MARTIN F. MANALANSAN IVSEN =A ong Preface, Inucodston: Points of Departs, 1 TheBocdersbernees Balls and Gay, at 22 Speakngin Tans Quser Language and Teansated Lives, 45 {8 “Oue There" The Topogzephy of Race an Desir inthe Global Gy, 62 4 The Big and Drama of Prepay Lif, 89 5 “ToPlay withthe Word” The Pageaneyof dete, 126 {Tra Aid: ciate Geogsaphies of Seffering 152 Conclusion Locating the Diaspar: Devian/Diva, x84 [An Blosve Glossary, 199 Works Cited, 205, Index 219agains a wel ae acquiescence and cpiuation to the experiences of fularl placement and margnly. Moreover, Pino gay men's “Guoncan stogples age in face pare of a deama of survival chat oes beyond performances of gender and sexualiy, and chat brings nto focus the predicament of being an inuigeant of color in the late weit century United tts Ta chats 5 I consider the Sanacruzan,« wadional Pilipino ce ligiows rita hai performed by 2 group of Fino gusts an be comes the content for an examina of Filgino gay men nego ‘cons inthe public aren, A specie performance ofthe alin 1991 ‘by 2 group of Flpino gay men in New Yor Ciy is preseted to lay ave theses of rice, gender, apd class and eh tensions beoween baka and gay traditions as they are manifested inthe conte prac toe ofcrose-desing. ‘Chapter 6 explores how ats hat nsformed or affected the lives of Flipio gay een who hve the highest umber of mv cases ong, UAsan Amecican. Convers it examines che discursive paces Fi ipino gy men have empoyedto cnlront and indeed transform ADS. ‘Tnng hoes of both Flpinos with and watbooe tbs, the dss sion centers on Tia Aids, the diom Flip gay men have coined for Ibs ade concomitant pacces and ble hasurroundit. er ‘onsets how sch an idiom connect various Fligino Wess about Tomosexaliy. gender, iin, cros-dessing, death, fai andi ‘esas wel sche whole enter of mmigzston ad tansiationl lines. The lationship beoweea 0s and migration among Filipino tay ma illsteates how the introns of plac an ime are high Tghed, parla in tying co come to terms withthe suring i ‘volved inthe pandemic and the suugale for some kind of anscem dace Take conclsion, efecto the variourthemes encountered inthe emograpic caper, partials focsing onthe lean o 2s: ‘on of Flipio gay sea performances or atcultons of being and ‘eloging within a global and waneratioal context. explore the ales of asvale anc depaties a means to mance the npn tons ofthis workin tem of posible academic and political routes © the tue 20 Chis Brae ‘The Borders between Ballo ‘ond Gay migrations pial endeedin terms of multiple modes of move ent and oily. On, ores of migration are told 5 coming of age narra ora bildungtoman, The pot of hese narratives ae ‘onstrocted long tein of progression from an early pont fio ‘ent youthfulness toa matic selbtealiaton. These teielogical plots ‘ull aeframed interns fconrave par, ruc as youd aul- ‘hood, tediionl to modern and (in shi cse fom bale ogy. AST have previously discased abla is ota premodern antecedent to gy trates in asp spaces, akla ie recaperatd and becomes an alrernative form of modernity (Ong and Noni 1997)-In chs bape, Tap out the border between bale and gay act in terms of sl contained modes of identi bat ae permeable boundasies feo coos ising yet oftentimes incoramensirable cura ideologies of gender od seals. This cartography in ttn contexte the negotiationsand expences of Flipino gay mea living in New York Cy that ate feared inthe nex ive capes. The Contours of Goy Kenty Barry Adan (290) characeied che emergence of ay deni as part of modern bomoreaaly” tha arose ore dsinty athe ra of the wentth entry and vas formalize inthe Stonewall Rebellion ia [New York Cty in £969 Tis watershed histocca moment, which mated hist consied ofa sees of evens pecptied by ever teks of police ude in several gay bars, one of which was the Stone- ‘rll Tan in Geeeanich Vilage Te calminzed wit confrontations be teen the police and groape of gry men. The fearares ofthis “modern 89" homoseeualiry areas follows: +. Homosexual eins have been able to escape the sructre of ‘he dominant heteroensalkiship system. 