GALANG Philippines

Galang is an organization that emerged from the collective vision of a group of lesbian friends deeply invested in the LGBTQ+ rights movement in the Philippines. It was born from a series of conversations that evolved into a mission to tackle the intersection of sexuality and poverty and to take actionable steps towards advancing the rights of sexual minorities.

Acknowledging that poverty is a prevalent issue in the Philippines, with a significant portion of the population living on less than US $1 per day, Galang recognized the need to focus on those within the LGBT community who face financial instability, lack of education, and limited employment prospects—factors that also increase their vulnerability to discrimination and violence.

Galang officially became an NGO on August 29, 2008. It is a feminist human rights organization spearheaded by lesbians and focuses on working with lesbian, bisexual women, and trans men (LBT) from urban poor communities. The organization operates on a foundation of feminist values—respect, economic justice, equality, diversity, fairness, and empowering processes—and strives to organize and mobilize the poor LGBT population for better access to education, health services, and employment opportunities. While Galang's staff and volunteers come from diverse backgrounds, including different gender identities and sexual orientations, the core feminist principles guide all their endeavors.