Download the image here: http://www.barangayla.org/barangayla_equality_cover.jpg

Contact: Jeremiah Abraham, Director of Public Relations and Marketing
jabraham@barangayla.org, 424-241-0121

Barangay Los Angeles Calls for Solidarity in Wake of Congressman Manny Pacquiao’s Public Intolerance Toward the LGBTQ Community

Los Angeles, CA – Barangay Los Angeles, the longest running Filipino LGBTQ organization in the United States, calls for unity surrounding the recent the discriminatory views publicly expressed by Filipino Congressman Manny Pacquiao. In response to President Barack Obama’s historic support for marriage equality, Congressman Pacquiao publicly opposed this decision based on personal religious views–allegedly citing Bible quotes that imply violence toward the LGBTQ community.

Barangay Los Angeles and the Filipino LGBTQ community at large stands firmly opposed to endorsements that promote violence and infringement of rights toward any individual.

“Our Filipino and LGBTQ communities must unite to take a proactive stand against intolerance,” says Jeremiah Abraham, Barangay Los Angeles Director of Public Relations and Marketing. “We as a people have already endured generations of marginalization from others. It’s time to put it to a stop and grant equal rights for all.”

While Barangay Los Angeles supports freedom of speech and personal beliefs — as a congressman who swore allegiance to the Philippine Constitution, wherein is embodied the Separation of Church and State, Congressman Pacquiao is not entitled to proselytize on his personal beliefs while he remains a public official. Congressman Pacquiao should be cautious and sensitive when advocating his religious views while he remains a public official representing a mass population, including LGBTQ individuals. Regardless of potential misquotations and misrepresentation, the message of negativity has been spotlighted and must be used to educate others to highlight existing intolerance that exists in our community.

In recent days, US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry K. Thomas, Jr. in response to Barangay Los Angeles’ efforts, joins President Obama’s support and has announced programs to support marriage equality and the rights of LGBTQ individuals.

“Despite overwhelming support for equal rights, Mr. Pacquiao’s public views remind us that there are still people who see us as second class citizens — denying us of even the basic right to be married,” says Robert Julius Maullon, Barangay Los Angeles President. “We will not stand idly by and be attacked by ignorance.”

Barangay Los Angeles calls for the end of violence motivated and infringement of rights by discrimination and intolerance toward all communities.

Barangay Los Angeles calls for a public apology to the LGBTQ community at large and the retraction of discriminatory statements issued by Congressman Manny Pacquiao and Blogger Granville Ampong.

Barangay Los Angeles calls for Congressman Manny Pacquiao to begin a dialogue with the LGBTQ community to address conflicting issues with the hope of raising progressive awareness.

Let our collective voices be heard. Barangay Los Angeles will host a town hall meeting addressing this immediate issue.

Barangay Los Angeles LGBTQ Town Hall Meeting – Tuesday, May 29 at 7PM at LA Rose Cafe.

For press inquiries and more information please contact Jeremiah Abraham at 424-241-0121 or via email at jabraham@barangayla.org.

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Jeremiah Abraham
Director of Public Relations and Marketing
Barangay Los Angeles

jabraham@barangayla.org
424-241-0121

http://www.barangayla.org

About Barangay Los Angeles – Established in 1989, Barangay Los Angeles has become a nationally recognized Filipino community organization supporting and focused on addressing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning issues. The organization has grown to serve over 100+ members offering free membership and a wide range of programming, from social events to free educational workshops and advocacy.

Contact: Jeremiah Abraham, Director of Public Relations and Marketing
jabraham@barangayla.org, 424-241-0121

Barangay Los Angeles Stands in Solidarity with President Obama’s Support on Marriage Equality
President Barack Obama Announces His Support For Marriage Equality

Los Angeles – Barangay Los Angeles stands in solidarity with President Barack Obama’s support for marriage equality and continued proactive work for the greater LGBTQ community. President Obama today has officially announced his stance to support marriage equality for the LGBTQ community. His progressive work counteracts issues and resolutions that past Presidents have put into effect.

