AKMK is a broad alliance of Mindanao’s tri-people youth that works in various areas of struggles and campaign to empower tri-people youth to become active actors in promoting and advancing transformational change in their communities. The alliance’s strength stems from the realisation, belief, and conviction that structural violence is the root cause of various forms of inequity, marginalisation, and oppression. However, structural change can occur only when individuals and organizations are socially and politically aware and are part of larger progressive movements that advance people’s rights and agendas. LGBQTI members in the tri- people (Bangsamoro, Indigenous Peoples, and Migrant Settlers) communities remain invisible and marginalised in this regard, particularly those from highly conservative families, clans, tribes, and communities.

LGBTQI people in Mindanao have been engulfed by a variety of circumstances that have significantly altered and shaped their lives and prospects. They remain socially, economically, politically, and culturally marginalized, passive victims in need of protection or a threat to development. However, these realities have obscure and limit LGBTQI’s significant contributions as agents towards inclusive peace, gender-equitable, just, and inclusive community. Reflecting on the previous 12-month implementations, we found that surfacing
grounded stories and narratives through various creative arts can amplify LGBTQI advocacy. Their narratives can be a powerful driver to creating and producing collective aspirations toward building a gender fair, just and inclusive community.

Learning from LGBTQI’s narratives is vital because these are not lost on them. This is an entry point for various actors and stakeholders eager to see a gender fairness and inclusive community is a more viable option than violence and marginalization. Why creative art? It has always been one of the transformative tools used by AKMK to organize young people and popularize the demands, advocacy and aspirations of the tri-people youth and to educate broader and diverse communities to create collective actions. Through YAPAK, a cultural art wing of AKMK, already produce original songs and compositions, theatre plays and dance, gather young artists or painters, film-making, photography and literary pieces like poems and short story. The project is about accelerating the rights-claiming and empowerment of Tri-people LGBTQI members by surfacing their stories and narrative using creative arts to achieve following goals:

1. Accelerate the grassroots organising and mobilisation of active and non-active LGBTQI members to consolidate the formation of intersectional movements of LGBTQI.

2. Increase the visibility of participation of Moro and Indigenous Peoples LGBTQI in civic engagement and political processes in their respective communities.

3. Continuous engagements with champions from the local units, schools, private sectors, parents, tribal leaders and communities.

4. Sustain the collaboration with partner LGUs, BLGUs, CSO’s, Schools, and Communities.

5. Equipped LGBTQI members with knowledge and skills on digital advocacy, campaign design and leadership management.