2. Exclusive homotex tual, now posible for both pares, has become an alent path to conventional family fom. 3. Same-sex bonds have dese ped new form withour bring structured around particular age = tender categories 4, People have come to dacover cach ober and ona lrg ale seca etworks at only because of exiting seal casonships but also beau ofthis homosexual ince. 5 Homosexual has come tobe a socal formation unt ts, car cerned by al-awrenes and prop demi (Adam 19024) ‘TheGewtemphasinof Adam’ defiion'stheesapefromthe blog scl fall bond. Ths emphasis fact exposes othe kinds of ideas soch at individulisn, thar go beyond the simesex pacts tht Sele shape gay Ment. Le Hebi ofthe Hear, alah and biscobor. of tchoats (2985 interviewed Amencas (oon of whom were ieat- feo gay and they nord that in American soci the ese of selfs predicted on tues of individuation, separation, and leaving home ‘While the fst ewo ndvoaton and separation, ae confonred by ‘most hun being, “leaving home i its American sense is aot wire fal” (id 57). The American call andseape, premised on this ‘Specie kindof clu, physical, and emerionl distancing fom he amily the rae one in which gay identity is founded. Lam not soppeing that gy deny i based on an asain. Ra thes La arpulng that gy ident andthe clara paces around 12 Gibsons ‘eight ame around family and kin, and this amir in eu i ahanced if nt farther validated by mainsteam American cukaral, ‘ales around individual snd commitment ‘Ths ame ena fel gy discourses where trey nd the closet ace poramount idioms. Coming ou, 3 Ubeaton fom the cost i founded ona kin of individuation thats separate from familial and ‘kin bonds and obligations. This ind of individuation i alo pred ‘aed the ute of verbal league asthe medium in which selfhood ‘an be exprested, More than anything, discourses on coming out ae bout verbal naratives and conronatons with fends, eles, and iaican ober ‘The other desing characteristic of gay ideas it the focus 0a sexual objec choice, or who you have sx with asthe peimary and siagulaecefning factor. In ther allegedly antecedent forms such a8 thosein Lain American and Asian countries, pacicipation in sme-sex scsi notthe crcl andard for being able homoseual orient fying or pay rahe, geod pcfommaace (acting masculine or fe ine) andlor one role ia hesexac (eg. beng anlinsere nse tex form the sandaed ‘Gay idea thea is defied by a concious acknowiedgment of a “aa who dase o ave sex with other “men” While gender and agetbasd homovenaiities ae ofen sen in scholaely and popular ‘eda a primordial phenomena, gay ent isa Kind of Uberaon ‘om these “anachronsns."® Chauncey (2994) argued thatthe post ‘Stoner ea uabezed in easve changes in he srucrae of gay iin [New York Gi. Among such changes was th cit fom a hind of ‘gendeved homosexsalty tone tt taloied the hypeemascaine ‘dea “More importa ay identity has become mote han jst hom seul, same-sex dese, and esa act the ve decades ince ‘Stonewall, tas become evens hat gay ident as meatal these thinge and mor. Gilbert Herds and Andrew Boxer obvrved changes inthe gay category afer Stonewall and éiferentianed it from the homosenaal xcgory. They suggesed that gay is perceived a a ds tin cultora etepoy..(Gay) represents more than a sexu at Tesignies identity and cle of ours br sso a daxncive syste of rules, norms attitudes, and ys, bli from which the cule of gay tenis made, neue that ean the soil relations of same sex dese” Gendt and Borer x993: 5}. The se of elwalinscratons, Theterde ntean alae oy 28images and practices formed thee of singular gay eae hat inceraces wit oer cultural systems in American soe. These ca ‘tadictions and anxieties about family, leaving home, and individu ‘ionare also dilemmas confronted by Filipino ge mea, but at would sus thoughou the book, these dilemmas aearcalaced in erm of ‘ileveat cual expesions and idioms, most notably within he ‘anti ream ofthe alla, Mapping the