Boy Abunda honors lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender achievers

Comedian Vice Ganda, UP Professor J. Neil C. Garcia, and actress Monique Wilson lead the gallery of LGBT awardees others, she was instrumental in the founding of TAO, the TransPinay of Antipolo Organization. She also actively engaged the community in Transvisibility, a platform that provides education and service to marginalized groups even outside the LGBT sector.

Professor Danton Remoto got the award “for his tireless dedi LGBT representation in Congress. His efforts have engendered the recognition of Ladlad Party-list, and only LGBT political party in the world.” While the LGBT political parties in Europe are allied with the Green Party and those in the United States fall under the Democratic Party, Ladlad Party-list has chosen to stand on its own two feet. Professor Remoto has also written many other books, the latest of which are

and the best-selling book of stories and essays called

Poet and feminist Aida Santos won the award for her passion and dedication to promote lesbian and women’s rights. As a veteran development worker and poet, she has been instrumental in elevating her community’s awareness of gender-based violence, and in proclaim their pride through their lesbian voices.

John L. Silva was cited for being a Filipino writer, arts and culture savant, blogger and mod- ernist vanguard who celebrates, asserts, defends and writes about LGBT issues and same- sex love and partnership in the country.

Jose Mari Viceral, or Vice Ganda to his millions of fans, gains yet another award for being a visible LGBT superstar in several multimedia platforms, creating very strong awareness/ presence for the LGBT community through his various performances, whether on television, stage, and cinema. I have met Vice and seen his to give voice and visibility to the LGBT experience, in scenes that strongly show empathy for our voices that used to languish on the margins.

Monique Wilson brings home the award for bravely defending the LGBT community with her stature as a world-renowned artist. She brought attention to the plight of the community, and she has been actively advancing issues that matter to the LGBTs.

The controversial and certainly pioneering group Pro-Gay, or the Progressive Organization of Gays in the Philippines, has been there in the last 20 years, helping other LGBT groups organize and gain formal recognition.

It is hard to run and manage an LGBT lifestyle magazine, but

continues with its work. With the courage of its conviction, it faces the odds in publishing content