Michael David C. Tan is the founder of Outrage Magazine - the only LGBTQIA publication in the Philippines. His inspiring career kicked off here at the University of Newcastle, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts (Communication Studies) in 1999.

Tell us about Outrage Magazine?

Outrage Magazine continues to be the only publication in the Philippines to solely focus on LGBTQIA issues, many of them still largely ignored by mainstream media. Available online since 2007, and also in print version since 2012, the online publication alone has over 50,000 monthly hits, while the print version is being distributed to over 100 partner non-government organizations all over the country.

What inspired you to start Outrage Magazine?

It was actually while in Newcastle that I first volunteered to work for a non-government organization that focused on HIV. It was there that I was first exposed and worked with other minority sectors like freelance sex workers in King’s Cross and Oxford Street in Sydney, people of colour such as myself who were trying to be recognised by the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, and injecting drug users in King’s Cross and Oxford Street. Outrage Magazine focuses on these minority sectors in the already-minority LGBTQIA community, and I can say that the University of Newcastle helped develop this focus for me to help those at the fringes of society.

What’s a day in the life like of the Founder and Editor in Chief (EIC) of Outrage?

As the publisher, I set the commercial direction of the publication – e.g. deciding the type of markets the publication will serve, thereby deciding on the contents to reach the target markets. As the EIC, I oversee the day-to-day running of the publication. I oversee a team of editors in identifying contents for publication, assigning tasks to staff members, proofreading, and helming the production (such as the designing of the publication). As needed, I also write articles on LGBTQIA issues, particularly in the Philippine context – as well as represent the publication in external events.

That’s impressive. What have been your career highlights, so far?  

  1. I singlehandedly established Outrage Magazine that is, even now, the only LGBTQIA publication in a Philippines, a country of over 110 million Filipinos.
  2. With funding from UNDP, I authored “Being LGBT in Asia: Philippines Country Report” in 2014. This is the first comprehensive report on the LGBTQIA movement in the Philippines, and even now it is used to guide the LGBTQIA community on its past efforts to promote LGBTQIA human rights for Filipinos, and what else needs to be done to ensure holistic social justice is attained. It is cited – for example – in the development of anti-discrimination policies/laws.
  3. I authored a journalistic stylebook to guide media practitioners in the Philippines when they provide the LGBTQIA community media coverage. The stylebook has been distributed to national and regional media practitioners, as well as educational institutions offering communications, journalism and similar fields of study.
  4. I authored #PreventionNOTCondemnation, a report tackling the HIV-related responses of faith-based organizations in the Philippines. It is now used to guide the HIV responses of member churches of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), which is a fellowship of 10 Protestant and non-Roman Catholic Churches in the Philippines, as well as 10 Philippines-based service-oriented organizations.

You’re from the Philippines – what made you decide to move to Australia and study at the University of Newcastle?

The University of Newcastle was actually recommended by a Filipino friend who was also studying there (before my time). As was stressed by him, the school’s Communication Studies program was nationally and even internationally recognised, making it worth considering if/when choosing an educational institution to pursue this line of learning (and eventually, line of work).

Newcastle – for me – offers a location that’s conducive for learning but isn’t that far from more cosmopolitan Sydney. For the last two years of my stay in Australia, I actually lived in Sydney (in Kingsford, and then in Kensington), and yet I never had issues with commuting to attend my classes in Newcastle. And so I was both part of the busier city of Sydney, as well as the more pacified city of Newcastle, where learning happened sans distractions.

How did your degree prepare you for your career in journalism and media?

For one, the University of Newcastle’s approach was very practical – e.g. for Journalism 101, we went beyond learning only about theories related to journalism. Instead, we were made to put into practice what we know and/or learned. As such, I actually had extensive practice working (and living) as a journalist even while still studying.

Second, it helped develop in me multiple skills. Aside from writing, I am also adept at photography, video/film production, web development, and publication production (including editing, and laying out).

Would you recommend the University of Newcastle to other international students?

For students eyeing to study overseas, and Australia in particular, consider the University of Newcastle. The education you get is world-class. You learn not just theoretical concepts, but more importantly, how to make use of these in real-world situations. It helps, too, that you become multi-skilled – in my case, to become a better communicator, I became adept not just at writing, but in broadcast media, video/film production, marketing and so on. The learning was holistic, and in life, this is important to succeed.

But the University of Newcastle is also a fun place! And for me, it’s always a plus when learning happens in a fun way, in a fun environment.

So, what does the future hold?

I aim to continue the efforts we’ve already been doing (and) further growing our reach. For instance, Outrage Magazine has been training Deaf LGBTQIA Filipinos to conduct HIV screening within the Deaf community. We intend to grow this effort in other minority sectors – e.g. sex workers, seniors, and Indigenous Peoples who are also from the LGBTQIA community.

Another field I specialised in while studying at the University of Newcastle was creative writing, and I’ll soon be publishing Red Lives, a collection of stories of Filipinos whose lives were affected by HIV.

Find out more about the Bachelor of Arts

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Michael Tan

Michael David C. Tan is the founder of Outrage Magazine – the only LGBTQIA publication in the Philippines. His inspiring career kicked off here at the University of Newcastle, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts (Communication Studies) in 1999.

For me, it’s always a plus when learning happens in a fun way, in a fun environment.