MANILA, Philippines – Not every Filipino gets to express who they truly are when they march on their graduation day.

In a special ceremony in Quezon City, the dress code is: Come as you are.

Despite a 2017 Department of Education order directing schools to respect students’ sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression (SOGIE), reports of students from different parts of the country experiencing dress code-related discrimination in graduation ceremonies have still surfaced.

On Saturday, June 22, some 394 students and graduates of all ages marched in a Quezon City local government-organized ceremony called “Graduation Rights,” where students who were discriminated against for their SOGIE in their respective schools’ graduation ceremonies had the chance to march wearing whatever felt right to them.

Watch the report here. – Rappler.com

Reporter: Michelle Abad
Production specialist: Ulysis Pontanares
Editor: JP San Pedro
Producer: Jaira Roxas
Supervising producer: Beth Frondoso