MANILA, Philippines – Students who live or study in Quezon City who were unable to participate in their graduation ceremonies presenting their preferred gender expression have a chance to march in a special ceremony organized by the Quezon City local government.

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In an Instagram post on Wednesday, May 29, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte announced an upcoming ceremony called “Graduation Rights,” where students who were discriminated against for their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE) in their respective schools’ graduation ceremonies will be given a chance to march as their true selves.

“Sa Quezon City, may karapatan kang ipagpahayag ang iyong katotohanan, may karapatan ka anuman ang iyong SOGIE. Sa QC, graduation rites are everyone’s rights, regardless of expression,” said Belmonte.

(In Quezon City, you have the right to express your truth, you have the right no matter your SOGIE. In QC, graduation rites are everyone’s rights, regardless of expression.)

The mayor invited students to register for the event slated on June 22.

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A post shared by Joy Belmonte (@mayorjoybelmonte)

Belmonte said the graduation event was open to students who are the following:

• Members of the LGBTQ+ community
• 18 years old and above
• Residents of Quezon City, or if not, graduated from a school located in Quezon City
• Students who were not able to march based on their gender identity or with their preferred gender expression in senior high school or college

Even before 2024, reports surfaced on social media about students who are part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer+ (LGBTQ+) community who were barred from marching in their commencement exercises because their preferred clothes or hairstyle is against their schools’ dress codes.

This issue has particularly been known to affect transgender students. Trans women students, for example, have been told to cut their hair and wear men’s clothing to be able to participate in graduation.

Belmonte pointed out that this happens despite a 2017 order from the Department of Education that directs schools to enforce gender-sensitive policies and prevent discrimination.

Interested students have until June 7 to register for the QC event, which is also part of the city’s activities for its 85th anniversary.

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Quezon City is one of the local governments with an anti-discrimination ordinance. The national version, known as the SOGIE Equality Bill, which seeks to penalize gender-based discrimination, remains pending in both chambers of Congress. – Rappler.com