Space of th Boklo By sing the Tagalog teem baba, 1 do not assume that Tagalog ade _gostely acess te interacial and ings ferences within Prlppine sce. However, Tagalog (or Pipin, a5 ocally der ignated) spoken in mos i otal of the land (apr rom Engh sed the regonal langage). able has a wider craton than terms from ocker Papin languages owing 10 the populist of Tagalog, fms sabmit thatthe bala i an ending soil category for Fi ‘pins. These igus and eats realities jy formulating the scsson on the concept of the ball. As the chaper on swardspek wllahow, my mage of the tem doesnot precude any cot eli tion between regional languages and calees with Tgalg language sod Manil-cenicculare My nomusage ofthe transgene idenity category ie due othe lssonance centers the ab, bu lo at Thave mentioned before, cos-dressng ad eleminay, which rethe conceptual cote of the soil contraction of the all, ae not neces eacoenpasting, reales fr all my informants. The maocieyof ay infomans did not rosters, bu they dew on the bakla as socal category and asa pool of metnings in analying everyday events in ems ofthe intense tion of race gender, and seal. Ia some stations, bbl sy boled Filipino qoeeres whl uy symbolaed whi queraess. Inmostinnancer, babs an emotional ade as well as potes- silly dezopatory tem Ids nochave the poll impistionsof gy 4¥ an ideas, although scholars and writers have translated the teem bukla a homosexual (Whita and Mathy 1986), guet eel 1989), nd gay (Mathews 97). This andlation ctor che term’ soc “dynamics. By understanding the socal constuction ofthe em, oni ‘bene abl to understand the aval and reals of the being ald aa 2A. hb Oban abla i a problematic Tagalog cen. es eymology is popearly seento ea reso the contraction ofthe fist sale ofthe woed for woman (babe) and the fst sylable ofthe word for man lk). ‘Tagalog desinares defn bale at hermaphrodite. In addon, cit also sen in ems ofthe in-between, ox anganin (which was also nother tr for Filipino male homocerulsin he 19504 and 196) “The internal and epcene que atibued tthe bla luminater ‘hesocial sept. Indeed, while baka conae the categorie of eet acy, taniestim, and homosexality and ean mean one oral of hes in diferent conte, the infocus ofthe term is that of eri ‘ute manaerisn, feminine physical characerisics (ie, smal, fil bodies, delete facia fetes andso on) aed cross dresing- Mt of the dacuson ofthe tm coos cae non-condemna- ‘ony and descriptive (Hart 1968; Mathews 1987) except fora lone Flipao scholar who sated her atl by describing bakla as anemo- ‘nally charged word (Ragaiz 1983)-Phooescly bakls ends with oral stop, which makes force very abeuptand lash pronunciation ‘oul asointed wih disparaging words. “According to poplar lore the bala possesses whats called she “femal hear” (pucong baba). Ths di encapsulates wha is pr ape the core ofthe socal construction of the bakla— Ua ofthe male body wih a fenale heat The yearnings and needs ofthe baka are stent be sme to women's. This conmrason explains why some bua, suchas Aru inthe previous chapter, would say they are looking fr “eal” man, By “real mes,” they mea saiht (being marie shaving lind boost the masclinty of2 mae). There evry ew ported cases of sex laonshipebenwen baka ei seen a ocetuous, unnatural and weird, Some bala view the actin camniboisiceeems hamakain ng soing aman ~ "ering one fs") ora lesbians doing lesbiyanahax — verb form ofthe word for ls ‘an) When a habla discovers ha his boyfind is also a baka be i sid to have been fooled or maton (which erally means "boazed” dir wed ro deeb she teachey involved 2s opposed ro "eal” ‘golden matcalinity) The hunorous saying goes tar faba hat ex ‘with one of his owe Kind, be wil be hit y icing (ata mg ed) ae fond an ac goes again he divine ode of things. This idiom ofthe "female eae” is farther ciated by the probe emai eategocy ofthe “marine” Bas Indeed, thee are buklas tho do ot erst dess or exhibit effeminate manzeisms. The mas Tete bean Batoand Gay 25cline bakla isthe anomalous