Mindanaotoday.com | Mindanao LGBTQIA+ group holds voter’s education for members
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The proliferation of disinformation created to attack political candidates on social media have prompted one of Mindanao’s biggest LGBTQIA+ groups to conduct voter’s education to its members.
LGBTQIA+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex and other sub-groups including their allies.
According to Salm Kairo Dumanlag, executive director of the group Mindanao Pride, one of the points of discussion during its series of voter’s education is on the spread of the so-called “fake news” and how it distorts the people’s perception on certain electoral candidates running in the May 9 national and local elections.
Fake news is a generic term used by netizens that refers to false information usually in the form of memes, gossips, allegations, unverified reports, and edited or made-up videos meant to destroy the reputation of a person or a group that is then being circulated on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok.
Mindanao Pride is holding a series of seminars for various LGBTQIA+ communities in some parts of Mindanao called “Bayot, Botar!” (Gay, Vote!), starting in Cagayan de Oro on April 19.
The voter’s education caravan was also scheduled to make stops in Bukidnon (April 20), Davao, (April 22), and Zamboanga City (April 29).
Dumanlag, a teacher at a university here, said the group is targeting over 500 participants on their four-leg tour.
“One of the topics of [Bayot, Botar!] is on fake news. The challenge of the LGBTQIA+ is we must not spread it but to scrutinize it,” Dumanlag said in an exclusive interview during the kick-off of “Bayot, Botar!” here.
Aside from the topic on fake news, part of the discussion is on the empowerment of the LGBTQIA+ members and their role in the electoral process.
“We will educate them on how to properly vote, and who they should vote for, although we don’t promote a particular candidate or political party,” he said.
Dumanlag notes that the traditional role of the LGBTQIA+ members during the election season is usually being assigned as campaign leaders, but he said this will soon change as their members will realize they can do more than what is required of them.
He added their members are also prone to manipulation and exploitation by political candidates during campaigns.
“We cannot deny the fact that the LGBTQIA+ has its own sector in the community. We need to empower them in the coming elections down to the grassroots level, as this is a make-or-break for us all. We cannot allow to wait for another six years,” Dumanlag said.
On its Facebook page, Mindanao Pride said “election is vital to every democratic country such as the Philippines. The LGBTQIA+ community is one of the sectors that has been marginalized in terms of electoral and policy involvement.”
Dumanlag admits that attendees to their seminar are supporting different electoral candidates, but he added, “regardless of their political affiliation, wherever they come from, we still invite them.”
Akin to the tolerance and acceptance that they have been advocating, Dumanlag said they are open no matter the political preference of their members.
“They are welcome. Just the like the colors of the rainbow – since the electorate are now identified by their color – we welcome everyone. We will not be campaigning for one candidate as we are aware that our members differ in their choice of candidates,” he added.
For participant Rafael Fernando, 22, a freelance performer and youth leader in Barangay Patag, this city, the activity provided a venue for him and his fellow LGBTQIA+ members in discerning who to vote for in the coming elections.
“This orientation has helped us to reflect who and what kind of leader we should vote for,” Fernando, who also goes by the nickname “Inday Negra,” said.
Although he is aware that he could not persuade all the people around him to share his preference for certain candidates, Fernando emphasized that the best thing for him to do is to respect others’ point of view.
“But I want them to choose the most deserving candidates to lead our country, as it’s just like gambling the six years of our life,” he added.