I just recently started to watch Pinoy Big Brother Season 4 and this butch looking lesbian with tattoos in her arms caught my attention. This is Divine Maitland – Smith, a 20-year old British-Filipino lesbian from Cebu. PBB calls her the “Darling Dude of Cebu”. Sorry ladies, she’s already in a relationship. Now, look who’s stalking? .

Divine looks “astig” but she’s soft spoken. She reminds me of Shane from the L Word.

I do hope that Divine will change how people think of lesbians, not just the stereotypical one. The moment that she comes out of the “house”, she will have a power to change how Filipinos perceive lesbians.

View her profile here.

Ok, enough. Shh. I have to hide my hidden crush from her. *kilig*

*got the photo above from http://fuckyeahdivinesmith.tumblr.com/ not sure where the original photo came from.

Rainbow Radio Pilipinas will be opening the airwaves for listeners who will be sending their love letters and short but sweet shout outs on Valentine’s Day. All you have to do is to send an email to: rainbowradiopilipinas[at]gmail.com on or before February 5 (Friday).

Rainbow Radio Pilipinas will choose the shout-outs and stories to be read on air. If your entry won’t be chosen, don’t fret because they will post the other stories on their website (with your permission of course).

Guidelines:

Short and sweet shout outs:

• Email Valentine shout-outs, greetings, or messages from today to 05 February 2010 to rainbowradiopilipinas@gmail.com for your submission to be included in our recording.
• Shout out should be a maximum of 50 words.
• Anonymous shout-outs will be allowed. Foul language is prohibited.

Love Letters:

• Email letters from today to 05 February 2010 to rainbowradiopilipinas@gmail.com
• Letter should have words not exceeding 300 words.
• Letter recipient can be a romantic partner, a family member, a colleague or a personal hero. Letter must express love, thanks, appreciation, congratulations, etc. Story must have LGBT theme. Example: Transgender female writing to her grandmother who loved and supported her throughout her transition
• The three most inspiring letters will be read on air and will get prizes from Rainbow Radio Pilipinas!
• Anonymous letters will be allowed. Foul language is prohibited.

Prizes are as follows:

1st prize: Romantic dinner for 2

2nd prize: Movie Date for 2

3rd prize: 2 Rainbow Pilipinas Shirts

Keep posted for details

GALANG is sponsoring a comics storyboard writing contest. I think this is an interesting project from GALANG since it will promote positive images of Filipino lesbian women through creativity. You might be interested to join and you will get to win a cash prize plus you’ll get your work published.

Mechanics:

1. Contest is open to all Filipinos (age 18 and above)

2. Target audience for the comics is Filipino lesbian women living in urban poor communities. All entries must be written in conversational Filipino

3. The objective of the contest is to develop a storyboard for a comic book that promotes positive images of Filipino lesbian women in view of the themes of equality and non-discrimination in Principle 2 of the Yogyakarta Principles.

4. The idea and the concept must be original and have never been published before.

5. Contestants must first submit a concept paper of no more than 500 words. Entries must be emailed as as MS Word attachment to lgbt [at] galangnetwork.org and galangnetwork [at] gmail.com.

6. Contestants must include the following information in the email:
- Name
- Birthday
- Residence Address
- Email address
- Landline
- Mobile number
- 25-word biography of the contestant

7. Only contestants whose concept papers are selected will be given a chance to submit a storyboard for the comic book. The storyboard must include detailed descriptions of the plot, characters, setting and as well as the dialogue in every panel. The length of the storyboard must be a maximum of 12 pages with an average of six panels per page.

8. Contestants are allowed to submit as many concept papers and or storyboards as they wish.

9. The winner of the contest will receive a cash prize of 10,000 pesos and a certificate of recognition. Her/his name will be included in the comic book.

