This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. V, No. 30, September 4-10, 2005
A Community of Their Own
Laughed at, insulted, discriminated, beaten up, oppressed and exploited,
lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders have been persistent in their
struggle for their rights. Slowly but surely, they have moved forward.
By Gilbert Pacificar
and Bejay Absin Mikaila just finished his
first year college education from a local university. Yet he has been initiated
into the world of gays as a transgender long before. Growing up among the city’s
urban poor, pint-sized Mikaila has always been effeminate since pre-puberty. Poverty has exposed him to
prostitution. He, alongside, other young gays became shine gays or prostituted
gays whose sexual favors is for rent. The personal experience of
Mikaila reflects the need for collective action among lesbians, gays, bisexuals,
and transgender gays. But it will mean doubling the efforts of other oppressed
and exploited groups. The struggle for the rights
of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender - collectively called LGBT in the
Philippines - is long and difficult. Together with all oppressed and exploited
classes, sectors, and groups, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders must
persevere to create a society that is truly free from oppression and
discrimination in all spheres. Although there are efforts
from different LGBT groups to address the problems they confront by establishing
a support network and pursuing gender-based advocacies, still a lot remains to
be desired for the LGBT community. For one, there is no common LGBT identity
which the LGBT community can own up to. Oscar Atadero, national chairperson of
the Progressive Organization of Gays in the Philippines (ProGay) said, “It is
very important to have a common identity which would be inclusive of all of us.
Without a common identity and owning this up, we will only have shame.” Atadero also said that this
condition has allowed the perpetuation of hate, anger and discrimination
directed towards gays in the society. © 2004 Bulatlat
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Bulatlat
Mikaila’s family never accepted that he is gay. When Mikaila allowed a gay
friend to shape his eyebrow, his father’s fear-hate for his sexuality turned
violent. Since then, his regular ration of beatings became increasingly violent.
Mikaila remembers having bruises at different parts of his body but confesses
not missing those. Feeling the shame brought onto the family by the brother who
wears their mother’s dresses, older brothers joined their father in beating
Mikaila.
Four years ago, Mikaila shared having been raped by his own uncle. He did not
report the incident to members of his own family for fear of being blamed.
Sex, for some gays and even straight people, is an end. For Mikaila, giving
sexual gratification to men was more of a means to an end. Since he has openly
declared his gender, support for his needs was withdrawn by his parents. “Kinahanglan
pa nako magpakabaga og nawong aron mangayo og pang-twisyon sa akong mga igsoon,”
Mikaila quipped. (I need to swallow my pride whenever I ask for tuition money
from my brothers.)
Search for justice and meaning
Mikaila’s search for justice and meaning led him to join a local chapter of
ANAKBAYAN. He still dreams of being accepted as he is by his family, as well as
other people. He thinks all gays should have the same dreams.
Finding a collective identity
Efforts of Pro-Gay Philippines to move toward this direction led to the recently
concluded LGBT Conference 2005 in Davao City, Aug. 28-29.
Fifty lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders from the Visayas and Mindanao
islands participated in the conference dubbed as “In the Pink of Health”
focusing on gender equality and other social issues confronted by the LGBT
community.
During the conference workshops, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders
shared their personal and collective experiences in confronting various forms of
oppression and discrimination at home, their workplaces and respective
communities.
A hate wall was set up at the beginning of the conference. Participants were
asked to write on the wall all the hate and discrimination that they have
experienced in the past. Overwhelmingly, the 50 lesbians, gays, bisexuals and
transgenders were able to fill an 8 foot by 12 foot wall with a wide array of
expletives and issues.
On the second day of the conference, the delegates met with law and policy
makers to present the results of the sharing workshops. Councilor Angela Librado
of Davao City admitted that there is a dearth in policies upholding and
protecting the rights of the LGBT community in the city. She supported the
efforts of the LGBT community to organize so that future policies will be passed
to address their needs.
Patmi Ruivivar, officer-in-charge of the city’s Integrated Gender and
Development Office, said that the city has the potential to be the country’s gay
capital. According to her, Davao city was the first to set up an office for
gender and development issues. She further said that the macho image projected
by the mayor does not follow that his administration will not address the issues
of the LGBT community. Bulatlat