01/06/2026
𝗧𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰?
Rainbows are easy to paint on walls—except when the walls are only meant to stay yellow.
In March 2025, Cebu Normal University (CNU) alumnus Rob Francis Corpus publicly floated the idea of establishing an LGBTQIA+ organization within the university. Soon after, q***r Normalites organized a campus club through Normalistar, reviving hopes for representation that had long been absent at the institution.
A year later, on April 6, representatives from Normalistar and CNU Safe Spaces met with University President Dr. Laurence Garcia to discuss ways to strengthen inclusivity on campus in the coming years.
This Pride Month's reads CNU's stance through a deliberately ironic lens: what they claim to see, hear, and speak; and what they actually ignore, filter, or leave unspoken.
𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹
When discussing inclusivity in CNU, Pride Freedom Day immediately comes to mind. Every Wednesday, students are allowed to wear civilian clothing instead of uniforms—a policy many LGBTQIA+ students see as an opportunity for self-expression.
Josh, a q***r Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSEd) major in English sophomore shared in an interview with Ang Suga that he was initially shocked by the number of peers he observed freely expressing themselves through the Wednesday attire policy.
"[At that time], it showed how accepting and welcoming CNU is of q***r students," he expressed.
Yet, while the university apparently accommodated the concern on s*xual orientation and gender identity and expression (SOGIE), it was far from becoming a genuinely inclusive school.
Limitations in the "progressive" policy became more pronounced when it intersected with daily gender expression, particularly in rules governing uniform use, where students are expected to strictly adhere to gendered dress codes on days other than Wednesdays. This raises a critical question: what is the function of a uniform in an academic institution?
If uniforms exist primarily to establish institutional identity—signaling that the wearer belongs to CNU—then their purpose must be collective rather than s*x- or gender-based. The distinction between "male" and "female" uniforms should be peripheral to the core purpose and not an authorization to police students' bodies. Regardless of the uniform version worn, a student's liberty to choose either will still communicate the same Normalite identity.
The continued enforcement of gendered divisions in uniforms only heightens tension between institutional unity and progress in identity expression. But beyond these, students continue to face subtle forms of exclusion.
"There are [still] professors who are not really accepting of LGBTQIA+ students, and I just wish we won't encounter them in the near future," Josh hoped.
Meanwhile, Normalistar chairperson John Paul Ocaba acknowledged that representation at the university was insufficient, despite attempts made before Normalistar's development.
"Personally, I pushed for [Normalistar's] establishment because I saw that there's a need for representation. Although many Normalites are members of the LGBTQIA+ community, an organization focused on them ended years before I entered the university," he said, referring to Hugpong Organization, which ceased operations in 2019.
For an institution that wishes to present itself as inclusive to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), its welcoming arms seem to open only when it is convenient and non-disruptive. Perhaps the new administration recognizes these gaps, which explains the recent dialogues seen in photos of courtesy meetings and consultations.
𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗻𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹
Ocaba recounted the courtesy meeting with Dr. Garcia, during which Normalistar presented plans to make the university more inclusive.
"We presented our Pride Month plans, and the president welcomed them with openness and informed us to send a proposal to his office's email address. Then his office would forward it to the concerned offices for action," he shared.
A day after the April 6 meeting, Normalistar submitted proposals that included Labarn Beshie, a gender sensitivity online training and advocacy program. They also proposed a partnership with CNU for Gugmahan 2026: Pride Month Celebration, an event featuring Bike for Pride, a cycling activity, alongside free HIV testing and counseling.
On April 20, the Office of the University President informed the organization through email that the proposals had already been forwarded to the Student Affairs and Development Office (SADO) and the Gender and Development (GAD) Office for review and approval.
A positive run in bureaucratic processes halted when silence followed as the days went by. No acknowledgment. No update. No direct response from any of the concerned offices.
Normalistar sent follow-up emails on April 23 and again on May 4. Still, none arrived.
"I believe it's already too late for any partnership…since we're nearing the end of [May]," Ocaba expressed.
Yet despite the lack of institutional response, Normalistar remained open to collaboration, even offering free drag performances—not merely for celebration, but to affirm that q***r students continue to exist, organize, and occupy space within CNU.
The university did offer its ears to listen, but its arms delayed the responses, echoing something beyond the administrative backlog—maybe immobility was the answer all along.
𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗻𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹
Following inquiries regarding Normalistar's Pride Month proposals, GAD Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Director Dr. Grace Malaga finally found time to explain that SADO Director Dr. Jollibee Aharul had already responded internally to the Office of the University President, citing several reasons why the proposals could not be accommodated.
The reasons were as follows: (1) Normalistar is not an accredited organization within the university; (2) No CNU faculty member would officially supervise or assume responsibility for the proposed activities; (3) June is currently designated as vacation in the university calendar.
At the center of the issue lies accreditation. However, achieving that is impossible when the student manual already bars formal recognition, as stated in Title VII, Article I, Section 2.6: "A student organization which is provincial, sectoral, or regional in nature shall not be recognized in the university."
While the provision may aim to regulate organizations within the university, it also limits spaces for marginalized sectors—like the LGBTQIA+ community—to organize and represent themselves.
The problem, then, extends beyond Normalistar itself. It exposes how institutional structures leave little room for identity-based organizations, a jarring sight where the university's contradictions become most visible.
In an interview in 2025, Dr. Aharul informed Ang Suga that the student manual is currently undergoing revisions, including provisions intended to be more inclusive of all genders within the university community.
But the question now is: when? Since 2018, CNU has been operating in an outdated system of championing student welfare. One can only hope that reforms will be fast-tracked as both national and global sociopolitical climates show a spike in restrictive policies regarding SOGIE.
It is easy for institutions to speak of diversity when doing so demands little sacrifice. The greater challenge begins when inclusivity requires policy reform, administrative urgency, and structural change.
Despite the setbacks mentioned, q***r Normalites still find the hands to paint rainbows in a yellow-walled institution. For instance, some of Normalistar's proposed initiatives, including Gugmahan 2026, will proceed on June 6 at SM Seaside Cebu Tower Garden.
Q***r students have always been visible in CNU. The more pressing question is whether the institution is prepared to move beyond. §
Words by Angel Formentera
Illustration by Maika Marie Oftana
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