As Philippines marks pride month, low-income LGBT folk struggle to be heard

Anne Villarama, a 37-year-old housekeeper in Manila, longs to be able to wave a rainbow flag in a pride parade without fear one day.The mother of one belongs to the LGBT community, which has long faced discrimination in the Philippines, a country with a mostly Catholic population that has conservative views around issues of gender diversity.For many LGBT folk, the pride month of June has been a time for the community to rally and assert their rights. Until the Covid-19 pandemic put a halt to…