Their no-cross dressing policy is obviously discriminating the LGBT community. I understand that the bar has dress code rules. Cross dressing is far cry from the specific dress code rules. They can say they can’t allow this kind of clothing etc.

Aruba lets women who wear clothes that have very low necklines (almost revealing their boobs), thong slip-ons (which are technically slippers but with heels) and men who wear tight jeans almost bulging their balls. Why do they let them enter the premises? Because they wore gender-matched clothing not because of their strict dress code policy.

It is really time for the Anti-Discrimination Bill to be passed because we need to be protected from these kinds of discriminatory practices. We are not asking to have special rights, we just want to be treated as an ordinary citizen who has the capacity to spend a peso. We are not asking for same-sex marriages by pushing the Anti-Discrimination Law. A lot of law-makers make hasty generalizations that all the LGBT in the Philippines will be asking for same-sex marriages. YOU ARE DEFINITELY WRONG. I personally believe that this won’t happen in the near future. With how Filipinos treat the LGBT? Nahh, no way. Well, I respect the people who want that but I think that the most immediate thing to do is to pass the Anti Discrimination Bill. Yes, we already have the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS but in our context here in the Philippines, it seems that we need a separate law that will protect specifically the LGBTs because a lot of people violate the prior.

I just hope that they will be taught a lesson. Boycott Aruba Bar!

Click here to read BB Gandanghari’s blog about it.

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.

In the said issue, you’ll expect:

Gays nightout at Classmate
This is about Boy Abunda with other four famous gay men holding a roundtable discussion of gay issues inside a VIP room in Classmate. Boy Abunda was joined by Danton Remoto (writer and activist), Puey Quiñones (fashion designer), Mojo Jojo (Magic 89.9 DJ) and Carlo Tadiar (a magazine editor).

The Curious Case of Binibini Gandanghari
A mock cover of Bebe will appear in the magazine including an open letter addressed to Bebe Gandanghari.

To kick off things here, I would like to say that I appreciated the fact that P.O.C (Philippine Online Chronicles) set up an event like this. This was Bebe Gandanghari’s way to reach out to the bloggers since she has been visible online. The event was ok but I really couldn’t say that it achieved something. Yes, she was liked by everyone (and suddenly became fan boys and girls) butI am saying this because I believe that the LGBT agenda wasn’t highlighted. It became some sort of a ‘fans day’ or a ‘press con’ for an upcoming movie. I am glad that some of my fellow bloggers (even though they’re not “one of us”) asked relevant questions that actually highlighted the LGBT issues such as discrimination. It was Mark and I who opened up the LGBT issues and I was even wondering if some of the people there knew what LGBT was. Maybe I was looking for something that I couldn’t find and I expected it to become an avenue for it. But, I my expectations were too much. I know that total acceptance of the LGBTs is very impossible in the Philippines (and even the world) but at least some of us bloggers were able to open it up. I actually appreciated Mark in being honest about being one of the homophobics and meeting BB in person sort of opened up his mind a little bit though I know homophobia is not totally gone. This has become a some sort of achievement for me.

Anyway, I actually invited some LGBT bloggers to attend the event because I believe that they deserve to be represented there. I’m glad that Peach of lesfriendly.com was there and waved at me but I am not really sure if the others came. There was a bit of frustration in my part because there is already an avenue for the LGBTs to shine but it seemed that these kinds of events won’t interest them. This was how I felt when I was in college when the organizations that I was a member of organize forums or discussion groups and nobody wants to attend. Deep in our heart we know that the topics that we have were very relevant but usually it’s just the members of the org who attend those kinds of intellectual avenues to at least have an audience. There should be a ‘marketing’ factor to motivate people to come. As much as I don’t want to think that people are always searching for ‘what will I get out of it?” factors to make them go but it is a reality. Why do I need to ask more when I really can’t expect people to have the passion and conviction on the politics of the LGBT agenda? Oh well, here I go again. I better stop expecting from people too much. It is true that there is division in all sectors of the society and even in the LGBT community. It just sucks but I would have to work with it. At least some people were enlighted about the LGBT issues and I am already happy about it.

Above all the externalities, I admired BB Gandanghari. I saw her inner beauty while she was answering the questions that we asked. I realized that she is a sensible person who is capable of having an intellectual conversation.

