Acceptance. Identity. Family. Community.
Writing for the self is not only liberating but empowering. No one else defines you but yourself. Nobody speaks but your own voice: flat, gruff, guttural, hoarse, husky; sweet, a recognition that it’s yours, confident, ownership. Some people hear them. Others, listen. Listen with your heart. Open safe space. Make lives loveable.
- Kate Ramil
GlobalGRACE YMCA- Philippines has conducted its 2nd community writing workshop last December 13-15, 2019 at Casa Redempta, San Pablo City, Laguna.
Eight selected participants from the spectrum of the LGBTQ+ Community took part in the said workshop. To pull on the starter, the participants together with the Directors of the YMCA and the Project Officers and Project Lead paired up to know more about each other. They were encouraged to ask questions that will be the basis for introducing their partner.
The three-day workshop on Creative Writing focused on Performances facilitated by Ms. Nerisa Del Carmen squeezed off the creative juices from the participants. Moreover, the various activities provided them an avenue to express more of themselves.
At the end of the workshop, participants presented a Creative Show consolidating all their outputs for the entire workshop. They presented their own written Spoken Word. They have also presented an activity in which they were holding a gown while throwing words they usually hear from other people because of their gender preferences.
Based from the experiences they have gained from the workshop, the participants shared that they were really empowered by it. Through creative writing, their gender expressions got some sort of pride. One participant even said that the workshop helped her to really appreciate herself as a person.
- Ferdinand Castillo
Video of the workshop
Read more about the Global GRACE team in the Philippines (WP4) here and at https://www.pinoylgbtq.com/.