THE Baguio City Government is welcoming the thought of honoring John Raspado, who won the Mr. Gay World 2017 in Spain.
Mayor Mauricio Domogan said the city will give Raspado due honor for winning the international tilt.
“Why not, we will give due honor, let us talk about it,” said the mayor.
Raspado earned the distinction of being the first Filipino and the first Southeast Asian to win the international competition, which was held in Maspalomas, Spain on May 11.
During the pageant, he also won Best Swimwear, Mr. Online Vote, Mr. Interview, Best in Formal Wear, and Mr. Social Media. His runners-up are Spain (1st), Belgium (2nd), Switzerland (3rd) and South Africa (4th).
Raspado is an entrepreneur engaged in online marketing and was the grand winner of It’s Showtime’s I am Pogay and is described to love cooking.
“He loves trying new dishes and unique delicacies. A gym rat and engaged into adventure sports. He loves the outdoors and considers himself an adrenaline junkie,” the Raspado Facebook fan page revealed.
Raspado is a staunch advocate of LGBTQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, and Intersex) rights, and is the ambassador of, “LoveYourself,” a non-government advocacy group offering free and confidential human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing and treatment, counseling and peer education, and initiating programs and projects towards HIV-Aids (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) awareness.
The city is known to advocate gender equality with the newly passed Anti-Discrimination Ordinance giving the LGBT community equal protection from all forms of abuse and discrimination.
The new law prohibits discrimination and enforces equality and espouses equal protection of the law regardless of religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity, health status, Disability, and age.
The law also protects all against discrimination in political participation, accessing public places, facilities and public meetings, denial of right to organize, education materials, advertisement, mass media, engaging in profiling, speeches, utterances, acts of hatred and similar acts, detention and confinement, and abuses by state and non-state actors. (Maria Elena Catajan)