category in the Pippin taxonomy of ‘scl behavior. The popolrnoson about che baka ithe shee “ea” sceaing qen beneath the mascline Fade. We he Fie ipino public seems eo be dsintceed in the mascaine bala ts because there isno soil discourse by which o dacs thee kinds of ‘en, These baker are met ether wie pusalement oe suspicion. “Thus unlike his American counterpart, the bala’ preections sre een t be focused onthe azsght male population. Thi is man owed in thriving eatin of male postin. Whitam (1992), sggests tat aboa Bo pzcent of mea from werking- and lowerclas ‘gins have parikpated in some kindof posturon with «Baba oe taka. The maj of gay bassin Mania and other tours spot ce user bar. emus be ote har outside Mania andthe tours areas there ste no organized male prowittion sings There are mostly infor taal waasacions beowen Balas and seemingly suaght males. The flow of mare and gis poe ro the bakla ro he cll boy ox boy fend? “This peers for seemingly stzight menis further cli bythe ‘dea eype of male proetr the balla woud incecac with 5 opposed ‘othe ey foreign tourist Mathewss (2987) study of male prostates {ocied on those who cateed to foreign touts. Mos of hi infor. ‘ants presented effeminate manners In cons, lipo dine ‘of male prowuts init on arsine aig spd looking men. Indeed, forthe bila, de male prominte or the cll boy shoold represen the paragon of asclinir, Call boy baklarelaonhips are nos the same {sth Latin American activ and paso, which aze based on the oes ‘ach ace preted olay in ana inrercouse(Stepen Mutsy 1987) Actua sexual practices by both parties (bala snd cal bo) can vary sccording 0 whim, nepoiton, ad che bargaining abies of those involved Despite being in country where more than 8o percent ofthe people arelving in over itis expected that cheba wil fae beter couonially than the ex of the popalaion- Tit isthe social expt of theballa In ordet fl his inscribed ole, baklahasto slave aay sc work node o survive ard got what he is told he should desie— the “eraight macho man. He i tld wo sufer end noc expect 0 have ised led. Theideologiclationaleforthisiatin sth ike ‘woman, he must sues, but ualikea womanbeing a peeudo-worsan wre mt pa. The complied relationship of baklato social ais arose farther below. 2 GebelDhoe Coming Outand Coming Over: Do Cotes Travel? _Asaway ofinwoducing the themes ofthe succesdingchaptesand com plieatingthenderstandingaround beklasnd guy want dines acl issues hat propel and suate these arate, ves of coming ‘tan the muigration/igraon process. This cuson tempts to act as a bridge berwen the previous sation, which deal with de serbing he gay and the baka, and the folowing dcassen which tue to movement andcosings between these eo catego “The mos pivotal eof passage i he ite cycle of any man the coming out event. Wile most people cele that coming out is & proces and not an slated saat, ze popula conception sl e- mais that itis singular moment. gay man's ifeistuned from aie ofserecy and carefal manipalaion of behavior ndinagesto coe of public avowal of ides "Teame our when . "punctuates these ‘oie with sense of rebrand tensformation into &petoa ex lowed withthe senibilies and dests of ing py. Inmany gay men's dscession groups in he United Stas, the come ing on stor is pehaps the most fama topic. Howeve, many Fl ipino men, eres those who came here ascent one pont er), have problems wit the notion of coming ou. When Iasked these mes. shout coning ou, they seed lok atthe parse ofcoming oat at ‘ partially Amerianiden and behavior One theinformants sid bang mgt ala dey. Pao coming out ang dame nla Nooas nt ural aks) wala nang piaguspan ang mg bading kung bind coming eu Sgro, ng ma pauls na masyadorgmalpit St ta, quo. Magagal ang a ubeboed at ferhood agataos, wala eo ang me psi, cise, pro mg yal, ‘may Fescapeang pai, Po nga mallngo an stops Tang ign. eso, mgs punong caves to dex (The Americans are dite, dating. Coming out thei cn. ‘When Twat saying a New Enid college) ee gueas ba ing hoes a about tha