The Philippine Online Chronicles

‘And I see your true colors, that’s why I love you. So don’t be afraid to let them show, your true colors…’

The music and lyrics of "True Colors" filled the University of the East auditorium last February 14, Valentine’s Day. That, and some members of the UE Guidance and Counseling Office inflating colorful balloons of various shapes which would be used to decorate the stage.

Atty. Venir Cuyco, founding chairperson of Babaylan, and I as Executive Director of Babaylanes, Inc., were invited as panelists to the "Let’s Talk About LGBT," a panel discussion which was the highlight of the Fostering Healthy Sexuality across All Gender Identities (FEEL) program of the University of the East Guidance and Counseling Office.

I believe the organizers were stressing out because at 9:00 a.m., the auditorium was still empty of students.

Their stress turned out to be unnecessary as minutes later the students came in waves and filled the auditorium which has a capacity of 419 individuals. The audience was composed of a combination of  heteros, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders.

FEEL ng UE, FEEL Mo?

Babaylanes, Inc. received the invitation from the University of the East Guidance and Counseling Office as early as January 18, 2011.

The FEEL program of the University of the East, according to program chairperson Ms. Remedios Moog, is “designed to promote sensitivity to a person’s sexuality among students and other members of the school community. This intends to discuss and increase understanding on sexual orientations which will result to a healthier expression of feelings and self-concept.”

According to Ms. Moog, the importance of this activity cannot be overemphasized as it was supported by the school administration of UE.

"Let’s Talk About LGBT", a talk-show-type multi-media activity where speakers from different gender identities and from various disciplines discussed issues, challenges, and experiences related to gender issues, was one of the recommendations of UE students themselves.

The panel discussion opened with video clips of some UE students and faculty sharing their perceptions on what LGBT is all about, and what LGBT issues they are interested in knowing more about.

Some were from those who already possessed high awareness on LGBT issues and one who, in a very funny way, said, “LGBT stands for lesbians, gays, bakla, and tomboys.”

Students and faculty members were asked which topics and issues they wanted to discuss and clarify, including how one knows when one is LGBT, whether being LGBT is inborn or acquired through time, coming out, and experiences of bullying, isolation, rejection and discrimination.

The first panel discussed challenges related to LGBT. This includes identity development,  isolation, family issues, and homophobia. Highlights of the panel discussion attempted to clarify sexual orientations, gender identities and the panelists' experiences while coming out.

The second panel discussed psycho-social issues, emotions, intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships, and life satisfaction. Personally, the highlight of this panel was the clarification made by the resource speaker, Dr. Gary Dy of UE Psychology Department. One student asked via video clip if being LGBT is a disorder and what can be done to cure it.

Dr. Dy replied that "being lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender is not a disease, it has been dropped from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Thus, there is no need to cure it."

Discrimination and Human Rights

Panel three, meanwhile, discussed experiences of discrimination and human rights. Babaylanes was invited specifically for this portion.

Atty. Cuyco, the founding chairperson of the University of the Philippines Babaylan, stressed the importance of LGBT organizing to address discrimination experienced by LGBT students. He further stated that “U.P. Babaylan was organized 18 years ago in response to discrimination and violence experienced by some gays in the university. One of the possible ways to address discrimination is to organize ourselves into a support groups which can forward issues and sentiments collectively.”

Atty. Cuyco, who helped draft the Anti-Discrimination Bill (ADB) in 1998, also shared that the ADB has been refiled in the 15th Congress by Akbayan Representative Kaka Bag-ao as House Bill 515.

For my part, I shared my thoughts on the importance of being able to expressly link experiences of discrimination to human rights principles of equality and non-discrimination.

“Equality and non-discrimination are basic human rights principles. It is imperative that when we talk about experiences of discrimination, that we link to it human rights. Every person has the same set of rights regardless of sexual orientations and gender identities.”

“Labels which are used in relation to sexual orientations and gender identities should never be used to discriminate people. These labels should be utilized in the quest to understand.”

Feedback and developments

The UE Guidance and Counseling Office conducted a post-activity evaluation and based on the comments from the students present during the event, the activity was a big success. They gave the activity a "two thumbs up."

According to some students, the activity helped them to be more aware of and understand LGBT people as the sharing of the panelists had opened their world and thoughts about LGBTs.

What I think is important with the conclusion of the activity was that it had the backing of the UE administration. I believe that this signals their openness to clarifying and understanding issues related to sexual orientation and gender identities.

I spent Valentine’s Day with the perfect Valentine’s dates. Four hundred eight (408) in number.

In a more recent development, Kevin Alec Mandrilla, an openly gay student leader and part of the Philippine LGBT Students’ Network, was elected as Chairperson of the University of East Student Council.

UE is ready for LGBT. I am hoping the other universities will follow suit.

(Congratulations to the entire Guidance and Counseling Office of UE and to Kevin Alec Mandrilla.)

Photos by the author. Some rights reserved.