is at PhP 500.00 and it’s a first-come, first-serve basis.

Here are the synopsis of the chosen films to be shown at mag:net’s CineKatipunan:

D.E.B.S.
Showing Date: November 8, 4:30pm to 6:30pm

“Recruited by the U.S. government for their unique ability to lie, cheat and fight, Amy, Max, Janet and Dominique join an underground academy of secret agents known only as D.E.B.S. these crime fighting hotties set out to save the world and keep their lipstick perfectly applied while doing so. Now the girls must combine their skills for their most important mission — to capture vexing vixen Lucy Diamond, the deadliest criminal the world has ever known. When D.E.B.S. star player, Amy, falls for Lucy, chaos erupts and the D.E.B.S. loyalty is put to the test.”

Winner of Berlin International Film Festival Reader Jury of the “Siegessäule” and Nominated for Black Movie Award in the Black Movie Awards.

Director: Angela Robinson
Writer (WGA): Angela Robinson
Release Date: March 25, 2005 (USA) more
Genre: Action | Comedy | Romance
Runtime: 91 min

The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love
Showing Date: November 15, 4:30pm to 6:30pm

“This warm romantic comedy by newcomer Maria Maggenti is a gay coming-of-age story framed by Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass. Randy (Laurel Hillman) is a stoner, lesbian teenager who happens to be failing math and dating a married woman. One day, fellow student Evie (Nicole Parker) drives up to Randy’s gas station in a Range Rover and flips her world upside down. Evie is privileged and popular. Randy is poor, impulsive, and according to the other students, a freak. Opposites attract when the two girls kick off their friendship in detention. The flirtation blossoms after Evie introduces tomboyish Randy to the joys of Whitman and opera. Randy returns the favor by acquainting the sheltered Evie with the problems and delights of mature, taboo love. There is a beautiful scene where the two consummate their courtship on Evie’s birthday while Mom is out of town. The true test of their relationship occurs during the hilarious climax when angry families and friends chase the troubled girls into hiding. –Margaret Griffis”

Director: Maria Maggenti
Writer (WGA): Maria Maggenti
Release Date: June 16, 1995 (USA)
Genre: Comedy | Drama | Romance
Runtime: 94 min

Mango Kiss
Showing Date: November 22, 4:30pm to 6:30pm

“American independent filmmaker Sascha Rice makes her feature debut with Mango Kiss, based on the stage play Bermuda Triangles: The Non-Monogamy Experiment. Butch Lou (Michelle Wolff) and femme Sassafras (Daniele Ferraro) drive to San Francisco together, share an apartment, and become lovers in an open relationship. They agree on some very specific rules for dating other people that inevitably become complicated. Sassy gets involved with leather daddy Mickey (Shannon Rossiter) while Lou experiments with glamorous dominatrix Chelsea (Tina Marie Murray). The conclusion finds all four lesbians at the same birthday party. Mango Kiss was shown at the San Francisco Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide”

Genre: Comedy
Released: January 1, 2003
Directors: Sascha Rice, Sasha
Runtime: 86 mins

Come Undone
Showing Date:November 29, 4:30pm to 6:30pm

Come Undone is a beautifully observed portrait of the experiences of a young French homosexual. Eschewing both stereotypes and preaching, it’s a wonderfully naturalistic film, superbly acted, shot with a feel for the seaside town where the action takes place, never melodramatic but often painfully real. If anything it’s almost too realistic, as there’s little in the way of conventional plot, just scenes from a life. But the absence of conventional dramatic tension counts for less than it might in a world so subtly drawn. ‘Presque Rien’ might not be the most exciting film ever made; but its simple humanism serves it well compared with the pre-conceived celebratory or bigoted viewpoints that often mar treatments of this theme. Worth a watch.

Director: Sébastien Lifshitz
Writer (WGA): Stéphane Bouquet (writer) & Sébastien Lifshitz (writer)
Release Date: June7, 2000 (France)
Genre: Drama | Romance
Runtime: 100 min

Babae
Showing Date: November 29, 4:30pm to 6:30pm

“Babae (Woman) is a coming of age story of two women set in the city slum community beside railroad tracks. They became bestfriends, shared dreams and eventually started a family when a child accidentally entered their lives. Inserts of Real stories of women and a man gives color to this black and white film. a mixture of drama, comedy, musical and fantasy that will surely touch your heart. Babae (Woman) … Bestfriends… Soulmates… One Journey…”

Writer/Director: Sigrid Andrea P. Bernardo
Release Date: December 2004 (Philippines)
Genre: Documentary Drama
Runtime: 20 min ]]> http://pinoylgbt.com/films-to-be-shown-on-magnet-cinekatipunan-this-november/feed/ 0 http://pinoylgbt.com/galang-film-screenings-at-magnet-katipunan/ http://pinoylgbt.com/galang-film-screenings-at-magnet-katipunan/#comments Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:50:00 +0000 Sharlyne Ang http://pinoylgbt.com/galang-film-screenings-at-magnet-katipunan/ Continue reading →]]> Starting November 8 and the rest of all Saturdays of November, Galang Network will have film screenings of foreign LGBT films at mag:net Katipunan. Admissions to the screenings is free and the LGBT films that will be shown will be based on the results of the online poll. Even though it’s free, it would be nice to donate a minimum amount of 50 pesos to support GALANG’s work among grassroots LGBTs. ]]> http://pinoylgbt.com/galang-film-screenings-at-magnet-katipunan/feed/ 2 http://pinoylgbt.com/show-your-pride-pride-march-2008/ http://pinoylgbt.com/show-your-pride-pride-march-2008/#comments Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:50:00 +0000 Sharlyne Ang http://pinoylgbt.com/show-your-pride-pride-march-2008/ Continue reading →]]>

Manila Pride March 2008: Show Your Pride!

Co-Coordinator, TFP 2008

What: Leather and Chains pre-halloween party

When: October 24, 2008. 10pm

Where: Fluid Lounge, Orosa St., Malate

The party features the following:
- DJ Chez and Polo
- Guest Belly Dancer
- Jill Ngo

Entrance Fee is 150 pesos only (includes one free drink)