10. This contest is sponsored by GALANG, an organization of lesbian women helping other lesbian women.

Now here’s an opportunity to know the discuss the issues and status quo of Philippine lesbian literature. Frankly, I am saddened on the status of lesbian literature here in the Philippines. Why? Because there are only a few lesbian resources that talk about lesbianism here in the Philippines. Most of the LGBT literature here are mostly centered on gays. I believe that this kind of forum should be attended by writers and even researchers to know where the weaknesses and strengths are. Too bad I can’t attend because I have to be in Australia on the scheduled date of the forum.

By the way, the Ishmael Bernal Gallery is at the back of UP Cine Adarna (Film Center). Everybody is welcome to attend whether lesbian or not.

Most of lesbian new-found friends would ask me “Where can I find lesbians in Manila?” . I know that it’s been a struggle for some lesbians to find for some lesbian love in the city that is why I decided to make this topic as my first blog post. Since I am based here in Manila, I would only be able to give you suggestions around Metro Manila so here goes:

• Coffee Shops – This is a place where lesbians (and gays flock) during the day most especially in the late afternoon until evening. Some common places infested with lesbians are Starbucks Gateway (also called gayway by some), Starbucks Glorietta 4 and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Gateway. I’ve always wondered why probably since coffee shops are already everywhere and the most convenient place to meet up and talk are those places. Well I have a theory in mind: probably the reason why lesbians hang out most of the time in coffee shops is because lesbians like to talk and get to know the woman they’re with more. There is a theory that biological females get attracted most if the other person target their emotions rather than trying to get them to bed. Well, in some cases probably is to at least talk to them a bit before getting laid. It’s just my theory, you can dispute it

• Call Center Offices/Buildings – Try to visit some of the buildings were there are call centers and you will definitely see a lesbian there. Actually, a lot of LGBTs work in call centers. I used to work in a call center and the environment is really different compared to a regular office. This is because in call centers, gender isn’t really important compared to the “traditional” type of office jobs wherein gender and appearance of an applicant are issues.
• Chatrooms - I’ll also tackle places in the cyberworld where you can see lesbians. The most common and probably Jurassic would be chatrooms. Lezpinay is a chatroom in MIRC, which I believe still exists, where lesbians usually chat. Decent conversations that do not only end with exchange of Friendster email addresses are rare there. Luckily, I was able to have some decent conversations there when I used to chat there. I just realized that a lot of emo butches and femmes frequent there. Try avoiding people who spell “po” with “poh” and interchange letter caps such as ThIs. Hay, kids these days. But, I am not discouraging you to lurk there. Hehe. There is also Lesbian Pilipinas, a simple lesbian social networking website which only focuses on lesbians in the Philippines. Of course, there is still Downelink, an LGBT social networking website but this is more of a global scale.
• Exclusive Lesbian Parties – These are parties organized by different lesbian clans. Maybe you’ll ask where do you get to know these clans? Well, they organize themselves at social networking websites such as Friendster, Facebook, Multiply and many more. If you wanna know where the latest lesbian parties are, just add those groups in your social media accounts. These parties by the way are held at different bars around the metro, usually in Quezon City or Malate. If you are able to attend one of the parties, you’ll be part of their SMS list so whenever there’s a party, they’ll bug you days before the event. Now, what to expect in exclusives? Well, it really depends on the organizer. Sometimes there are strippers hired (not all of them go all the way, most of them just do sexy dances) and games but the bulk are really just drinking and socializing with other lesbians. You’ll get to see all types of lesbians there. Usually, there are more butches than femmes. Some would offer you ree beer. Here’s an article about the launch of My Femme Magazine which can already be considered as an exclusive lesbian party.
• Bars, Malls, etc. – There isn’t an exclusive lesbian bar anymore in Metro Manila. Before, there was La Dida in Malate but now we lesbians already share bars with the gays. The area within De La Salle University, College of St. Benilde and St. Scholastica’s College is a good place to see lesbians. There is a bar called Dematisse then a condiminium called Providence Tower. There is a videoke place at the ground second floor called Mama V’s which is open 24 hours a day and even on holidays.They’re not really exclusive lesbian places but since most lesbians hang out there (probably waiting for their girlfriends from nearby universities). Gateway is a mall in Quezon City where I see lesbians too.
• LGBT Events - If you think that going to exclusive lesbian parties are too much for you and would prefer to have more social consciousness, then you can definitely go to LGBT events such as the Pride March. The Pride March in Manila usually happens during June and December. Aside from that, different lesbian groups organize discussion groups and forums that tackle different issues such as lesbian parenting, relationships, politics and many more.

