In preparation of the annual Pride month this June, Benilde Hive, the College’s sole student LGBTQIA+ organization, spearheaded activities to celebrate all types of love, ending the week-long event with a Pride march earlier today, May 31.
With routes along De La Salle College of Saint Benilde’s (DLS-CSB) three Campuses—Taft, Angelo King International Center (AKIC), and School of Design and Arts (SDA)—Benildeans marched twice with drum beats, chants, and pride, filling the streets with rainbows.
“The Pride event creates an atmosphere of involvement, participation, and acceptance. In a society where we still have to fight for our rights, it is important to have a safe space and it is what pride is,” BHive president Kristine Kahulugan, a Consular and Diplomatic Affairs student, shared in an interview with The Benildean.
“Remember you are not alone; we [LGBTQIA+ community] will always accept you and you will always have a home with us,” Kahulugan added.
After the Pride march, Benilde’s very own resident choral group Coro San Benildo serenaded the participants with “A Million Dreams” and “This Is Me,” songs from 2017 musical film The Greatest Showman, symbolizing the beauty of accepting one’s identity.
Furthermore, Vice President for Lasallian Mission and Student Life Mr. Neil Pariñas, emphasized in his closing remarks that DLS-CSB is anchored by two social teachings: Common Human Dignity and the Common Good.
“Ultimately, the end goal is for us to live [out] our greater version of ourselves. Everyday is an opportunity for us to reinvent [and] to become a better version of ourselves. In Benilde, we have this campaign—Be yourself,” he said.
Through BHIVE’s Pride event, with the theme: “Spreading Love With Colors,” the fight for gender equality is celebrated. With the inclusivity of the College’s advocacy, LGBTQIA+ community members’ voices will continue to be heard. In addition, Metro Manila’s “#ResistTogether” Pride Parade & Festival will start off at the Marikina Sports Center on June 29, 2019.
Photos by Ricardo Yan II, Fritz Reyes, Enrique Bejar, and Denise Paule
See more at Benilde Pride March 2019 Facebook album
View more at Benilde Pride March Facebook video