coming out Maybe thei ais wee ery a ace hoe, who ceed? Bu the wey God, Sheng te evn he ay. Th is ze wns sO plese, sop hat eho, (he eons wee terete) “The team coming cut bas bon tasted in wacdspeak ox paglalad ep haps ox "unfuing the cape" Tind thistranatio be atonzeia- ‘Thabedon ban to ond Cay 27sisting and peblematc. The swardaesk term renal she peor tive cima ofthebekls. Many Flpinos inladag scholars belive ht ‘he lh che alla wearscresecnalsgsoftheiner cor fest qualies of feminine sens end emtin. As Thaveindiated below, ‘he loo (anes and labo owe) dinesons inti station ae nt ‘movoliticonstuctionsthecefre the acto “unfring”doesaotacti- ly svelasecret el bot eacher an unio unapprebended presence. {uggestbarondileed omovenainy notanalogsalyormetaphor= ‘ally epresated as being"in hiding” orbeing “isi” Some informants epored very poise serpasee fer fais wen they id come out. Many informant, however, fl ha hey diderhave wo come out because they though thatthe fais kre swthout being told. Heve, che "feling out” (akikramdamen) of si “nton and tuts ery important nh content Flipzo gay sen believe tat sence i fact part ofthe dcouse and that ‘etalon i operons Danny sexperenes ast ‘Wala akong nabs an, Wala aang nananongs akin Basta alm ko alam ila, Naracamedaman mo naman e. Noong mash Sama pa kam i Daa, uw ko pa sya diva sa parents ko sa Josey. Bnaluluto ps ng nansy kong sinigag, Type a Dan ang singang Peto bindi na rain pianguasapan kag azo siDan © rung ano ako Para qv pa? {did aot tl hem anything. The didnot ask me anything. Venow thahey know. Youcan “elt anyway When Dan hisCaeasan ler and lived together, toch oy parents’ borin Jes. ‘My mothe cooked him snigang (a tamarind favored stow). Da Tovedsnigang. But we never cused what Dan was (0 x) oF what Tam. What for] In icession I parcipte in with Flipino gays and lesbians in [Manhatan, one gay man agonized over why hs motes, afr he fe ‘vealed hishomnosemualiy refused elk aboutit daring fri gar ings Several people in the eroup asked him why he thought it was ‘ecenry foc his mother to talk about it. He sad "By talking about it, itwould et me know tht my moses thks iti okay. be sent gerthefeslig tar shel not acepsing i” ‘is comment arte an intresting discussion about coming out andthe aed wo verbalize anda about one's gy or lesbian ident in 28 Cie the Filipino family: More signify, the prsiipants caked about ‘the importance of lence. Cal, who gew up in atown aural aes inthe Phlippnes, noe: ‘aka ‘dy, may ndktlog sa amin na isang grapong basketbol players May isn su Kaila, nepaka-ey Nerul ala 8 kuwato amiog gs lalski—hno. lang ble kami sa bang. So nang ‘matloga kami—siBerryaraangpangslan iy, katabiko(laugh- ter. Siempre, pnagtbi ng tadhana etching. Kinlait ako, ‘agkalabiao kami ~soayun,angyaing mga maslgi ma pa ‘avari The nextday, eto aa ang daldalero at pinagkalat sa mga ‘eames yaa nv ko sa. Hanggang malaman yon ng paren to. Galt na galt st akin at hin ko raw binigyan g hia 20g amily namin. Hind naman ako sinexmonan ag husto yo alas ong gaiena galt angsatay ko. "Wag de kong babble ‘magpanin daw ako. Ako numan~mey I ow and kjowe ang ‘ayato. Ayan, afer tha, inna amin pinagwaneapen ang ne talndian ko. Paghatapos coon, kapag nga kabarknda ko insu ‘kosa bay, agian kam. Masa lang kam pnagesbiben kam ahuwag daw kaming asyadaog msingay per, bind naman ako pinegsascbihan na huwap maging bading. Alara "you. Hinde ‘ana mapaplan ang buhay ko. Ganito na ako. Kiyowet aaa ang iyo nia. [Ob dessa group of basketall payee stayed overnight at oar house. There was nice loking one. They lpn the boys (ne!) som We slp ia ow on the saw mat, Whea we were aeep, Bey Think his ame was, ep beside ne but ofcourse! We were thrown together by fae (aot: He nudged me. We nudged each ‘other, and so ther, the harrowing experiences happened. The next day, this gossip col all is eamates hat | ihr, This gossip reached my parent. They were 20 angry they sid Trough share othe fara. They didn’ sold ne vo mach, bu knew dat 2 father was