MANILA, Philippines – “We may not fill the streets but we will still be as loud and as proud in as many digital channels as possible.”

The Metro Manila Pride March 2020 – the biggest annual gathering of the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) community – has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the organizer Metro Manila Pride announced on Monday night, May 11. 

“After careful consideration, the annual Metro Manila Pride and Festival scheduled for June 27 will not continue as originally planned,” Metro Manila Pride said. 

The organization said the “scale of gathering can bring unnecessary risks to public health and might further burden our healthcare system.” 

A record-breaking 70,000 Filipinos joined Pride 2019, which was almost thrice its number of participants in 2018.

As the country deals the with pandemic, the government has limited face-to-face interaction and prohibited mass gathering. The coronavirus cases in the country breached 11,000, with 726 deaths and 1,999 recoveries as of Monday.

Pride online

In lieu of the march, Metro Manila Pride invited the public to take the protest online “to fight for our rights, protest injustices against the LGBTQI+ sector, stand in solidarity with other vulnerable sectors, and celebrate our communities.”

“Whether on the streets or in our homes, Pride must live on in each of us and in our solidarity within and outside the LGBTQI+ sector,” the organization said. 

Metro Manila Pride said they will announce the lineup of online activities in the coming days. 

The annual Pride march seeks to amplify the clamor against the oppression and social injustices faced by not only the LGBTQ+ community but also other marginalized sectors at large. (READ: [OPINION] Pride is coming to an end, now what?)

Established in 1994, Metro Manila Pride has provided avenues for allies and members of the LGBTQ+ community to celebrate their identities while staging protests on social issues. (READ: Beyond Pride march, advocates urge LGBTQ+ community to #ResistTogether) – Rappler.com