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Thundering "No Surrender!" to Nation's Authoritarian Rule

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Manila, The Philippines--The Progressive Organization of Gays in the Philippines (Progay-Philippines) and Gays United to Wipe Out American Military Presence in the Philippines (GUWAPO) called on gays and lesbians to join the broad anti-dictatorship movement September 21 Committee to march on Malaca�ang to oppose the resurgence of authoritarian rule under the Estrada regime.

GUWAPO and Progay are rallying sexual minorities to join the multi-sectoral protest rallies in major cities in the Philippines on Tuesday, September 21.

The assembly point in Manila is at Welcome Rotonda at 10 a.m.

Oscar Atadero, Progay-Philippines secretary-general said the rights of gays, lesbians and other sexual minorities are threatened with the obvious political maneuvering of the party in power to edge out even the rival faction of the ruling classes.

"If Estrada is harassing his own partymates who disagree with his stand on charter changes, what more the ordinary gays and other poor sectors of society when he has succeeded in railroading his political and economic reforms?" Atadero asked.

Atadero, who was illegally arrested and became a former political detainee during the Marcos dictatorship, noted that the increasing bullying of citizens during rallies, rebuilding in the barrios and arrests of suspected political enemies are chillingly similar to the months before martial law was declared in that time.

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Michael Bismar, president of the GUWAPO, says he has been scandalized by the return of Marcos-ian extravagance which is drawn from the taxes paid by the masses.

"The hot cars for Estrada's Cabinet members and rampant cronyism remind us of Imelda's thousands of shoes and excessive jewelry," Bismar remarked.

"While prices of oil and basic commodities are rising beyond our means, it pains to know we now have an administration teaching people to gamble to solve the financial crisis," he added.

Meanwhile Lesbond is preparing for a march in Baguio together with the Innabuyog Women's Federation and Tongtongan ti Umili-BAYAN.

The assembly point is at Banco de Oro Upper Session Road at 8 a.m.

Calling themselves "makabayang biyanang" or nationalist lesbians, feminist lesbian poets from the city, tomboy farmers from the Mountain Province and butch workers from the factories are on the war path against charter change, cronyism and rising tyranny of the U.S.-backed Estrada regime.

Meanwhile, Progay-Davao and Pink Collective of Gay Campus Writers have also promised to 'spice up' the September 21 Committee movement in Southern Mindanao.