As the first and, so far, only LGBT education initiative focusing on developing the capacities of young LGBTs in campuses and communities, Babaylanes, Incorporated was founded to increase the capacities of LGBT students to organize effectively, raise the consciousness and awareness of LGBTs in their locality, and foster a sense of solidarity and community.

Babaylanes, Inc.

Babaylanes Inc. is the alumni association of the University of the Philippines (UP) Babaylan. Founded in 1992, UP Babaylan is the first officially recognized LGBT students’ organization not only in UP Diliman but in the whole country. Being one of the most established and oldest LGBT organizations in the country, more than a hundred alumni of the organization have committed to expand their advocacy work beyond UP by assisting LGBT youth organizing initiatives in campuses and communities through Babaylanes Inc. in 2007.

‘Babaylanes Inc. aims to share lessons gained from its more than fifteen years of LGBT student organizing to raise the level of consciousness of LGBT students and young LGBTs in the communities about their rights and sexuality, and serve as a center for leadership for the various LGBT formations across the country’.

“Replicating the Babaylan Experience” in schools and communities is the current flagship program of Babaylanes Inc. due to the lack of organizing initiatives among the young LGBTs. It is in their belief that organizing is crucial to the protection of their rights and in providing a social support system to build a more gender-sensitive community.

The goals of Mulat Pinoy’s newest partner include the following:

• Awareness Raising. Education is crucial in cultivating a responsive and vigilant LGBT community, conscious of their rights and welfare.
• Community Building. The necessary first step in advancing LGBT concerns is bringing together LGBT individuals towards the collective goal of advancing the interests of the community.
• Consolidation of LGBT Communities. Forging links and cooperation between and among LGBT communities is crucial in collectively addressing the community’s issues and concerns.
• Campaign, Advocacy and Mainstreaming of LGBT Concerns. The LGBT community must aggressively address discrimination, bigotry and ignorance by mobilizing support from within the community and from other sectors of society.
• Support for the initiatives of UP Babaylan. Active support is to be extended to strengthen the UP Babaylan in different UP campuses and make more meaningful organizing, expansion, and advocacy efforts.

While both Mulat Pinoy and Babaylanes, Inc. believe that the inclusion of LGBT issues in the legislative agenda is imperative, Babaylanes Inc. lays its foundations by empowering the LGBT youths through education. Mulat Pinoy and Babaylanes, Inc. are one in this goal, one in this battle. Because the change that we all want can only be achieved if we constantly believe and work towards its realization and that change has no time but NOW.

Photo taken by Nicolo Cosme, c/o www.babaylanes.org. Some Rights Reserved.

References:
http://babaylanes.org/
http://upbabaylan.blogspot.com/
http://upbabaylan.multiply.com/
http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=UP_Babaylan