WE ARE THE RAINBOW - PHILIPPINES

We Are The Rainbow (WATR) is a development and capacity building project, establishing comprehensive programs and building a policy, programmatic, advocacy and community platform to affirm LGBTQI+ children’s rights and address the multiple risks and harms that LGBTQI+ children and young people experience in many parts of the world, including sexual exploitation, bullying, violence and harassment, HIV infection, discrimination and prejudice and family rejection.

The pilot phase of WATR was conducted in Davao City with the support of Davao City Social Services and Development Office, the Davao City LGBT Coalition and the Barangay Council of Lubogan, as well as a number of other government and NGO partners. It includes social support and peer education activities for LGBTQI children and young people, workshops for parents, programs in schools, services and local government, and capacity building work with LGBT organisations.

In the Davao City pilot We Are The Rainbow developed and trialled peer-based workshops and activities for LGBTQI young people, workshops for parents of LGBTQI children, whole-school approaches to addressing prejudice and discrimination against LGBT students, capacity building and policy development for LGBT organisations, and comprehensive training for community sector organisations and local (barangay) governments, building strong networks with relevant government and non-government stakeholders. We partnered with the Davao City Social Services and Development Office and the Davao City LGBT Coalition to undertake this work and have been recognised for the work with two official commendations from the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor.