JAUCIAN, ALLEAH JOY A.
2nd Year-Ab Political Science
Gender And Society
EXPERIENCES OF LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY IN THE PHILIPPINES
The research articles "Out of the Closet: The Role of Gay Men as Reflected in the
Philippine Advertisements" by Aileen Bautista and Allan Villaverde, "LGBT psychology in the
Philippines" by Eric Julian Manalastas & Beatriz A. Torre, and "Bata At Bahaghari: Experiences
Of LGBT Children In The Philippines" by Jan Gabriel Melendrez Castañeda seek to identify and
further improve the significance of the LGBTQIA+ community in society. The researchers intend
to assess and explore the Philippines' inclusivity of the third gender.
Going back in time, when the Spaniards colonized the Philippines, Catholicism reigned
supreme. As a result, the country has become conservative, and several religious ideologies
disregard the concept of third genders. This might be why, up to this date, it is too challenging for
Filipino gays to come out of the closet and raise their flags. The first article, "Out of the Closet:
The Role of Gay Men as Reflected in Philippine Advertisements," focuses on how Philippine
culture sees the roles of gay men in contemporary society as reflected in television and Internet
advertisements. The study design consists of multimodal analysis, coding, and classifying themes
and patterns provided in advertisements. This study employed all nine existing ads featured on
national television or YouTube and contained explicit inclusion of LGBT characters and endorsers
and a gay narrative. As a result, advertising classified as "gay window" was prohibited. According
to the findings of this study, gay men play the superficial function of being a source of amusement.
Regardless of the boundaries or criteria established for them, it is clear that Philippine society is
progressively embracing and supporting gay men.
In that sense, if women are supposed to care for the family and men to provide, gays are
expected to set the tone and become entertainment in Philippine media for decades. However,
classifying them as "comedy" turned detrimental since it made them a laughingstock, and people
tended to be callous while flinging comments at them. In terms of clothes, media personalities are
rarely seen wearing feminine attire, such as Boy Abunda and Vice Ganda; it appears that they are
still cautious about what they wear in public. On the other hand, while people may create
boundaries out of fear of being judged or their choice, we never know. It is undeniable that our
country is not only welcoming of the LGBTQIA+ community, but many others are becoming
allies. The intellect and achievement of gay men are gradually being recognized, and people's
minds are becoming more open to this concept. Overall, the research article is easy to follow and
explores the relevance of gay men in television and the advertising industry.
Moving forward, the study article "LGBT psychology in the Philippines" mainstreams
LGBT rights and well-being while identifying psychological methods and measurements to
understand Filipino LGBT life better. Since there isn't a clear study overview, this research is
somewhat perplexing. But according to the study's findings, psychologists in the Philippines have
several opportunities to advance the rights and general well-being of all Filipinos, regardless of
their gender identities or sexual orientations.
Being a sector where judgment and criticism are frequent, it may be pretty damaging and
lead to mental health problems for the victims. It is crucial to uphold the rights of those who
identify as LGBTQIA+ since doing so will increase economic productivity. Also, devoting time
JAUCIAN, ALLEAH JOY A.
2nd Year-Ab Political Science
Gender And Society
to an understanding of LGBT psychology helps educate a person on the issues such as SOGIE
terminologies and others.
The last research article, "Bata At Bahaghari: Experiences Of LGBT Children In The
Philippines," may be the fundamental reason why a part of the LGBT community views themselves
and their conduct toward others. The research highlighted the need to break down stigmas towards
minority groups and the impact of words and environment on LGBT youth in the Philippines. The
data gathering is through a workshop organized by the researcher.
Moreover, domestic violence, prejudice, and bullying are not isolated cases among LGBT
youth in the Philippines. Today, it is encouraging to see the gradual acceptance of LGBT people,
the establishment of groups to protect the rights of third-gender people, and adequate
representation in schools. Sooner or later, society will realize that being a member of the
LGBTQIA+ community is not conditional. We will be able to declare that the Philippines is finally
inclusive when these individuals do not need to prove themselves through their success and
decency to obtain respect.
Based on the findings of the three study articles, it is reasonable to claim that many
measures need to be taken to address major LGBT human rights issues. These research articles
should act as a wake-up call that we should empower one another regardless of gender identity.
They have been discriminated against for decades; being a community member should not be a
struggle to wage since they are also humans, and who they are is not a sickness that should be
treated or punished. The trauma, discrimination, and other negative experiences of Filipino LGBT
individuals at schools, hospitals, workplaces, and public spaces must cease here. It's time to get in
shape and start advocating for a more inclusive and diverse country.
References:
Out of the closet: The role of gay men as reflected in the Philippine ... (n.d.). Retrieved
October 27, 2022, from https://www.dlsu.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/pdf/conferences/research-
congress-proceedings/2019/lccs-I-005.pdf
Social Psychological Aspects of advocating LGBT human rights in ... - pages. (n.d.).
Retrieved October 27, 2022, from
https://pages.upd.edu.ph/sites/default/files/ejmanalastas/files/manalastas_torre_fil_lgbt_activism.
pdf
Castañeda, J. G. M. (n.d.). Bata At Bahaghari: Experiences Of LGBT Children In The
Philippines. Cambridge Core. Retrieved October 27, 2022, from
https://aseansogiecaucus.org/images/resources/publications/Bata%20at%20Bahaghari%20-
%20Experiences%20of%20LGBT%20Children%20in%20the%20Philippines.pdf