In an interview with ABC News today, President Obama states, “I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.”

The larger Filipino community, along with all minority groups, is all too familiar with infringement of equal rights. The Filipino LGBTQ community has and continues to face hardships dealing with both culture and sexuality as LGBTQ issues stand in the spotlight in the United States. “This has definitely been a journey and it will continue to be an uphill climb for us all,” says Jeremiah Abraham, Barangay LA Director of Public Relations and Marketing. “It’s an important step toward fully understanding the big picture and fight for equal rights for all.”

Barangay Los Angeles, along with our members and allies, stand in solidarity with President Obama and hope that this continues into progressive development — granting equal human rights to everyone including the LGBTQ community.

For press inquiries and more information please contact Jeremiah Abraham at 424-241-0121 or via email at jabraham@barangayla.org.

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Jeremiah Abraham
Director of Public Relations and Marketing
Barangay Los Angeles
jabraham@barangayla.org
424-241-0121

http://www.barangayla.org

About Barangay Los Angeles – Established in 1989, Barangay Los Angeles has become a nationally recognized Filipino community organization supporting and focused on addressing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning issues. The organization has grown to serve over 100+ members offering free membership and a wide range of programming, from social events to free educational workshops and advocacy.

Contact: Jeremiah Abraham, Director of Public Relations and Marketing
info@barangayla.org, 424-241-0121

BARANGAY LOS ANGELES SEEKS TO PROMOTE UNITY AMONG FILIPINO AMERICAN AND LGBTQ COMMUNITIES
Filipino LGBTQ Organization Plans Considerable Representation at 42nd Annual LA Pride

Los Angeles, CA – Barangay Los Angeles, the most established Filipino American LGBTQ organization in the United States, has refined its focus to include increased programming and partnerships involving the Filipino community. The organization, celebrating its 22nd consecutive year, has announced a visionary expansion of its principles to include progressive education and involvement of Filipinos across the nation. LGBTQ issues have been a rising topic in recent years and influences a significant number of people in the Filipino community.

Barangay Los Angeles has consistently served the needs of LGBTQ Filipinos by advocating and creating safe spaces to address issues concerning inequality and identity through progressive visibility. The organization challenges stereotypes and issues ranging from bullying, youth suicide, cultural misconceptions, violence and discrimination, among many others with this year’s focus on family.

“We must unite as one community, one family,” states Robert Julius Maullon, Barangay Los Angeles President. “Our goal this year is to promote progressive LGBTQ visibility among the Filipino American community with the hope of instilling confidence in our youth.” Each year, many Filipino Americans across the nation live in fear of expressing an open life among their family members. This lack of communication and acceptance can result in widespread depression, drug abuse, and even suicide. “Imagine the success our community can achieve when we can all live confidently regardless of sexuality and gender,” says Maullon.

This June 2012 marks the 42nd Anniversary of the Los Angeles LGBTQ Pride taking place in West Hollywood. Each year over 400,000 people in attendance and many more across the globe participate in this emotionally charged gathering. The event showcases the colorful diversity and creative talents of the LGBTQ community. Barangay Los Angeles is the only representation of Filipino Americans in the celebration.

“We invite the Filipino American community to join us and represent our culture in this globally recognized event,” says Jeremiah Abraham, Director of Public Relations and Marketing. “It’s a wonderful coincidence that LA Pride takes place so close to Philippine Independence Day. What a great way to show our unified support in front of so many people.” Participants of LA Pride have a unique opportunity to march down one of Los Angeles’ major streets and gain mainstream exposure to attendees and media. “Whether you are a college organization, business, non-profit and community entity, family, or individual — You are more than welcome to join us,” says Abraham. Barangay Los Angeles has partnered with LA Pride organizers to ensure a large representation of Filipinos at this year’s event. Last year, Barangay Los Angeles was prominently featured at LA Pride on ABS-CBN’s RSVP and Balitang Americai.

For press inquiries, sponsorship, and more information please contact Jeremiah Abraham at 424-241-0121 or via email at jabraham@barangayla.org.