What makes a family? It is not just a biological concept anymore, in fact it has evolved into a social construct. We sometimes consider long time colleagues at work as our family. The rigidity of the family as a biological concept sometimes become the root of bigotry and homophobia. The common notion is that our biological family can do no harm on us; thus the saying goes “blood is thicker than water”. BUT, this is not always the case as there are biological family members of ours that abuse us and show insincerity in their actions towards us. All we need to do is to widen our minds in the concept of the family.

Lesbian Families in the Philippines. We may deny it or not but there are already lesbian families here in the Philippines. Whether they were planned (like undergoing artificial methods of pregnancy) or the woman had a child before engaging in a lesbian relationship. Whatever the grassroots were, it is already in our status quo. There are many issues that lesbian families in the Philippines face because primarily, we do not have a law that legitimizes lesbian partners taking custody of children in case something happens to the partner. Under the Philippine Family Code, a child that is born out of wedlock is considered illegitimate. Thus a lesbian couple’s child is illegitimate and has to be with the biological mother’s custody. We do not have same sex unions in the Philippines and so the problem arises when lesbian couples decide to have their own children. A lot of couples, who have the capacity to spend money, go to countries were same sex union and adoption is legal. But how about the lesbian couples who aren’t well off? They have to face whatever existing Philippine laws and work around it. It’s a good thing that we have lesbian lawyers that can give us suggestions on how we can make the existing laws beneficial for lesbian couples who currently have children and are still planning to have one.

Let me summarize the things that I learned from the lesbian parenting forum and these are 3 ways to legalize the documents for lesbian parents and their children:

1) Adoption
This is what usually lesbian couples opt to choose. It may look like an easy way out BUT if this is chosen, the biological mother will be removed of her rights as the mother. Adoption can be used for heterosexual couples. This can only work if we have same-sex unions here in the Philippines but unfortunately, we don’t have it yet.

2) Living Wills
According to the lesbian lawyers, this has been becoming a trend in the United States wherein LGBT parents have living wills. According to Wiki, Living Wills are

instructions given by individuals specifying what actions should be taken for their health in the event that they are no longer able to make decisions due to illness or incapacity. A living will is one form of advance directive, leaving instructions for treatment. Another form authorizes a specific type of power of attorney or health care proxy, where someone is appointed by the individual to make decisions on their behalf when they are incapacitated. People may also have a combination of both. It is often encouraged that people complete both documents to provide the most comprehensive guidance regarding their care.

In relation to this, you can make your own “living will” while you are still young and state in that document that you are giving your partner a right to decide when you are incapacitated or die. You can give your partner the right to have have custody of the child. Well, this hasn’t been done yet in the Philippines according to the lesbian lawyers. Under the Philippine law, it is always the welfare of the child that is being taken into consideration. Just make sure that your partner is capable of taking care of the children so that there wouldn’t be any issues with your immediate family.

3) Special Power of Attorney (SPOA)
According to Wiki:

In the Philippines, this kind of document is not very much welcomed in terms of lesbian co-parenting. Probably in the context of business matters, this document can be utilized.

In summary, there is still no absolute way for lesbian co-parenting here in the Philippines. Like I said earlier, these suggestions are just some of the things that you can probably do when you decide to legalize things. As of this moment, the probability that these suggestions will work is not that high yet. If you have a lesbian family and has done legal actions, whether successful or not, please share your experiences here or contact LGBT organizations so that other lesbians will be enlightened on this matter. We need to help each other for the common good.

