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Bakla. Bading.

Foe (2014) claims that even at present, vague terms to describe Filipino gay men are still
existent. It may pertain to someone who is a coward, but formally he describes bakla as someone who is
biologically male but perceives himself as female, and who finds himself attraction towards the same
sex. Manalansan (2003), on the other hand, sees Bakla in a more general perspective as he described it
as "the Tagalog term that encompasses homosexuality, hermaphroditism, cross-dressing, and
effeminacy." Although, regardless of the different definitions given by such scholars, for the purpose of
this study, researchers have defined Bakla in relation towards Foes definition and incorporating
Manalansans idea of female heart (pusong babae) which pertains to the perception of being a female
trapped inside a males body.

Catholic Church and Homosexuality

According to Miller (1996), the Filipinos boast of being the only Christian nation in Asia wherein
86% of the population is dominatingly Roman Catholics. With this being said, it can be assumed that
religion indeed plays a major role in the lives of Filipinos. As stated in United Nations Development
Programme (2014), despite of the Catholic religion's constant opposition towards Lesbian, Gay, Bi-
sexual, Transgender (LGBT), survey suggests that we Filipinos are generally accepting towards LGBT
people.

Although, there are inconsistent studies regarding the Filipino Catholics view towards
homosexuality. Those countries which have increased level of religiosity tend to possess negative
opinions about homosexuality which implies a strong relationship between the two; this was according
to the study conducted by the Pew Research Center (2013). While, despite of the country's high score in
the religiosity scale, 70% of the respondents contrastingly state that they are accepting of LGBT people.

However, Ocampo (2013) argues that participants from the study he established described their
family of being morally conservative and overwhelmingly Catholic which might be attributing factors on
why such families are against to having gay children. Additionally, Ocampo also stated that there is a
strong relationship between religion and ethnicity, although, Filipino gay men eventually becomes
unmotivated and decides to push away their religion due to the Catholic Church's negative connotation
towards homosexuals.

If analyzed, these researches imply a common concept; the religion of the society somehow
dictates the reaction towards gay men and generally, the LGBT. This research study, nonetheless, aims
to delve into the difficulties and the struggles which Filipino gay men participants have experienced in
coming out with having to face the response and disapproval of the Catholic community.

Coming Out Process

This is illustrated by Manalansan (2003) as pagladlad ng kapa which suggests that an individual
or most likely a gay man is ready to express his gender identity to the society. A quantitative study of
Guittar (2013), reports that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer individuals see coming out as a personal
journey of self affirmation, while for others it concerns more of sharing their sexuality with others, and
frequently, a combination of both characteristics. The researchers of this study, however, aim to analyze
and gather data through qualitative research specifically Grounded Theory which primarily focuses on
Filipino gay men per se and their coming out process within a Catholic society.

Yang (2008) concluded that from the perspective of parents, gay men, and lesbians, individuals
come out to their parents specifically due to the most common motive which is honesty despite the fear
of rejection. As compared to Yang, the researchers of this study also intend to look into the reasons why
Filipino gay men are motivated to come out despite of the possible consequences and the negative
perspectives dragged by their sexual orientation.

Such consequences are mentioned in the study of Savin and Williams (1994), as cited by
Ocampo (2013), wherein he insisted that there must be caution with regards to coming out because
there are several consequences that LGBT people might struggle with when they attempt to disclose to
their family and the society such as potential physical and verbal abuse, wandering and running away
from home, criminal activity, suicidal attempts and ideations, substance abuse, and academic
difficulties. Are these mentioned consequences a part of the struggles of Filipino gay men who boldly
express their sexuality in the Philippines? More than the persistent emotions, decision making, and
potential risks, this study would also want to explore on the struggles and the consequences involved in
coming out.

Guitar, N. (2013). The Meaning of Coming Out: From Self-Affirmation to Full Disclosure.
Qualitative Sociology Review, 9(3). Retrieved from Proquest database (1458957034).

Manalansan, M. (2003). Preface. In Global divas: Filipino gay men in the diaspora. Durham: Duke
University Press.

Miller, J. (1996). Religion in the Philippines. Asia Society's Focus on Asian Studies, 2(1), 26-27.

Ocampo, A. (2013). The Gay Second Generation: Sexual Identity and Family Relations of Filipino
and Latino Gay Men. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 155-173. doi::
10.1080/1369183X.2013.849567

Pew Research Center. (2013). The Global Divide on Homosexuality:


Greater Acceptance in More Secular and Affluent Countries. Washington, D.C.:
Pew Research Center, from http://www.pewglobal.org/2013/06/04/the-global-
divide-on-homosexuality/.
The 1960s Gay life in the Philippines: Discretion with tolerance. (2013). Electronic Journal of
Human Sexuality, 17. Retrieved June 25, 2015, from www.ejhs.org

UNDP, & USAID. (2014). A Participatory Review and Analysis of the Legal and Social Environment
for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Individuals and Civil Society. Being LGBT in Asia: The
Philippines Country Report. Bangkok, Thailand.
Yang, P. (2008). A Phenomenological Study of the Coming Out Experiences of Gay and Lesbian
Hmong. Retrieved June 25, 2015, from
http://conservancy.umn.edu/bitstream/handle/11299/47847/Yang_umn_0130E_10111.pdf?sequence=
1

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