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Jeremiah Abraham
Director of Public Relations and Marketing
Barangay Los Angeles
info@barangayla.org
424-241-0121

http://www.barangayla.org

About Barangay Los Angeles – Established in 1989, Barangay Los Angeles has become a nationally recognized Filipino community organization supporting and focused on addressing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning issues. The organization has grown to serve over 100+ members offering free membership and a wide range of programming, from social events to free educational workshops and advocacy.

“The play was inspired by a true story of a transgender teen who was killed when her gender identity was revealed to her heterosexual lovers,” explains playwright Michael Premsrirat. “I wanted to say something to support my friends who are transgender people. The personal connection is that the core of the story is a love letter to my mother and the queer uncle that she loved so much when she was a little girl in the Philippines and still so often talks about to this day. It’s also about how much my family had to lose when they came here to U.S. I want people to feel like they can be anything they want to be. It’s not just a transgender story but the immigrant spirit of re-creating oneself.”

Premsrirat comes from a background of theater and performance art. He was a writer and performer with Asian American sketch comedy troupe 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors from 1994-2005. From 1998 to 2003, he performed comedy, drama, music and mime with the Filipino American theater collective Teatro Ng Tanan and Filipino American multi-arts center Bindlestiff Studio (based in San Francisco). In May 2010, he graduated from the three-year M.F.A. Dramatic Writing Program, a joint program of USC’s School of Theatre and School of Cinematic Arts. His thesis play, The Girl Most Likely To, was a finalist for the 2011 Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center National Playwrights Conference.

Ramon de Ocampo, the actor who plays Mama Cid echoes Premsrirat’s voice. “In the most indelicate way, she [Mama Cid] has balls! It is the bravery and ownership of herself that drew me to the role. There’s a deep humanity to her, a deep understanding about herself and her nature and the journey that she’s taken to get to this place that caught my attention immediately. As an artist, I thought this would be an incredible opportunity to grow.” When asked about playing a drag queen, de Ocampo, who has done work in film, television and on stage, said “Every part of the role is challenging — from the emotional journey, to the physical requirements, to the sheer attitude… she [Mama Cid] is a woman! An incredible, strong, sexy woman that’s also a sweet girl and…a man!”

Fran de Leon, another actress of stage, television and film, plays “L’il Mama”. Audience members will remember her unforgettable performances in “Ruby Tragically Rotund” and “Calligraphy”, both directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera. As a solo performer, Fran has toured to over 45 states, including special performances for the United Nations Associations in California & New York. Her one-person show FACES OF AMERICA (co-written & directed by Colin Cox) continues to tour the country with different performers.

The Girl Most Likely To opens Friday, April 20 at the Los Angeles Theatre Center in downtown Los Angeles (LATC) and runs until May 13. The performance is made possible in part by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, Time Warner Foundation, California Community Foundation and the James Irvine Foundation.

The Girl Most Likely To is part of Playwrights’ Arena’s 20th Anniversary season. For more information, please visit www.playwrightsarena.org.

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The Girl Most Likely To – WORLD PREMIERE
Written by Michael Premsrirat
Directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera
Produced by Playwrights’ Arena and Latino Theater Company
In association with PAE Live!

The Los Angeles Theatre Center
514 South Spring Street
Historic Downtown Los Angeles, 90014 (between 5th & 6th Streets)

Preview: Thursday, April 19, 8:00pm
Opening Night: Friday, April 20, 8:00pm
Runs Thursdays – Saturdays, 8:00pm, and Sundays, 3:00pm
Through May 13

Tickets
Friday – Saturday, 8:00pm and Sundays, 3:00pm
General Admission: $30
Students, Seniors and Veterans/Military: $20
$10 Thursdays!
Group Rates Available at 213.489.0094 Ext. #110

Purchase tickets on-line at:

https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/28125/1333328400000/prm/

Visit www.latc.org or call 866.811.4111

CAST: Mandela Bellamy, Fran de Leon, Ramon de Ocampo, Nicholas Downs, Te Jay McGrath,
Tobit Rapahel, Eric Shulman and Matthew Thompson

