LGBT culture in the Philippines

LGBT (also GLBT) is an initialism referring collectively to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender/transsexual people.cite web
last=Swain
first=Keith W.
title=Gay Pride Needs New Direction
publisher=Denver Post
date=21 June 2007
url =http://www.denverpost.com/ci_6198394?source=rss
accessdate=2008-07-05] cite web
last=Thims
first=Libb
title=Human Chemistry (Volume Two)
publisher=Lulu.com
date=2007, ISBN:1430328401
url =http://books.google.com/books?id=KGaghraz8AUC&dq=lgbt+omnisexual&lr=&num=50&as_brr=3&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0
accessdate=2008-07-05] In the Philippines, the term "gay" has been used loosely to include homosexuals, bisexuals, transsexuals, crossdressers, and effeminate men. Filipino gays are mostly stereotyped as effeminate, crossdressers, hairdressers, camp and ridiculed. "Bakla" or "Bading' or ', a derogatory Filipino word for gay, is commonly used; "tibo" or "tomboy" has a similar function, and refers to lesbians, usually of the butch and masculine type. "Magic" is a term used by some lesbians to refer to themselves and refers to both the butch feminine type. Another lesbian-reference word is "Shunggril". Benign slang word for gay men is "billy boy", "badette", "bading", "paminta", and many more.

While many of these terms are generally considered derogatory, the Filipino gay-lesbian community find themselves using these terms in both a casual and a joking manner, thus making these terms lose their offensive abilities. For example, it is not uncommon for gay men to refer to their fellow gay friends as "Bakla" when talking to each other.

For Filipino gays, the Tagalog phrase "paglaladlad ng kapa"(literally means "unfurling the cape"), or more commonly "paglaladlad" (unfurling or unveiling) refers to the coming-out process. Although gays and lesbians are generally tolerated (if not accepted) within Philippine society, there are still widespread cases of discrimination.

Filipino gay slang

Swardspeak (or "gay lingo") is a vernacular language derived from Englog and is used by a number of gay Filipinos. It uses elements from Tagalog, English, and Spanish, and some are from Nippongo, as well as celebrities' names and trademark brands, giving them new meanings in the context of this unique language. A unique trait of swardspeak is that it immediately identifies the speaker as homosexual, making it easy for people of that orientation to signal to each other in a place where such tendencies are not easy to display (ie in the Philippines). This creates an exclusive world among its speakers and helps them to resist cultural assimilation.

By using swardspeak, Filipino gay men are able to resist the dominant culture of their area and create a space of their own. The language is constantly changing, with old phrases becoming obsolete and new phrases frequently entering everyday usage, reflecting changes in their culture and also maintaining exclusivity. The dynamic nature of the language refuses to cement itself in single culture and allows for more freedom in expression among its speakers. Words and phrases can be created out of reaction to popular trends and create alternatives to a strictly defined lifestyle. By these characteristics, swardspeak creates a dissident group without any ties to geographical, linguistic, or cultural restrictions, allowing its speakers to shape the language as appropriate to the times. In this way, the language is "mobile", and is simultaneously part of a larger community but also open to more specific or local meanings.

Filipino LGBT Organizations

;UP Babaylan:"LGBT activist and support group based in the University of the Philippines - Diliman (Metro Manila);ProGay :"gay rights organization (Metro Manila);LAGABLAB : "the Lesbian and Gay Legislative Advocacy Network";Can’t Live in the Closet :"lesbian activist group (Metro Manila)";Le
Davao City)";GAHUM :"gay support and advocacy (Cebu City)";STR

ee also

*
*LGBT rights in the Philippines
*Non-westernized concepts of male sexuality

References

External links

* [http://manilagayguy.com Manila Gay Guy] - recent gay happenings in and around Manila, Philippines, as related by a local gay guy.
* [http://baklaako.com Bakla Ako, May Reklamo? (I'm Gay, Got a Problem with That?)] - See the gay world in the Philippines through the eyes of this twenty-something gay urbanite!
* [http://www.pinkphilippinesireland.org/home.php Pink Philippines Ireland Website]