The Philippine LGBT Hate Crime Watch is an independent advocacy spearheaded by Marlon Toledo Lacsamana and Reighben Earl Wysten Mendoza Labilles. Since October 2009, Marlon started collecting news stories and emailed/messaged accounts of LGBT Filipinos who were killed. Reighben, since May 2011, has taken charge of improving Marlon's initial database and providing angles of analyses not previously explored on the reported cases of LGBT Filipinos who were murdered.
The Watch is a coalition of individual advocates and organizations, started from a facebook group, that blossomed into a young advocacy. Due to the advice, guidance, and voluntary support of seasoned advocates and organizations from the field of Human Rights Advocacy in the Philippines such as: Ging Cristobal of IGLHRC, Atty. Angie Umbac of Rainbow Rights, Atty. Clara Rita Padilla of EngendeRights, Atty. Germaine Leonin, Oscar Atadero, Ron De Vera of Amnesty International, Alvin Dakis of the Rainbow Nightingales Project, Renier Bona of TLF-SHARE, Reign Naldoza of Pink Butterfly Brigade, Mario Balibago of Y-Peer, Lady Lisondra, Nex Benas of Akei, Pol Cabalfin of the Queer Pagan Network, MCCQC, LADLAD, ISSA and WGNRR, the documentation and analyses of the cases constantly evolve while the advocacy means and goals are continuously being refined. Their presence, support, and contribution to the Watch is what made this advocacy possible.
The participation of more individuals within the LGBT Filipino Community who came forward with their own stories of LGBT Filipinos being killed within their locality continuously increase the number of cases being presented in the datasheet. Individuals who volunteer to translate local news reports into english and tagalog were essential in pointing out the incidence of murdered LGBT Filipinos from the provinces.
This blogsite will serve as the vehicle in which updates about the advocacy will be posted. It will become a portal where interested individuals and groups can be a part of the advocacy by expressing how they can support it and expand it. And it will also be the online stage where the latest data can be presented.
This advocacy, being relatively new, does not have any funds at all nor access to Police reports that could have bolstered the quality of the data collection. That is why, for now, data is taken from online news and from messaged accounts about LGBT Filipinos who were killed. As the advocacy grows and hopefully establishes partnerships with the government, all measures will be taken so that additional data can be procured on each case of murdered LGBT Filipinos.
The goal of this advocacy is to uncover the nature of Anti-LGBT prejudice in the Philippines and how that translates to discrimination and violent crimes against LGBT Filipinos. Foreign studies on Hate Crimes and Prejudice are now being analyzed on how they can serve as a framework in studying the occurence of Anti-LGBT prejudice and Hate Crimes in the Philippines.
Ultimately, the advocacy will blossom into a national campaign that will clamor for justice for the LGBT Filipinos who were slain. It will also push for legislative solutions to end discrimination and hate crime on all fronts. And finally, it will coordinate massive grassroots campaigns against homophobia and transphobia in the Philippines.
If you want a copy of the database summary or if you want to help, email your request/statement of support to philippinelgbthatecrimewatch@hotmail.ph
You may also reach them through these numbers:
Reighben Labilles: 09179714096
Marlon Lacsamana: 09168281564
You can also join the Philippine LGBT Hate Crime Watch Group Page at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_167727473282942
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