I would like to believe that it’s not only biological pre-determinations that define how one is behaving, no matter what their gender or sexual preference is. Although coming from the Sociological background, I would like to believe that there is a balance between the social and biological influences. Many say that gays are more inclined to lust than love. I don’t want to generalize here but this was some of the stereotypes I hear about gays. On the other hand, lesbians are biologically women and prioritize emotions rather than lust. So I was just wondering what if we let go of the stereotypes and just live and love as how we want to be? I just wonder.

This was coined by Bern Josep Persia.

(This video with subtitles can be found here.)

I actually found this in Facebook and got intrigued by this when an FB friend of mine shared the Bekimon Facebook page. Funny how the term Jejemon has now evolved into this new term that can also become an internet sensation and even transcend to popular culture sensation.

Kalurkey. Nalurkey akey nang nasightsung ko ang videobels ni Bekimon. (Naloka ako nang nakita ko ang mga videos ni Bekimon). Imagine your mom scolding you in Bekimon language. I was trying to decipher the meaning without the subtitles and good thing I can still understand! Been used to hearing gay lingo with my orgmates in Babaylan really helped but sad thing is I can’t really ispluk straight. Haha. Hope that Bern can still create more videos like this, it’s really helps lighten up the mood.

Getchikola mes? (Na-gets mo ba? / Did you get it? )

I recently attended a cervical cancer prevention bloggers event courtesy of Glaxo Smith Kline held at Melo’s Quezon City. Although this is a boring topic, because of its scientific terms and all, GSK was able to make the bloggers participate in their impromptu play. So while having dinner, the actors from PETA were doing their impromptu acting. It was a 50’s set up dinner wherein the actors and some bloggers were asked to wear 50’s attire. Of course, I didn’t effort to do that but just went with the flow of the whole situation. The whole event focused on Jennifer, a married woman in the 50’s, who mysteriously died. Everybody in her family was a suspect when until they discovered that it was Cervical Cancer who killed Jennifer. During the 50’s, there was no preventive medicine yet for this disease and so Glaxo Smith Kline introduced their Cervical Cancer Vaccine which can be availed by Filipino women. This event made me thought of this: Cervical Cancer and Lesbians.

Question, are lesbians at risk for this killer disease?

Historically, it was a popular notion that Cervical Cancer can be transmitted through heterosexual sex. I guess this is because scientists then were heterocentric and never realized that women can also fuck other women. I am confirming that YES, LESBIANS are at risk for this disease even though you do not have sex with men. Even though I am not a scientist or a doctor, the thought that your partner or ex partner might have sex with men in the past, already is a reason for you to have the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) too. So even doing “digital” sex (fingering) or oral sex, whether with a man or a woman, a lesbian (er woman) can get this.

Basically, women who have sex with different partners have higher risks of getting this disease. It really doesn’t matter what your sexual orientation is. This is not only transmitted through sexual contact, but also through skin-to-skin contact. The symptoms are not that evident at first, sometimes it takes years before the HPV is fully developed.

Cervical Cancer is the second most common killer among women. There is an estimate of 12 women in the Philippines who die everyday due to Cervical Cancer and an estimate of 510,000 new cases globally every year according to the World Health Organization.

The good thing is that Cervical Cancer can be prevented and this is by using condoms, smoking avoidance, eating nutritious food and by undergoing the vaccination. Glaxo Smith and Kline (GSK) already has a cheaper cervical cancer prevention vaccination which only costs around Php 7,000. Just go to your OB-GYN to ask for this. I better get myself vaccinated before it’s too late.

If you want to read up on this, maybe a simple brochure from ILGA on Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer can help you. To know the scientific stuff on cervical cancer, visit this page.

Muli is a movie that’s based on Jerry Gracio’s Palanca-winning screenplay. This indie gay film is about the love story of an underground/activist inn keeper (Sid Lucero) and a layer (Cogie Domingo). The film is directed by Adolfo B. Alix, Jr. Please do watch out for this film in the Cinemalaya Film fest this coming July.