telly angry. (He sid) I shoulda at lke babe, should be masculine, 1 as maintained «docile and quiet bia Aer chat my gang ené would go home and we world be sream ing Once, we wer told not tobe oo noisy, but was neve scolded bout beg a bading (another more polite term fr baka. Tey esi They coald not change ny fe. am this way. Now their iui ene) ThaBaren beeen atl ond Gay 29Here, the lent but of Cao's parents wat sen nether at being homephobic nor asthe paren’ unwilingns to alk aboatie One of the parcpans inthe discussion said tat silence was co be takes eter as denial noe complete acceptane, While ambivalence may erent thiskind of lence, be argued eis alsoindiatv of kindof igi acquiescence and, more importantly of abiding love. “A Bipins lean talked poignsnly about sence in ems of lane _guge or the gulf between languages. Having bees born a the United Stats, she never learnad her mother’s aative tongue, Wars. Sh dit closed thar when her mother was diag andia che hroe of ber illness, she stopped aking in English and isendtlked inher ative Waray Sine war unable ro understand ber moter and grew frstte, but at ‘he sume tne, she elzed cat there comes a poi in people ives ‘when eisto0farero learn acter language of for that maces 0 deal ‘with pacar forms of veruaites and identities. Then, sheaddresed ‘he gay man who Semone his masher silence by saying thet he mothe’ sence wasn fac her way of communicating wit i. She ‘recalled bow when ber own rootber eared sbout her lesbian dey, lnr mother asked hee vo bing he rien ove for « home-cooked el. Hee, sence stands in shaep contrast to the kinds of discursive norms of coming ot Iehasa kod of uit digi and caries multiple meanings that canbe farther explained in the narratives fae to no, ‘Taeswo sx tha flow farther ilusrate how deat of coming oot and poi gay deny ar interpreved by lipno pay men ia New York i. The its an excep fom a lfenacratie interview with Mama Reve, who participated in the it tthe Stonewall Ian. The ober ets from conversion between vo iipao gay mea, Rodel ‘nd Ron, In both tent, the meaing of Stonewall i wasslated and ‘configured by shelf atacves ofthese men. Tier Mam Rene nthe summer of 1993 wheo my otberFlipine ay men informants told me that be was one ofthe few remaining Filipinos who took parti she Stonewall Rebelion. As one of my {informant old me, Mama Rene is on ofthe "ponees” among che Bipino gay men in New York. He san afable man of abou fit to sey years he refed to state hit age). He immigeted ro Ames in ‘he mid-zgoe wo study at New York Universi, We talked for sbout ‘wo hour before be even mentioned beng acesed in 1969. When ‘ke hin co act that moment, Mama Rene nonchalanly sid 30 kbs Ovon eas one of those nights, Iwas soot. war weatng white slacks ~ dagaresIhinkyou cll hea, and as realy sweating. knew ‘thacthere had been a plier veveral nights before, but ide ‘want tobe coped up in my aparenent 50 I went the Sonewall at Anyways was sanding therein the bat andl was trying tolook masculine itwasthe thing then Alloa sudden selights wat on and the police barged in. They tow tha they were acetng everybody thereT dat know why =I guest I forgoe wy they ‘were doing hat. Ofcourse it wa acts, butanyway. So ewer oa the bldg tthe stot, And you know what? ‘There were gh, hug spotlights, and allhese gaye lapping. I {eke like a celeb. The police took ui, booked, and then we were released, We were supposed to appear 2 week ate hisk 0 Dearragneor ed, but the charges were dcoppe, ‘Whea T asked bio how he fee about being part ofthat histori vent, Mama Rene just shrapged Echoing the previous discussion 08 silence at part of bala dtcourse, Mama Reve cotemplatd hi cole andi, “They say ics ahsoric even jst chougeit wa funny. Do fel ke I made history? People shay atk me that. Tsay no aa ‘ie man, just ke how ay mom raied mei he Phlpines. With ixin.” ‘Mama Rene rately gots ou to watch Gay ride parades. He said, “Too many peopl and quite chaotic” Heise hat he was nor an “activi ike mos ofthe whit ay men he knew: He bad othing to sy tothe pblino was be partials inereted in speaking tothe, Ron's and Rodel’ ideas pualel those of Mama Rene’, Both of ‘hem immigrated inthe ery 2980s and wer, athe me ofthe inter view nth iis. We were comparing ou las fr the netacveral ‘wots when the conversation ened eo the Stonewall celebrations. 