President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. made history as the first Philippine president to release an official message for LGBTIQ+ Pride Month, acknowledging the community’s contributions to nation-building and expressing support for equality, inclusion and dignity.

“As we celebrate Pride Month, the government reaffirms a principle that must never waver: every Filipino is entitled to equal protection, equal opportunity and equal respect under the law. Inclusion cannot remain only in words. It must be reflected in our policies, strengthened by our institutions, and practiced in our everyday actions as a people,” Marcos said in the message posted on 3 June on the official Facebook pages of the Office of the President and the Presidential Communications Office.

“The LGBTQIA+ community has long helped shape our country’s progress through its talent, service, and leadership. To overlook these contributions is to deny an essential part of the Filipino story,” he added.

“Let this observance send a clear message: no Filipino should ever be made to feel invisible in the country they help build. No one should ever be forced to conceal who they are in order to earn acceptance and understanding. For the true measure of a just and progressive nation lies in how fully it allows every person to live with security, purpose, and belonging,” the President further said.

Before Marcos, then Vice President Leonor “Leni” Robredo became the first Philippine vice president — and then the highest-ranking government official — to deliver a Pride message in 2017. On 27 June 2020, she became the highest-ranking Philippine government official and the first vice president to join a Pride march, delivering a message during the online staging of the Metro Manila Pride March and Festival. She continued to send Pride messages and express solidarity with the LGBTIQ+ community throughout her vice presidency.

Many in the LGBTIQ+ community welcome the message and hope that it translates to policies and other concrete actions.