Cum laude shows off LGBT colors in graduation picture

Czar Dabon proudly wears the LGBTQ community colors in his graduation picture. | Contributed Photo

Cebu City, Philippines—June is when the LGBT community celebrates Pride Month.

One graduating of the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu chose to celebrate Pride Month by sharing his graduation picture highlighting the LGBT colors in a Facebook post.

Czar Dabon, a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication student in UP Cebu, is set to graduate cum laude on June 28, 2019.

The 21-year-old Mandaue City native is a member of the LGBTQ community, and he was proud to show this in his graduation picture, wherein he used colorful eyeshadow shades.

“The bright colors laid on my eyes represent more than just creativity,” part of Dabon’s caption of the post read. “I wear the colors on my eyes with pride as I wear the sablay with humility.”

Dabon is the eldest of the three children of Paul and Cheryl Dabon. He is the only boy.

He said his parents have been supportive of his interests since he was little.

“My mother supported my interests and my father just let me play with what I wanted to play, and as time [went]  by, every time I tell him who I want to become, he would just go on and say ‘as long as di ka mo mag buang buang sa kinabuhi,” he said.

Growing up different, Dabon said he had fears.

“My fears were being different and being an outcast, but I was privileged to have grown up in a very accepting environment. Right now, my fear is mediocrity and being what I deem “useless” to myself and to society.”

For Dabon, graduating cum laude is his way of thanking his parents, who never gave up on him and supported him all the way.

He shared that when he formally came out to his parents, he joked about not being able to give them grandchildren. But he promised that he will make up for that by working hard to give them a comfortable life when he becomes successful in the future.

He is now closer to fulfilling that promise.

As to the LGBTQ community members who are having a hard time coming out, Dabon has a message for them.

“This one is always a little difficult for me because I cannot speak on their behalf for I did not experience discrimination first hand. But what I always want the community to know is that in this fight, they are not alone. We only have each other in our community, and we need to strengthen that by fighting for and along side each other, encouraging each other that they are worth it, they are valid, and support each other to be the best versions of themselves” said Dabon. /bmjo