Founded in 2012, Bahaghari Center for SOGIE Research, Education and Advoacy, Inc. (Bahaghari Center) envisions a society that not only embraces, but celebrates diversity. This is including – if not particularly – those of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics.
What we believe in: Only when members of the LGBTQIA+ community are treated with respect, and are considered as equals will they reach their full potential as human beings, whether individually or collectively.
Bahaghari Center welcomes everyone who shares this vision, hoping for this to be realized, or at least until organizations like Bahaghari Center is no longer a necessity but a choice.
MISSION
We at Bahaghari Center promote the welfare of LGBTQIA+ people, their families and friends/allies by supporting them to help face a society that remains largely antagonistic.
We aim to inform – thereby empower – LGBTQIA+ people, and enlighten an ill-informed public.
Bahaghari Center works to end prejudice and secure civil rights for minority sectors, particularly those whose multiple identities include being LGBTQIA+.
We are involved in the holding of events to revel in the diversity that is the LGBTQIA+ community.
Passionate in serving the LGBTQIA+ community
LGBTQIA+ human rights are human rights
Everyone should be afforded human rights no matter a person's sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics. That's our core belief. And what we do is geared towards achieving that.
Helping people help themselves
As we aim to contribute towards bettering the lives LGBTQIA+ people, we focus on empowering communities to stand on their own. And this is done through practical and practicable projects that, eventually, are "owned" by our stakeholders.
WHO WE'VE WORKED WITH
SOME OF WHAT WE DO
1. HIV testing - Bahaghari Center has certified community-based HIV screeners (CBS), both Hearing and Deaf. Should a person also test HIV-positive, we have staff who may be able to link you to treatment, care and support, as well as other bodies that could be of help if needed. 2. SOGIESC training module development for localized lessons to suit various contexts. As needed, we can give the SOGIESC trainings/workshops ourselves, though we can also help develop modules that could prove beneficial in different situations. 3. Community organizing, including training on organizational formation and formalization, staff development, proposal writing, marketing, public speaking and representation, et cetera.
1. Bahaghari Center conducts LGBTQIA-related researches, already producing, among others, "Being LGBT in Asia: Philippines Country Report", a journalistic stylebook for media practitioners cover LGBTQIA people and issues; and "Talk to the Hand", a pioneering research on the KAP of Deaf LGBTQI community members and their HIV-related behaviors/practices. 2. We offer SOGIESC workshops, highlighting experiences and testimonials to contextualize SOGIESC concepts in the Philippines. 3. We conduct HIV workshops using the S.A.V.E. approach, thereby looking at this issue more extensively by considering contexts as opposed to the traditional – and very limited – focus on ABC’s of safer sex. 4. We give trainings to members of the Deaf community, from SOGIESC 101 to HIV 101 and CBS training. 5. Media training "Pink Ink" for youth leaders/student journalists, as well as media practitioners, to make them more sensitive to SOGIESC when reporting.
1. Bahaghari Awards; 2. Photo campaigns – e.g. “I Dare to Care”, #PinkInk, #NoDifferent and #KaraniwangLGBT.
Bahaghari Center has been involved in the planning, organizing, implementing and reviewing of LGBTQIA-related events - e.g. Pride parades/marches/festivals, and LGBTQIA conferences.
