Google Philippines recently held the fourth edition of its Pride Conversations with this year’s theme #CreatingSafeSpaces. Pride Conversations is the brainchild of Google Philippines Head of Communications and Public Affairs Mervin Wenke, who opened the conversation by welcoming host  Mela Habijan and guests Marina Summers, Johnreyslife, JM Banquicio, Levi Reyes, and Sara De Guzman. 

“Pride Conversations, which uses the power of LGBTQ+ stories to create allyship, is part of Google’s deep commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Aside from this annual event, Google supports and celebrates the LGBTQ+ community through an inclusive workplace culture and benefits, product features and policies, humanitarian grants, and so much more,” said Wenke.

Finding safe spaces

In the Philippines, the LGBTQ+ community continues to advocate for safe and inclusive spaces where they can feel comfortable about themselves, and not be discriminated against by the people around them.

With the rise of platforms such as YouTube, many people find solace in the content shared by LGBTQ+ creators. Beauty content creator Johnreyslife said YouTube has helped her break barriers.

“I used to face discrimination and hate for simply being 'morena' and 'trans.’ Regardless of your sexual orientation, gender, or skin color, anyone is welcome and can succeed on YouTube. Keep striving and dreaming because dreams do come true!”

Sara De Guzman of DarlingsPH said that their digital journal for biking trips eventually grew to a supportive community that shares the same interests as her and her partner, Levi Reyes. 

“We realized that the content we put out there is not only a source of information, but also a source of inspiration,” said Sara.

Creating safe spaces is also important for young LGBTQ+ kids who are still exploring their identity. 

This is why drag queen and “Drag Race Philippines” contestant Marina Summers started her YouTube mini-series “Chasing the Sun,” where she showcases the art form of drag and the behind the scenes of her performances. 

For Marina, this was a way of telling stories that are close to her heart, while inspiring the younger generation and pushing for accurate representation of LGBTQ+ people.

“It’s a way for me to pat that little Marina on the back because she can finally watch herself on screen. This is also for the LGBTQ+ kids like me who are looking for people they can identify with on TV and social media,” Marina said. “We always talk about representation a lot. It really strikes a chord with someone looking for a sense of belongingness and representation in the media.”

What allyship means for the LGBTQ+ community

JM Banquicio’s travel vlog started  as a fun hobby outside of his corporate job. Now, he regularly uploads his trips on YouTube, and he cited his family as one of his main motivators. 

“It’s really different when your family supports what you’re doing. You can do anything as long as you have the support of your allies,” he said.

Allies can come in many forms. They can be family, friends, colleagues, an influential figure, and others. Allies help make sure that LGBTQ+ people feel accepted, and allow them to live authentically and fearlessly, especially in a conservative country like the Philippines.

Despite her initial concerns, Mela Habijan’s mom Irene Franco Habijan said she learned to accept Mela as she believed that God created her this way. She also defended Mela from discriminatory remarks, emphasizing that “God has given us all the assurance that we can all go to heaven, including people like Mela.”

For Johnrey, her ally is her good friend Kat Reyes. She recounted how Kat was there through all her ups and downs, and would give her helpful life advice. 

Because of their close bond, she affectionately refers to Kat as her “cousin” despite not being related by blood.

LGBTQ+ people need allies who will empathize with them, or in Sara’s situation, cry with them. When she came out to her family, her youngest sister Clarisse De Guzman was crying with her because of how their parents and siblings might react. 

“I didn’t expect that my tears would turn into tears of joy at that moment because our family still loved Sara for who she is,” said Clarisse.

Levi expressed her gratitude to Clarisse for accepting and supporting their relationship. Apart from Clarisse, she also called the DarlingsPH community, which is made up of mostly straight people, as their allies. 

“We never stated in our videos that we were lesbians. But when people saw how genuine our relationship was when they watched us, they eventually became allies, too,” said Levi.

Content creator and “Bekenemen” producer Baus Rufo, who is Marina’s creative partner, consistently shows his allyship by ensuring that drag queens are treated well in shows. 

“Drag is not cheap. It takes a lot of effort to look this good.  The least us producers can do is to make sure they are properly valued, and they are seen for all the efforts they put into a three- to five-minute performance, which takes a lot of preparation,” he said. “I’ll never stop lending a hand and supporting drag queens like Marina.”

This just goes to show that safe spaces online and offline aren’t just places LGBTQ+ people can go to and hang out. They can also be found in the allies who love and support them unconditionally, as well as the content creators they can resonate with.