Catriona Gray. Image: Instagram/@catriona_gray
As Catriona Gray discussed the importance of Pride Month, she explained that allies like herself should take a stand for equal rights alongside the LGBTQ+ community.
“The misconception that LGBTQ issues only matter to those who identify as LGBTQ is a damaging one,” she said on Instagram today, June 28. “[People] need to realize that the fight is not about giving special privileges but providing EQUAL RIGHTS.”
“That’s why ally voices are so important. We need to stand up and say that this is not just about the LGBTQ community. It’s about all of us,” the Miss Universe 2018 titleholder stressed. “Now more than ever we need to try and see each other, no matter how different our lives or situations may look, with empathy.”
She also reminded fans and followers that Pride has always been a protest.
“It’s a reminder of how far we’ve come and to look how far we still have to go,” she noted. “It allows us to reflect on the challenges we still need to overcome and the solutions we still need to find.”
The beauty queen has been vocal about her stand on obtaining equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community. She has expressed support for the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill, also known as the Anti-Discrimination Bill. The bill seeks to protect all people from discrimination and give LGBTQ+ persons equal access to employment, education and social services.
Gray also backed queer protestors and allies who were arrested yesterday, June 27 for staging a rally in Manila. The demonstrators were calling for equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community, as well as protesting against the anti-terror bill and jeepney phaseout. JB
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