A fund-raising party will be held on June 2, 9pm at The Lounge. The party is dubbed as “Pink Pride Party! It will be hosted by Kris Loyola, Prince Vinny and Coolai Concepcion. DJ Jenil will also be there.

Entrance fee is 200 pesos and it comes with a free drink!

RSVP here.

The Lounge
2nd Floor Bellagio Square,
Sct Fuentebella cor Tomas Morato,
Quezon City

2 weeks ago, I attended a Coffee Session of Mulat Pinoy because I’ve been out of the lgbt circuit for quite some time and I’m eager to thirst my intellect with stuff outside my work. Thanks to Bubbles for sharing this in her Facebook. Anyway, the topic was about Population and Gender with speakers coming from different sectors (DSWD, UP Population Institution, LGBT groups and advocates and representatives from Feminist Groups as well). The LGBT representation is really evident, and the discussion revolved around the LGBT situation here in the Philippines.

Ms. Rina Jimenez-David pointed out that in our way of thinking that is being imposed on children is very heterocentric. I very much agree to this, the conservatism of the Department of Education seem to wary away the existence of LGBTs in Philippine society. Why is there fear? Why is there a perception of LGBTs being imposed on the child very negative? To prevent children in doing bad things, some adults would say “sige ka, ibibigay kita sa bakla”. This statement alone already has a pre-conceived notion that gays or LGBTs are monsters. Children who are socialized in this kind of homophobic statements, whether it was intentional or unintentional, can lead to hatred against LGBTs. Angie Umbac of Rainbow Rights and Ang Ladlad suggested that children today should have good role models. I assume that this “good role model” is not in the absolutely related to religion but role models who simply respect other people’s differences.

Dra. Zablan from the Population Institute stated with conviction that we should have a paradigm shift. I guess this is the ideal thing to do but in reality, it can’t happen overnight. Education is the key to gear up this shift that we need; the shift from heterocentric to gender-sensitive paradigms as well as prioritizing human rights. Theories and Ideals should’t only be kept inside our brains but also in practice. By continuing to question on the existing heterocentric paradigms, we will be able to achieve a gender sensitive way of thinking wherein no one will ever care on one’s sexuality but the his/her capacity. Suntok sa buwan ito, ika nga. But rather than spreading hatred on the LGBTs, spreading gender equality among ourselves would be a worthy thing to do.

Gay icons are someone that gays look up to, whether they are really gay or not. Here are some individuals that are considered to be as gay icons here in the Philippines:

Ricky Reyes – Icon for the “parloristang” bakla

He is the most successful gay who strived to make his salon chain successful. Before the F Salons, Index and the others, the most evident ones were Ricky Reyes’ salons. He also founded the Ricky Reyes Learning Institute wherein people who aspire to become a professional hairdresser can be formally educated. During the 90’s (and I believe until now), he has a television show called “Beauty School Plus” wherein the television viewers can learn how to put on make up and cut someone else’s hair.

Danton Remoto: Icon for the Political Gays

* photo from dantonremoto2010.blogspot.com

An Ateneo professor and writer, Danton Remoto aims to become the first openly gay politician. Danton heads the LGBT political group “Ang Ladlad” which was at first denied to be recognized as a party list representative for the LGBTs in the upcoming 2010 National Elections. As of this moment, the Supreme Court has given the go signal to let “Ang Ladlad” run a party list group.

Boy Abunda – Icon for the Tsismosang Bakla

Boy Abunda is also an artist manager aside from being the host of the popular Showbiz oriented show, The Buzz. I guess he’s one of the respected hosts and interviewers in this country. I can’t really say that he’s perfectly balanced in all that he does but I am sure that he’s one hell of an intelligent interviewer.

I know there are a lot but I guess I’ll keep this shortlisted first. If you have any gay in mind that you feel is respected in Philippine society, then please suggest it below.

