As a Viscan, I used to see VSU as a diverse, student-friendly, and liberal school. Students are free to wear whatever they want, dye their hair to any funky color, and have as many tattoos and piercings to their heart's content. With this picture in mind, it's quite understandable by now that, the campus has a vibrant community of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual + (LGBTQIA+) members who are sashaying their ways into expressing who they truly are, and we love to see it.
But as much as these are considered as progressive and liberating, I wish we would also have a tangible representation. When I say representation, it’s not just mere clothing preference or being leveraged to less discrimination. Rather, an organization or two should be established solely for the LGBTQIA+ community with our active involvement.
We've gone through a long list of registered campus-based organizations in VSU and to my surprise, an LGBTQIA+ organization was nowhere to be found. This is simultaneously sad and confusing considering the increasing number of students being admitted in the school year by year.
To say the least, an organization for queer people in Visca is long overdue. Representation is essential in giving a sense of community that affirms that every member is seen and valued. Queer students would agree in forming associations that interest them, cater to their needs, and are geared toward the hurdles they usually face. But how do we even start with this and what could such organizations possibly do?
Well, queer people are inherently creative; and best believe we wouldn't run out of ideas. School organizations play a vital role in representing various sectors and getting certain communities to care and be involved on how to take up space in the academe. It fosters support and camaraderie from the student council and other organizations, and from the administration since the fight towards acceptance is an uphill battle.
Ultimately, an LGBTQIA+ organization can create programs and platforms that foster safe spaces for the queer community. One of which is the counseling on gender and sexuality for young Viscans who are confused and are yet to discover their sexual orientation and gender identity and expression (SOGIE). These kinds of forums battle the innate ignorance that queer folks face everyday and it may create space for sharing pronouns to address misconceptions and homophobic remarks about these gender preferences.
These organizations could also promote HIV Awareness and Prevention through services like free HIV testing, sexuality symposiums, and focus group discussions on safe sex and contraception.
This would be a great way to display queer creativity and talent since we cannot deny the fact that this community has so much to bring to the table. Think about all the art exhibitions, drag shows, plays, and pageants we could blossom in, and most importantly, a Pride Parade for the month of June as a celebration of inclusivity and acceptance for the gay community.
Even some cases of sexual assault and discrimination can now be LGBTQIA+ Community would be given justice to be in control of their actions for it may cause serious consequences to their academic and moral responsibilities. For future LGBTQIA+ organizations, it is a part of their service to safeguard the rights of the queer community without causing harm to the people outside of the organization. Despite the major changes in approach and appreciation of the vibrant LGBTQIA+ Community, they must have defense against the people who are taking superficial and performative gestures of their identities and struggles. We might see them to be allies based on their campaigns, however, while checking their motives, they’re actually not and they’re just trying to commercialize the idea of pride. And no one can battle that better than the presence of LGBTQIA+ organizations themselves.
The pioneering student organization for the LGBTQIA+ Community in the country is the University of the Philippines’ Babaylan (UP Babaylan). This organization has been championing gay rights such as the Anti-discrimination Bill, World AIDS Campaign, LGBT Legal Aid Office, and University Gender Sensitivity Initiative, among other programs and campaigns for LGBTQIA+ visibility, empowerment, and activism. It was established in 1992 as the oldest LGBTQIA organization in Asia. It is based in UP Diliman and has spawned various chapters from the campuses of UP Baguio and UP Clark. We could aspire to this level of queer involvement too, if we really want to.
In a society where queerness is still viewed as sinful and wrong, our only hope is to go as far as politicizing what we need to change for our stakes in society, and it has to start in the place where we spend most of our formative years - in school.
As Pride Month unfolds, Viscans must reflect on the efforts being made and the fights being won by the pioneers of the gender equality and inclusivity movement. It's not much to ask. But I think we also need to do our part. It's not impossible to find camaraderie in the queer community, and as part of the LGBTQIA+ community, I want to experience that here with my fellow queer Viscans.
Thus, it’s about time for the VSU Community to be inspired by what UP Babaylan upholds and establish a progressive student organization for the LGBTQIA+ Viscans. It doesn’t have to start big, but it has to start somewhere, and the time is now.