Background

Lakbay translates to Journey in Tagalog. Perla Daly teaches us that Lakbay represents a journey you take away from your usual environment to understand yourself and others better. 

Our volunteer Queermmittee of youth and families has hosted our Annual Queer Lakbay Summit for the past two years, debuting our first conference for a virtual national audience in June 2021. 

In early 2019, Celeste Francisco and Daniel Lazo, on our organizing team, believed that LF could serve a critical space in our Queer – and broader – Pilipinx communities in elevating our collective consciousness around the experiences, stories, and innovation of Queer Pilipinx leaders across our country.

In Philippines society, we see that all types of "Bakla" or Gay men are integrated and accepted in popular culture. Families in the Philippines might also receive having a gay child as a sign of good fortune. In fact, we see in Philippines society that men that enjoy transcending our Western ideals of gender norms, i.e., sporting "effeminate" fashions and styles are accepted and face prejudice and discrimination at lower rates compared to other parts of the world. 

Among Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines continues to stand among the most welcoming and accepting of Gay and Queer communities in broader society. And rightfully so, as we've seen the emergence of Queer Philippine innovators, inventors and tastemakers like Geena Rocero rise to the global stage. 

Inspiration for Lakbay Summit

The Tagalog words Bakla and Lakbay, written in Baybayin (a pre-Spanish Philippines script) hold a special interconnected relationship. The Baybayin symbols for Lakbay and Bakla show the inverse relationship between the two. 

Put into literal translation, Lakbay is a journey you take away from your usual environment to reflect, explore and better understand yourself. 

Bakla is the inward journey to wholeness where you find that you are complete within yourself. This wholeness allows you to share and bring gifts to your kapwa. 

Get Involved

Join our volunteer Queermmittee, which meets the third Thursday of the month from 6-7:30 PM (PST). Meetings are being held virtually till further notice. For more information please contact celeste@leadfilipino.org.