On June 28, Kathaang Ugnayan ng Likhain, Talastasan, Obra’t Ulat (KultOU) celebrates the end of pride month with ZINEtch Itey: Malikhaing Pakikibeki, a virtual discussion on the importance of literature in creating safe spaces and promoting inclusivity for people of diverse SOGIESC.
This talk is in partnership with the Office of Gender Concerns (OGC). Dr. Finaflor Taylan, Director of OGC, presented the welcoming remarks, noting that the efforts towards gender inclusivity and diversity awareness should be sustained and promoted. “Ang pride month– celebration siya pero it is also a protest because it started that way,” she says.
The talk featured aProf. Roda Tajon, Mx. Lara Flynn S. Gonzaga, and Mx. Eana Perez “Sera” Hipolito, who gave their discussions on creating safe spaces for people of diverse SOGIESC and respecting and acknowledging gender identities.
The event introduced Zines, short for fanzine or fan magazine, which are a self-published work with images and/or text that can be about anything. They emphasize expression and personal connection, allowing it to be one of the best ways to promote and represent gender inclusivity.
Mx. Serah and Mx. Flynn, president and vice president of KultOU respectively, held a zine making workshop which discussed the importance of zines and tips and strategies on how to make them. They stated that zines promote social change through self-expression and recognizing identity, allowing it to be a safe space for people of diverse SOGIESC.
The speakers expounded on the importance of gender inclusivity and discussed the efforts made by KultOU to attain this. They emphasized the importance of respecting a person of diverse SOGIESC’s identity, privacy, and story, which KultOUhighlights in their upcoming projects showing LGBTQIA+ stories through different representations in literature.
aProf Roda Tajon under the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS, OGC PDA, and Advisor of KultOU, also talked about the obstacles faced in the process of the passage of the SOGIESC Equality Bill which can help in addressing gender and inclusivity concerns. She also discussed the importance of literature in representing diverse SOGIESC in her talk. She explained the impact of literature, presenting multiple poems which fight for gender identity and recognition.
This event marks a successful celebration as well as a statement of protest in line with the Pride Month, which showcased the different ways allies can promote gender inclusivity and diversity. It also celebrates a successful partnership between OGC and KultOU, the first accredited student organization of UPOU, showcasing that gender inclusivity is a protest everyone should take part in.
Written By Samuel Benjamin Zach R. Basiao III Edited by Finaflor F. Taylan