Is an LGBT organization relevant in ZaNorte?

“An LGBT organization in Zamboanga Del Norte? What for? Do you have cases or statistics of discrimination based on gender preference or sexual orientation? Is LGBT a marginalized sector in your area? Killings perhaps? Eh mukhang wala naman. I even think that your province is an LGBT friendly area.”

These were the exact statements of a friend after I told her that we are in the initial stage of organizing the LGBTs in the province.

Indeed, I haven’t seen or heard any studies documenting LGBT cases of discrimination or violence here. But personal accounts of such struggles in their families and friends abound. Stories on coming out that pretty much includes depression, insecurities and low self-esteem are common. Some are (in my personal view) cases of rape but are recounted by “victims” in a humorous manner that no one would even distinguish it as an act of violence and coercion. The outing process even entails an expensive means to others since they travel just to unfurl their rainbow colored butterfly wings in other places.

A lot of us may have heard statements such as “Ay, bayot diay siya? Sayang.” Or “Imong masaligan bisan ug bayot.” Or “Kining akong amigo, bisag bayot ni pero…” These words woven into sentences may in its initial context imply something that a gay person could be proud of or at least boost his ego. And the comments may serve its purpose during the time it was spoken. But the subtext is worth exploring. More than what was being said it simply means that being “bayot” is something equated to a disability or something lesser to what a regular or “normal” person is. In an 8.5 harshness level, it was like what I overheard in Pasay walking pass a house which I assume a father was yelling at his son saying “Tang ina ka, bakla ka na nga, addict ka pa!”.

The people of Zamboanga del Norte (and Mindanao as a whole) posses a culture that is sensitive to the emotions of others. We exert an effort not to hurt people’s feelings and try to not to be arrogant or careless in the choice of words even if we are 3 ft. away of wringing the neck of the person in front of us. Unlike other cultures, Manila for one, outright indignation of gay people like shouting “bakla!” to someone just walking in the street for instance can be seen.The downside of the Mindanaoan sensitive attitude however is the loss of emotional outlet to what “regular” people really feel towards and think of lgbt people. They do not want to offend us by saying what they really feel because it is something that may hurt our feelings. But having a highly catholic, conservative and “God-created-Man-and-Woman-only” view of the world, there is something inside them that says, “He is gay and that is wrong.” Or maybe, “I don’t want my son to end up like him.” They just couldn’t say it!

I think, in the west, the killings, the violence, the abhorrence to lgbt people are mere manifestations of what is within their hearts and minds. The people of Zamboanga Del Norte will ultimately be saturated with the culture, ideas and views like the ones in Manila or in the west or Muslim countries. And this is why we need to come in as early as NOW. This is precisely the reason why we need to be visible and start changing the views of the present society before the feelings and thoughts are transmitted into hateful actions. We should educate and exert an effort to counter the stereotypical view of the society that LGBT people are weak and freaks.

I explained my reasons to my friend and ended up by saying, “Well, I am not waiting for a Matthew Shepard in Zamboanga Del Norte.” She answered “O cya cya..What can I do to help?”

- Aleksi