]]> http://pinoylgbt.com/who-are-the-gay-icons-in-your-neighborhood/feed/ 0 http://pinoylgbt.com/vote-ang-ladlad-partylist-shade-89-in-your-ballots/ http://pinoylgbt.com/vote-ang-ladlad-partylist-shade-89-in-your-ballots/#comments Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:27:26 +0000 Sharlyne Ang http://pinoylgbt.com/?p=209

I know that this song really sucks but I guess this is a catchy way for me to instruct how you’ll vote the partylist I am campaigning for.

Ang Ladlad Partylist has gone through the needle just to be part of the roster of partylists that can participate in the elections. If you may have heard or read in the news, Ang Ladlad has been constantly being denied by the Commission of Elections to participate for various reasons. The last attempt to reject Ang Ladlad (again) even used biblical quotations to justify their reason of not letting Ang Ladlad run. How odd is that when it is clearly stated in the Philippine Constitution that The Church and the State are separate entities? Anyway, they were not successful in their homophobic motives because the Supreme Court already issued a Temporary Restraining Order stopping the Commission on Elections of disqualifying the partylist.

The ballots have been printed and the Supreme Court resolution has not changed from January 25, 2010, thus Ang Ladlad is part of the roster of partylist candidates.

Ang Ladlad’s platforms are as follows:

• Support for the Anti-Discrimination Bill that gives LGBT Filipinos equal rights and opportunities in employment and equal treatment in schools, hospitals, restaurants, hotels, entertainment centers, and government offices. The bill makes discrimination versus LGBTs a criminal act.
• Support for LGBT-related and LGBT-friendly businesses.
• Setting up of micro-finance and livelihood projects for poor and physically-challenged LGBT Filipinos;
• Setting up of centers for old and abandoned LGBTs. The centers will also offer legal aid and counseling, as well as information about LGBT issues, HIV-AIDS, and reproductive health. These centers will be set up in key cities of the country.
• Support for the the bill repealing the Anti-Vagrancy Law that some unscrupulous policemen use to extort bribes from gay men;

Take note that there is no option for gay/lesbian marriage here. All we wanted is to have a specific law that can protect us from discriminating behaviors and acts by homophobics. This is the time for Filipino LGBTs to  be represented by LGBTs.

To know more about Ang Ladlad, please visit http://www.angladlad.com/.

(photo from www.angladlad.com)

It’s been a long time since I got to hang out with the LGBT crowd. Before, my girlfriend and I used to attend lesbian exclusive parties but I’ve realized that going there frequently doesn’t really matter because everything’s the same. It’s the same crowd and it’s the same type of parties. We got tired of that.

Just a week ago, a friend of ours wanted to hang out in Butterfly Bar in Quezon City. He hasn’t been there before so we decided to bring him there. Imagine, one gay guy and a lesbian couple. Three is a crowd but we’re all friends, so it’s ok.

Butterfly Bar has changed a lot. The last time I was there was in 2008, when my girlfriend and I were still friends then. Now, the walls are painted white. The newest addition here is the mini show from the resident gays, impersonating popular female singers. I was surprised with this. First performance was an impersonation of Nicole of Pussy Cat Dolls then the second one was probably the best, impersonating Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”. She literally utilized the small space in the first floor including the bar. The video I took was their last performance. It’s good that they already had this before, Butterflly Bar was just a bar where LGBTs (and friends of LGBTs) in Metro Manila can drink. Glad it’s already fun, fun, fun!

After 3 rounds of beer at 2:30 am and “kawalan ng future” of our friend in the bar, we decided to call it a night. For me, it was my reunion with the LGBT crowd, which I really missed so much. Been surrounded with ’straight’ people is ok but it’s still different when I’m with my type of crowd.

Gayspeak is an entry to the AdSpeak Competition under the print category. The print ad was done by http://jackofalltwists.tumblr.com/. Let’s vote online for his entry to the AdSpeak Competition.