CHOREOGRAPHY: Giovanni Ortega
SET DESIGN: John H. Binkley
LIGHT DESIGN: Adam Blumenthal
COSTUME DESIGN: Mylette Nora
PROJECTION: Adam Fleming
SOUND DESIGN: Bob Blackburn
CASTING: Raul Staggs
STAGE MANAGER: Jaclyn Kalkhurst
LINE PRODUCER: Diane Levine

Barangay Los Angeles President Robert Maullon and Director of PR and Marketing Jeremiah Abraham accept a trophy from Philippine Consul General Mary Jo Aragon.

To our members, allies, and supporters,

It is our great honor to stand in solidarity with all of you, especially during this progressive new year. With the increased awareness and prevention of LGBTQ bullying in our schools, to today’s fulfilling decision regarding the unconstitutional foundation of Prop 8 — we are closer and closer to equality among all people.

My journey with Barangay Los Angeles started over two years ago with a passion to serve the Filipino American LGBTQ community. This is a collective passion that I share with Barangay Los Angeles supporters, members, allies, as well as past and current leaders that has brought this organization together for nearly 22 years. Our continued success is due to the past leaders of this organization who have helped shape the organization to what it is today. But more than anything, thank you to all the Barangay Los Angeles members, supporters, volunteers, and allies who have been supportive all these years. You are the backbone of this organization and without you, the organization would fail its purpose.

2011 was a great year for Barangay Los Angeles. From increased visibility in the media, to partnerships with other Asian Pacific Islander (API) organizations and the larger LGBTQ community, to being an advocacy driven organization — we have definitely lived up to our vision to provide a safe space for our LGBTQ Filipino community. Barangay Los Angeles continuously aims to do bigger and better things for its members. Our mission aims to create safe, progressive spaces; to foster positive self-esteem; to discuss concerns relevant to being Filipino and LGBTQ; and to advocate on behalf of its members. We are proud to say that our events over the last year certainly mirrored our mission which has guided the organization to where it is today. Truly, it was a year of hard work motivated by passion and the desire to foster a better Filipino LGBTQ community for all.

Our work does not end here.  We urge all of you to join Barangay Los Angeles once more in solidarity to fulfill its mission and serve its purpose. Let us work together to create a progressive future and build strong ties among our community. We look forward to engaging with each one of you in these coming months.

This journey is our journey. We walk tall and proud with all of you.

Thank you and maraming salamat sa inyong lahat,

Robert Julius Maullon
Barangay Los Angeles President

Barangay Los Angeles President Robert Maullon and his mother on TFC's RSVP with Gisselle Tongi and Dr. Tess Mauricio.

It wasn’t my first time being in front of the camera for an interview on TFC. Albeit, the first couple of interviews I did were very short segments. This time around, it was longer. And it revolved around something I really didn’t have enough courage to talk about very publicly until these past few months.

See, I already came out of the closet to my close friends and to my immediate family. It was liberating and scary at the same time. You can watch the clip below as to how I came about doing so and how my mom reacted to the whole situation. If you need translation to what she said, I’d be happy to provide you with it. Bottom line: it was a message of love, understanding, and support.

However, I’ve never really talked about it to the other members of my distant family – cousins, aunts and uncles. I haven’t even had that conversation with my dad. Little did I know that representing this organization meant that I needed to step out of my comfort zone. And eventually, I realized the importance of talking about who I am, not just for me and for the people I care about but because my story is similar to many LGBTQ Filipinos out there.

Coming out is a process and the time it takes for someone to do so varies. The difficulty of the whole coming out process is the fact that our society doesn’t talk about LGBTQ issues within the family. This is compounded by the fact that there’s really no role model for the younger LGBTQ. Shame and stigma continuously causes fear for someone to step out and admit who they truly are.