Supported by

Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice
are inviting you to attend:

By popular request, this discussion will try to provide answers for lesbian couples seeking joint property rights and other legal protections, after having been deprived of the automatic privileges granted by marriage. We shall also try to cover parenting options for lesbian families. Here is an article, by the way, which can help you know ways on how to get pregnant the lesbian way.

Know where you stand under Philippine law, and learn about your alternatives.

*reposted from Angie.

]]> http://pinoylgbt.com/families-of-the-heart-legal-protections-for-lesbian-partners-and-their-children/feed/ 0 http://pinoylgbt.com/flipping-through-the-pages-of-maxims-gay-and-lesbian-issue/ http://pinoylgbt.com/flipping-through-the-pages-of-maxims-gay-and-lesbian-issue/#comments Sun, 12 Apr 2009 18:23:00 +0000 Sharlyne Ang http://pinoylgbt.com/flipping-through-the-pages-of-maxims-gay-and-lesbian-issue/ Continue reading →]]> (photo from Maxim Philippines)

I just got a copy of the Maxim Philippines’ Gay and Lesbian Issue a few days ago with Mocha on the cover of it. Just finished reading the interesting articles and of course looking at the interesting pictures of it too . I believe this is the most daring mainstream magazine magazine that I’ve seen lately. A lot of provocative femme-to-femme poses from women who I believe who are just swingers (or bi-curious women) but not really femme lesbians per se. Oh well.

It’s obviously selling femme-to-femme action which is appealing to men (and lesbians) of course. Would you think that men would buy the magazine if there’s a butch-to-femme action? Nahh. Well, that is the nature of the magazine so I really wouldn’t expect much from them. There were lots of nipple exposures (there were a lot, literally). I admit that I enjoyed looking at some of the pictures there (and no I am not being a hypocrite about it) but I was also looking for some depth as what it claims to be: the ‘gay and lesbian issue’. There were some articles that at least tickled my brain (and at least some of the readers also) not just my libido.

There was an article entitled “Gays Night Out” which featured 5 out gays in the our society such as Boy Abunda, Danton Remoto (writer and activist), Puey Quiñones (fashion designer), Mojo Jojo (Magic 89.9 DJ) and Carlo Tadiar (a magazine editor). The discussion was lead by Boy Abunda and the night out happened at a VIP room in Classmate (in Quezon City). There were “GROs” and a stripper was hired to dance infront of them. In this article, I saw different perspectives of gays on certain things. Even though they all like men, they still have different opinions in relationships, sex, women, etc… Moral lesson of the article: In a room full of gays in it, a naked woman won’t really interest them. They’ll most likely befriend the girl but never to have sex with her.

On the other hand, there was an article about lesbians. They featured 4 butch looking lesbians. Unfortunately, they didn’t do a lesbians night out thing with a male stripper on it. Talk about equality. Haha. I could just imagine how these butches would react. I also hoped that they also featured femme lesbians (not just Mocha because it seemed that she’s not a femme lesbian). Femme lesbians are also called lipstick lesbians, who are not bisexuals by the way.

The two articles actually show one thing in common: that even though we are all part of the LGBT community, we still have different views and perspectives on certain things. This is probably the reason we are also having a hard time uniting as one. I am not saying that diversity is bad, actually, it’s better. Life would be boring and too mechanical if all of us are the same; there is no room for discussion and debate. Even in feminism, there are different kinds of it. In addition, I believe the questions that were asked from the participants were the questions that ‘straight’ individuals are curious to ask. It’s just like the ‘gay and lesbian life for dummies’. I was able to relate to the lesbian article even though I am not butch.

They wanted to have an alternative magazine cover with BB Gandanghari on it but they didn’t push it through. I felt disappointed when I read their open letter to BB Gandanghari. And I quote from the open letter:

When the editorial staff brainstored for this Gay and Lesbian Issue, we seriously considered shooting you for an alternate cover, one that would be sold in newsstands alongside Mocha’s. Quite understandably, that idea was soon deemed too risky by management. We had to concede that a good percentage of MAXIM readers would probably not be too happy to see a whole issue dedicated to homosexuality, let alone see a transgendered person on the cover.

