CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Mayor Edwin Santiago has signed with members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community here a pledge of support after his city hosted over the weekend its first parade hoisting rainbow flags and torches supposedly symbolizing hope and acceptance.
Dubbed “LGBT Walk of Pride,” over a hundred participants wore shirts striped with the rainbow colors of the worldwide LGBT movement, as they carried torches amid a curious crowd of onlookers downtown.
The parade was part of the LGBT Pride Month being celebrated in various countries.
The participants later held a short program in front of the city hall, where Santiago was present to sign the city government’s pledge of support for the LGBT community. City health officials also took time to brief the participants on the prevention of HIVAIDS and the importance of undergoing screening for the ailment contracted mostly through sexual contact.
Santiago signed the pledge with Gender Advocacy and Development (GAD) focal person Amy Catacutan and this year’s winners of the Miss Gay Fernandino Festival Queen competition.
In her speech, Catacutan expressed her gratitude to the Fernandinos and delegates from other towns for actively joining the parade.
For his part, Santiago noted that the main objective of the celebration of LGBT June Pride Month is “to empower and uplift the image of those who belong in the third sex and further reduce stigma and discrimination against them.”
“It is in this way that the local government shows its appreciation to the contributions of the LGBT community to the society. Let’s stand together for their rights,” he added.