My hope is that my story somewhat inspires others to do so, if and when they are ready. We can be the role models. I never had anyone to look up to (that’s LGBTQ) growing up but I have tremendous support from the people I care a lot about – my friends and family. The love and acceptance they’ve given me allowed me to proud of who I am and gave me the courage to walk on. Because I know, that from the moment I was ready to show the whole world who Robert Julius Maullon is, I have them walking with me.

Watch Barangay Los Angeles on TFC’s RSVP here:

A year ago I was preparing to answer one of the most simplistic but essential questions when I took over as President of Barangay Los Angeles for 2011. What is your vision? At the time there was no easy answer. Joining the Barangay Los Angeles team, you have to be a visionary, not only for the organization to grow but for the future of the community. What made Barangay LA so unique and strong in the past years was creating social safe spaces where members can be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ), and also celebrate being proud Filipino/Filipinas. This organization is the concept of that very idea, being proud of your whole self, which in 1989, came to fruition.

In 2011, we as Barangay Los Angeles Boardmembers ‘decided to take the concept further. Taking the visions and strengths of its past and set on a journey to step outside of the box. In the past few years, our community has been placed at the forefront of politics and media. From the repeal of “Don’t’ Ask, Don’t Tell” to the ballot measure for marriage equality in California. At large, the LGBTQ community has have taken astronomical steps, but we as Filipinos and Filipino-Americans are barely scratching the surface. However, in 2011, we are proud to say that Barangay Los Angeles has created a movement that will only continue to grow.

At the start of 2011, Barangay Los Angeles created an Advocacy Committee, which set out to start our movement at home, with our families. We stood on a platform challenging our Filipino community to create space spaces for LGBTQ Filipino/Filipinas. We called on our community to address youth suicide through an event called, “TULAY: A Bridge to Help Fight Youth Suicide,” a 3-day art gallery and symposium with the hope of opening dialogue between families through visual art, spoken word, and live performances. For some of us, it was the first time hearing from Filipino families in support of their daughters and sons. We engaged health educators, religious and community leaders, artists, advocates and allies to discuss the issues, we as LGBTQ’s face on a daily basis.

Attendees observe artwork at "TULAY: A Bridge to Fight LGBTQ Youth Suicide"

Barangay LA’s commitment to the community is always constant. We held “Kapihans,” coffee talks, for our LGBTQ community and allies to come together once a month in a safe space to discuss issues that affect us. A space where Barangay LA can listen to the community and be a better advocate. We partnered with Mariposa Center for Change to address gender violence. We stood by Filipino Veterans to voice inequality they have been facing for many years. We participated in marches with API equality, AIDS Walk, Historic Filipinotown, Transgender Day of Remembrance, and LA Pride. For us there isn’t one way to be a better advocate, there are numerous ways.

Advocacy has many forms and sometimes is can be the simplest, it can be as simple as visibility. Visibility is one of our most vital roles we have in the community. When we took our positions as Boardmembers, we held a series of community meetings with members and community shareholders. One thing that became apparent was the lack of visibility, lack of voice we as LGBTQ Filipino/Filipinas have. I remember the words of Harvey Milk, an openly gay politician, “we will not win our rights by staying silently in our closets [...] We are coming out.” So in 2011, we “came out.”

We increased our media coverage through The Filipino Channel’s (TFC) newest weekly talk show, RSVP. Hosted by Giselle Tongi and Dr. Tess Mauricio, an entire show was dedicated to family acceptance and pride, putting our stories into the households of millions of Filipinos. We continued our wonderful partnership with Janelle So at Kababayan LA, doing segments on LGBTQ youth suicide and awareness. We also worked with Balitang America throughout the year, covering topics on Prop 8, hate crimes and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Coming out in the media was only the first steps in making an impact.