Rustom Padilla has became her past but she does not regret living as Rustom Padilla. She’s currently a transgender (or transpinay in the local terms) and according to her does not have any plans on “cutting it off”. I know that most people will think that “isn’t it that being an LGBT means that they want the sex organ of the opposite?” well, to tell you frankly not everyone would like to have a sex change. This is a misconception and a lot of LGBTs are happy with the sex organ that they currently have. Like me, I don’t want a dick. I am very happy with my own stuff.

BB is a good example also in recreating one’s self. This shows that agency (individual) plays a very powerful role in self-deconstruction. And with her internalization of her deconstructed self as a woman becomes a reality. I know people’s minds are still boggled by this kind of idea but for me it is welcoming the concept of agency (individual) creating reality and not the other way around. Well actually, this has been a long debate among the social theorists but I think that it is becoming mainstream as well. This will open the hard to penetrate narrow minded individuals in thinking that reality is based on defining what is right or wrong. Something becomes a reality if other people acknowledge it. As mentioned by BB, she has experiences with the people that she meets acknowledges (and welcomes) her being a transgender. Her concept of reality is thus becomes legitimized and the internalization of her being a woman is much more deepened. I remember, when I got home I told my mom that I have met BB and then she asked “So talagang tinotoo na niya ang pagiging bakla niya?” and I would answered “Ma, matagal na siyang ganyan at ang pagiging totoong bakla ay hindi natatapos sa pagsusuot lang ng pambabaeng damit. Kahit ang lalake ay lalaking-lalake magdamit ay kung bakla, bakla talaga. Hindi nasusukat yon sa panlabas na kaanyuan. Yun ang katotohan niya na babae siya kaya tanggapin natin.” I would’ve wanted to say “Hindi naman niya pinapakialaman ang pagiging ‘straight’ mo so bakit pa nating pakikialaman ang pagiging babae niya?” but saying that would be too disrepectful hehe. Everytime I open up a topic that is very mind boggling we would always fight about it.

BB has become one of the leading LGBT Icons in the Philippines and I thanked her for being our inspiration. We, the LGBTs, need someone to look up to so that we could be guided on how we can live our lives. I just hope that we could have more Pinay lesbian icons too.

I am the currently at the Bebe Gandanghari Blogger meet up at Mag:Net High Street. The event is sponsored by P.O.C (Philippine Online Chronicles). Bloggers get the chance to ask questions to her, no holds barred.

She arrived around 4:30 pm. The moment she entered Mag:Net, she stopped to pose for the cameras. Bebe was very warm and already thanked the people.

Here are some of her quotable quotes:

Is Bebe Gandanghari a character that you play? (asked by Mark)
“it’s the character i discovered. i thought that it’s the character i wanna play.”

[I already rephrased it but I got her point ] I think that God will not ask my why you love this person (pertaining to another man) but he will ask me HOW YOU LOVED HIM.

I also asked a question ” How do you feel being one of the LGBT icons here in the Philippines?”. She said that when she was still a gay man and been living in US, she was able to meet a gay organization in UCLA (where she studied Film). That’s when she was able to learn about the information on the LGBT community. She also realized that it was really hard especially for the adolescent kids on being out. Being an LGBT icon is a responsbility. This is for the LGBTs who feel alone and confused. I thanked her for being one of OUR LGBT icons here in the Philippines and can also empower change especially in the mainstream.

What are your plans for the 2010; your LGBT agenda? Do you plan to run? (asked by Mark)

This was just show yesterday at a Philippine showbiz talk show, Startalk. Rustom Padilla unveiled his new name and image: Bebe Gandanghari. From what I know, this is for a tv series that will be shown soon. So basing it from the interview, I am not sure if this is a preparation for a role. I remember the concept of method acting like what Robert de Niro and Al Pacino do to study the roles that they will be portraying.

According to Bebe, she did not undergo any medical procedure and everything was done naturally. I know that people will already judge her as a weirdo. I’m actually reading some blogs which actually show a bit of bigotry about it. Well, what can I say for those uneducated people?

I salute you Bebe for coming out (again? ) and not being ashamed of who you really are. I think that in this day and age, being hypocrites and tertainment, Transgender, BB Gandanghari, bigots are the biggest losers.