1 ‘moved othe back sea, poise a listener. The following is awa scription of what anepired ‘RoDEL: Ang mars sa Jane 25. Watchlangs ang iy mo join ka ‘ng float naka-ms? (The march ie om June 25. Ave you goa 8 watch ormaybe join aoa in dag} ‘ox O pease, bakit ko again an? Besides, bai gnapaw ngimea ‘aw yan, Ano pa ang ipuprov aia? [Ok please, why would do ‘that? Besides, why do people doi? Waat do they (thete par men} ave to prove) Tetadenterein Stlond Gay 31‘opts: Toto ya, Peo sobr na. "Yang mgs mujer sa mg float ‘cg maskaladoag ps-min ns halos hubad na Parang karnbal. [Yes that toe eis too mich Ali chess deag qaens in ats and acho muscle me wearieg alos nothing. iske the cannval ‘ow Taontaon ma lng mero yong celebration, bind b is ma "yan [Every yar we have chute clebrations— wilt ever op? ‘nOBEL: Ho, hind ba nag-umeer ka? [ey arent you the one who ies og aroundin drag?) ‘ow: Hind aman ang papmansje ang grabe kung hind paalan- tad-ang soba. Iba naman kepogoagpapanta ko st mga cb a bar i rumaramp, pero a ang pagpspazeda sa Fit Avenue oka high best Nawawa ag mysegue mo, ang mystery (eis the eng pat that is srl spectacle Is one thing fT go co Clube and cruise in dag, butts another thing ro parade on Fith Avene inhi el, You Toe your sigue, your mystery) sopet: Napaka-ue nian, Pra kang balan karbal (Tha iso ‘rue fewoald sem ke you area bala af the carival) ‘While cas elements may partly underte these ates coward Stonewall father conversation with shes hee informant indicate that clas es (hey come from diferent class backgrounds inthe Pilppne) are subordinate wo the immigrant expesence, For Ron snd Rode the enpeince of coming Amico start pew life wat ‘oth exciting ond traumatic, When I asked Ron ad Rodel about he symbolic mesning of Stonewal, Roa answece, “Iam an ordinary baka. have no ange. Tbave no sec joys. Ober gay men have s0 ‘much anguish I came hte ro Americ to seek anew if. Ihave been sce, Ldon'thavetoo mach dams” Several lipo gay ten believe tharpubicspces such asthe stress lasintheStonenallslogan, “Outofthe bare andinrothe see” arenot space of pide, butter potential arena of shame and degradation. ‘These informant views are noe the zee of homophobia, but are ailed and classed readings of the gay world The Kinds of ec tions and boundaries involved inte immigrant experience form he Dparamces for thei ideas. The term bablang Kara cartes ove ‘esnings from Flip trdions to sua the dferene berwees ‘he duce Filpino gay men and pltczed gay men. Fr these men and sone other Flpino gay mea [have interviewed, American gay mea ‘racic a kindof peccolar and scandalous crossing that rans 32 Ghbsies ‘counter tothe mode of several of my informant, which emphasizes ign andatemptsat eisiuliad. In other words, these informants appethend this publ pay ofidenty tobe inappcopite, cerini- sto the kind of arivalesque vulgaiy of parsiuat ype of lower. as bablsilsrate an exeasively dss these views inchapter. Ron recuperation ofthe idiom habla harahal snot only an instant oftiskind of reading, but an ingle wegen of mip posible “perfomance of “bklanes.” He diferetated himself from othe gay men by cling hielf an “ordinary bakla” a doing so, he exposed a specie mode ofbakls el ashioning hat esis ad -enouncs the inelegant and charlish low-clas public psfornance of ‘By ienciy. Ron’ words exemplify the kinds of eramlations and ‘ransvalations ofthe lose andthe proces of coming oat artclated byrne gay nes. Pole visibly, coosied in the mainstream gay commis it qwestioned and held a bay by these men. la ay conversations with, ‘many Filipino gay mea, coming ou, o¢ more properly the pli ‘vowl of dentin isnot acest for heir own elf-achioning