Making Influence Matter: Blogapalooza at the PRIDE Congress

Last June 11 at Novotel Araneta City, Blogapalooza proudly joined the PRIDE: Promoting Rights and Inclusion through Diverse Engagement Sharing of Best Practices Congress. Together with Intersex Philippines and many other change-makers, we gathered with people from government, private sectors, civil society groups, and human rights advocates. Everyone came with a shared goal: to talk about how we can do better when it comes to SOGIESC (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics) equality — in the workplace, in our content, and in our everyday lives.

Now, for our special segment, we got to host "Elevate Influence: A Panel Discussion for Equality," co-presented by yours truly, Blogapalooza! Our very own Junior Events Manager, Pia Paolo Chanjueco, rocked it as the moderator, guiding a truly insightful chat with our fantastic panelists: our CEO, Ace Gapuz, and two amazing influencers, BlogaFam influencer, Renz Michael Lalic, and BX Talent, Maite Cruz (aka Mommy Maite!).

Our main goal for this segment was to really dig into how non-LGBT online personalities and influencers can use their voices to amplify SOGIESC equality. We also wanted to highlight how awesome LGBT economic inclusion is (Dahil kapag may Equality, Happy and Economy!). And very important: we stressed the need to share accurate, factual info online to help people understand, become allies, and shut down all that misinformation.

One of the most heartwarming moments came from Mommy Maite, who opened up about her personal journey as a mom learning to become a safe space for her daughter. She aims to be supportive and safe space for her daughter, emphasizing the importance of open conversations and greater representation of the LGBT community in social media. 

"I used to be neutral about LGBT issues—until it hit home. I found out through Discord that my daughter, who’s in an all-girls school, was in a relationship with her classmate. At first, I thought she was just being rebellious. But over time, I realized she was simply becoming her true self. I tried to stop her at one point, but I learned I can’t control her journey—she’ll figure things out in her own time. That’s when we became closer. As a mom, I now make sure I’m her safe space—someone she doesn’t have to lie to, someone she can always talk to."  – Maite Cruz, BX Talent, Blogapalooza

Renz shared that he hopes content creators—whether beginners or already established—use their platforms to stand up for the LGBT community.

“I want to maximize the power of content creation so that creators, both new and seasoned, can take a stand for the LGBT community.”  – Renz Michael Lalic, BlogaFam Influencer

It's easy for content creators to offer surface-level support, like a "Happy Pride" post or a declaration of allyship. However, the real challenge lies in going deeper, moving beyond these performative gestures to demonstrate genuine compassion and care for the LGBT community.

As Ace Gapuz eloquently shared, the key to meaningful allyship is ‘danas’—lived experience. It's not enough to simply have a friend in the community; true allyship stems from a profound personal understanding that fosters genuine compassion. Gapuz beautifully articulated the power of the influencer community in amplifying this message, emphasizing that "Sa Bloga, ang Pride ay hindi lamang tuwing June, ang Pride ay araw-araw."

This means that authentic Pride isn't confined to a single month, it's a continuous, daily commitment to support and advocacy rooted in genuine understanding and empathy.

We had an incredible time at the PRIDE Congress—learning, sharing stories, and standing up for a more inclusive world. Because at the end of the day, we believe that influence comes with responsibility, and when we use that influence with purpose, it can spark real, lasting change.