The ADMU’s Pride Month celebration photo captures a rainbow flag being waved while on the background is the cross of the Church of the Gesu, the university’s Roman Catholic church, as though suggesting that Catholic faith and LGBT+ inclusivity can coexist in one place. PHOTO courtesy of Aaron Vicencio.
The Ateneo de Manila University’s (ADMU) decision to celebrate Pride Month has sparked a heated debate, with some arguing that the Catholic school’s actions contradict the teachings of the church.
The university posted a message on June 1, the start of Pride Month, expressing solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community.
“While festivities on campus and One Big Pride officially take place in October, we celebrate and stand in solidarity, still, with the LGBTQIA+ community in Ateneo, the country, and beyond,” read the post, which has garnered over 3.5K favorable emoji reactions on Facebook as of writing.
The ADMU has disabled comments on the controversial post.
However, the move has drawn criticism from conservative voices, including YouTube vlogger Jay Aruga, who claimed that the celebration of Pride Month would “sow confusion to the students.”
“The Catholic church is clear that homosexual acts are sins. Hindi sin ang homosexual desires, same-sex attraction, orientation. But the moment you act on it, dito nagiging sin ang homosexual tendencies [The Catholic church is clear that homosexual acts are sinful. Homosexual desires, same-sex attraction, and orientation are not sinful. However, the moment you act on them, they become sinful tendencies],” Aruga said on his channel.
Aruga also expressed concerns about the potential exposure of children to “shocking content” during Pride marches, citing a video from Sky News Australia where host Rita Panahi questioned “the eagerness that some parents seem to have with exposing their kids to this sort of content.”
Others lauded the university’s stance.
Netizen Jovy Carl Acueza defended ADMU’s Pride Month post on Facebook, calling out commenters unfamiliar with Jesuit values. He highlighted Ateneo’s history of equality and said the post aligns perfectly.
Meanwhile, ABS-CBN writer Jerry Gracio praised ADMU’s initiative, stating, “Ateneo de Manila University, a Catholic institution, expressing solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community is 💗.”
The Ateneo Libulan Circle, the LGBTQIA+ student-advocates group from Ateneo de Davao University has also endorsed Pride Month on Facebook, promoting love, unity and inclusivity.
The debate surrounding Ateneo’s Pride Month celebration highlights the challenge of reconciling Catholic teachings with LGBTQIA+ inclusivity.
With the SOGIE Equality Bill still sailing “rough” seas in the Senate, Aruga’s concerns about “pre-conditioning” students reflect the potential politicization of such celebrations.
Moving forward, institutions like Ateneo face the complex task of balancing religious and cultural sensitivities and the call for greater inclusivity.