Besides you claim that you’re a woman and not gay was all the discouragement we needed..

Maxim seems to show ‘fluidity of sexuality’ in their magazines but it’s in the terms of having different sexual partners (whether male or female) but the fluidity in terms of gender and sexuality is still out of their vocabulary. A transgendered individual, by the way, is still part of the LGBT community. They are biologically male but they are not gay men. BB claims that she is a woman because she is a transgendered individual therefore she is still part of the LGBT community. Even though there are some members of the LGBT community who would still question transgenders and transexuals as part of the community, the bottomline is the “common people” who do not understand concepts of gender and sexuality would still label them as gays. Anyway, maybe I’ll just take it literally: it’s a GAY AND LESBIAN issue and they didn’t include TRANSGENDER in the title. Haha.
 
As mentioned, I appreciated the fact that MAXIM dared to release this kind of issue. It’s not that in depth but what the heck, the magazine only has a few pages with texts in it. Like I said, I didn’t expect the magazine to have full understanding of it but at least there was an attempt to show a gist of the gay and lesbian life. So congratulations, MAXIM was able to make heads turn because of this and more bucks of course. In summary, the magazine was ok. It’s more stimulating to the libido than to the brain.

Lunduyan ng Sining’s Women Serenading Women
(Watch the best femme bands reinvent harana into herana)

This is also in celebration of the first anniversary of Lunduyan ng Sining’s lit folio,
What These Hands Can Do.

with performers:

Al Rio
Blush
Matt
Tao Aves
Flush and the Toilets

Mag:net Katipunan
Feb. 13 2009
9pm onwards

Donation is at P150 with free drink.

Lunduyan Ng Sining’s What These Hands Can Do contributors can come in for free.

Part of the proceeds will be donated to Tara Sentelices’ fund. Let’s help bring Tara home!

Please spread the love.

** from Lunduyan ng Sining’s multiply.

A lot of lesbians, from different ages, kinds, shapes and sizes, gathered at the Sir William’s Hotel Functon Room in Timog Ave, Quezon City to celebrate the launch of the first lesbian magazine in the Philippines which is My Femme Magazine (MFM). My girlfriend and I were among the first people to be there and got ourselves free shots of tequila while waiting for the program to start. Entrance was free (but the drinks weren’t ) and the program started around 10:30 pm. It was actually like a normal exclusive party for lesbians, however there are some men who were there (I’m not just sure if they’re friends of the organizers or gays?). There were dance numbers, games and models. We got the chance to choose the next My Femme cover girl for the next issue by voting the models of our choice.

Opening Dance Number

Who will be the next My Femme Cover Girl?

Time for the butches to shine!

The magazine will be released every 2 months, I am just not sure where we can avail of the magazine. The magazine is worth Php 40, it’s printed in a glossy paper with a size more than 1/4 page of a short bond paper. The pilot issue is about coming out which is I think very useful for young lesbians (and also closet lesbians) to help them come out to their parents especially. What I have observed is that the magazine is like a combination of Cosmopolitan and FHM. The Cosmo side of it is shown on the columns/articles which are related to fashion/style, giving advices (the She Says, She Says column) and answering surveys (e.g Are you a man-hater of just a woman lover?). On the other hand, the FHM side of it is shown on the columns/articles Lez Confessions (like Ladies Confessions) and My Femme Cover Profile (like Girlfriend of the Month). There are still a lot of things to improve (e.g. some typo-errors and the articles are almost on the edge, probably put a little space or have it printed in a much bigger paper) but I think that in the over-all it’s ok for a pilot issue. It seems that it just lacked depth on tackling lesbian issues especially that their pilot issue’s main topic is coming out. Well, I am giving them the benefit of the doubt. I know that it’s really hard to put up this kind of magazine especially the expenses behind it. I actually salute them for their courage in conceptualizing this magazine; it must have took them months (or years) to do this.

My femme has a website (social networking/forum site), you may visit it if you want to be part of their online community.

Congratulations to MyFemme and ThirdVantage Publishing House!