Pride Month commemorated through virtual art galleries, comics, queer media spotlights, and awareness campaigns
Gay Writes: A Pride Week Special, an online event for Pride Month, features a series of digital artworks, comics, queer media spotlights, and informational discussions by young student-artists to serve as a campaign to spread awareness and invite the general public to be more open-minded about LGBTQIA+ representation, the diverse gender identities and expressions.
The initiative is hosted by Media Max, the professional student organization of the Multimedia Arts Program of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.
The occasion features a Pride History 101 crash course with partner organization School of Design and Arts-School Student Government (SDA-SSG). This program consists of art cards that trace the history of Pride, to include the challenges that the community faced then and continues to battle now.
A collection of original artworks, contributed by the student-artists, both members and allies of the community, who wish to utilize their talent and skills in celebrating and empowering the beauty of individuality, represents, narrates, and tackles the diverse stories of Pride and the LGBTQIA+.
Gay Writes likewise opened a Pride Online Freedom Wall, which serves as a safe space and a respectful and inclusive environment where students can express themselves and share their insights and experiences.
The newest Boys Love (BL) comics Sing Your Heart Out! was launched by DrawInk, the official comic book illustration and enthusiast organization of Benilde. This follows the heartwarming and charming love story of golden boy Luke Cypher and his partner Montero “Momo” Montgomery.
A digital Pride Art Gallery likewise installed a collection of original artworks that represent, narrate, and tackle the diverse stories of Pride and the LGBTQIA+. The illustrations were contributed by the student-artists, both members and allies of the community, who wish to utilize their talent and skills in celebrating and empowering the beauty of individuality.
SDA-SSG likewise published a preview of the most renowned queer media around the world, which present the diverse stories of the LGBTQIA+. The series kicks off with Heaven Official’s Blessing (2020), a BL donghua (Chinese animation) based on the novel of the same name by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu.
Also included in the lineup are Billie & Emma (2018), a Filipino sapphic film by Samantha Lee, and Pose (2018 to 2021), a 1980s dance musical by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Steven Canals, among others.
The crash course, artworks, comics, and freedom wall are all available on view on the official Facebook pages of the host organizations Media Max Benilde, SDA-SSG, and DrawInk.