We also participated and partnered with our allies to create in-person visibility of our community, to represent the diversity of being LGBTQ. In partnership with FilAm Arts’ 20th Annual Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture (FPAC) in San Pedro, we hosted the very first LGBTQ workshop on Art and Advocacy on the festival grounds. We were so appreciative to be joined by first-time attendees, such as aunties, teenagers, friends and families. At our booth, we continued to be overwhelmed by the amount of support we received. Lea Solonga, Consul General Mary Jo Aragon, Giselle Tongi and Rex Navarrete, visited us, voicing their support of LGBTQ Filipino/Filipinas. Taking advocacy work a step further, we also challenged attendees at the festival to wear purple in support of Spirit Day and the prevention of LGBTQ youth Suicide, which many supported, both allies and LGBTQs. One festival attendee shared with me, “This is the first year that I saw so much support and diversity of the LGBTQ community. Barangay truly created a safe space.”

Barangay Los Angeles’ Winning Parol at FPAC 2011 with Consul General Mary Jo Aragon

Hosting a workshop at FPAC wasn’t only our first time coming out to an event. We made first time appearances at Models of Pride, Hollywood Youth Parade, Tuesday Night Café, Friendship Games and at Our Lady of Angels Cathedral at the Simbang Gabi. We were the only LGBTQ Filipino/a organization in participation. And we continued our support at Outfest, the Queer Pin@y Conference and supported artists such as, Alec Mapa and Alison Dela Cruz.In celebrating our mission of making Barangay LA a place to be proud of your culture and your identity, we participated at Los Angeles Pride. For the 41st annual celebration, not only did we bring to the parade the largest contingent of LGBTQ Filipino/Filipinas but we also brought our first annual Sagala. A Sagala is a traditional Philippine parade with custom traditional dresses and cultural pride observed in the Philippines. At Barangay LA, it is important for our members to celebrate their Philippine culture and traditions, as well as their identity.

Keeping to our vision for 2011, we continued to host our well-known events, such as Barangay Idol. Joined with guest judges, Bernardo Bernardo and Janelle So, we celebrated the talent in our community with our annual singing competition and fundraiser. Barangay LA was very proud to present Joannarae with first place and was able to raise money for our Advocacy event (TULAY) and provide educational workshops such as like Transgender Sensitivity training. This year we partnered with the Gay Asian Pacific Support Network (GAPSN) and presented, Fantasy, our annual Halloween party. We also introduced new events such as like Bekilmpics, a day at the park learning about Philippine games. And we held our first annual volleyball tournament, “Serve for a Cause,” which we raised money to support a recreational center at the heart of Historic Filipinotown.

Our work as an organization couldn’t be as strong as it is without our partnerships. Throughout the year, we partnered with over 10 organizations and projects, such as the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), AF3IRM, Ministry of Gay and Lesbian Catholics, Lifeworks, Search to Involve Pilipino-Americans (SIPA), Sigaw, Sama-Sama workshops, Pilipino Artist Network, FilAm Arts, API-PFLAG, APAIT Health Center, APIPC Pride Council, BakitWhy.com, Los Angeles Volleyball Organization (LAVO), Imperial Court – Hollywood, and with artists from The Malaya Project, a photography project highlighting proud LGBTQ Filipinos.
Since becoming Board President of Barangay LA in 2011, I am absolutely proud of this organization’s vision and mission. It is very clear to me that the days of being silent are in the past. We as a community, each and every one of us, have a responsibly to continue creating safe spaces for future generations. We have the responsibility to keep coming out and challenging our kuyas and ates, our aunties and uncles, our nanays and tatays to make sure they create a safe space just as Barangay LA strives to do.

It is with great gratitude to share my uttermost appreciation to everyone who has supported Barangay Los Angeles throughout the year. And especially to the Boardmembers, the visionaries of 2011, who have shared with me the pure passion for the community and the result that passion has on others. A year ago, a group of LGBTQ Filipinos sat in a living room, besides being proud of who they are, all had one thing in common, a vision for a better future for their community. In 2011, I witnessed first hand how one individual can make a difference and I also witnessed how one team can make an impact.

Mabuhay,
Gregory Pacificar
Barangay Los Angeles, Board President 2011.

For more information on how you can help with the local effort mentioned email Manuel Falcon Padua: manuelfalconpadua@gmail.com

For more information on how you can help through the ABS-CBN Foundation click the link: http://www.abscbnfoundation.org/