Ta a lscassion group that involved memters of Kambal a Lag, a Bi ‘nino gay and lesbian organization based in New York that asin sea during the eary 19905, seve individual expressed ti ‘concern about the usefulness of coming ost naeatines bised on thet ‘speriences es inmigrans oe cide of immigrants. One person in the group actually declared tha coming out i 4 “frsign thing— only American and nota lipino.” For my informants who slFidenty as gay, novons ofthe loset and coming out become fragmented andar realigned with other ew petienes of being an iumigean in Ameria. Jake oe informant ‘whether he fe tha coming oo 262 gay man was an important ue Sorhia; he reminded ase thao declare oneepublily aa homouex- salorass gay man wat cae forthe denial of entry vis, peemaneat residency, oeitizensip uns very seen. Unt the late r9 806, US. Immigration lnws categorized homosewaliy together with member shipia the Communi pary and being convicted ofa crime a grounds for baving individuals rom entering the country. However, iar: rant weet o sa, “When you area egal alin, 3 have oer ‘things tide aparefom beng gy I being gayi acrly the lesetof ‘your problems.” Another informa snd the would rather declare ‘ne was gay dha say be wat 2 Flpino, since be wae hee ileal He Thetodes beam dacandGoy 2ssid, Thad no quale about acting ike a quen, bat I would lie and tall prope Iwas Hawaian sac there would not be say questions sbourcizensip.” Therefore, the proces of coming oxt andthe notion ofthe clserare not cularly consid by Fpin gay men in he ame way a he ‘mainream gy communi. Ae one informant sad, “Tknow who Lam snd most people, icuding my fly know about me without any eclaracon”Flipino gay men argue tha deties ae noe just pro clsimed verbally, but ate als ele (pakizadaman o insite. The sseardspeak vem lad hapa suggests how identi something "wom and noe always “declared” Ii tis ct of “weatng” deity har makes publi arenas fr guy density arelation seperoa for smany of my informants, Ti ides of Meni x what spared Ron fo elaeimselan “ordinary baka” This particule pase was echoed bysereral other informants, who spoke aboot how theiidenities defy ceuniog oursmplied arate of moving hidden, secrets rom the private domain ote publi real. One informant, Joes ncapsalted. ‘hai opinion when he sade Hic in America, people always talk about everthing, iacludiog those [things] that rou don relly need to or neesay wat 0 ile. an ital bvions anyway? Talking isa haxary. Aloo ws lipo) dont have shat usury. Besides, I don't einke we need it [talking about sexual dente), When se ancther ball, he does ‘one to say anything, [dont have rosa anything. stacy, we Seno. Or with my ins and fay, they know... They have ‘now way before my Bap [ape ever unraveled or woud bave stepped ll overt. [bare been wearing tal ye! Informant who came here as immigrants considered navratves about success and making tin America to be moze important than ‘eoming out, Hete lacs andi transaion in darpricseringare very teling, Some of my informants who came here illegally were well ede xed and hale fom pivieed backgrounds, but hey wee forced 6 ‘ake working clas o low job as janitors, sles cleks or domestics, mong others. As one informant would sey, "Thatispartofeoming 0 ‘America I decibe how tis sublimation of clase rons paral with “Americans dacoror with wotios of class andthe shetoi of equal ‘opportunity moceexenively in chapter 4. Many’ of thee Flipinos Imply hat in oder to survive in Ameria is necessary at east provi 24 Glbal Oven sionally relegate clas tothe Background, This does not mea, how er, that las des not gure nt thir aratves, Rather, casloses fs cen location in identity aricuaton and i seinscibed within ‘othe imporancnodes ofidenty sacha eae The narraves of these dasporc Flin gry men pinto how the losis 0¢ «monolithic pact, and coming out or becoming ply ‘isle isnot uniform proces Fino gay mea inthe diaspora have, ‘ousethrr own shetoris, ferent drama, that a particular pect, ‘mance of coming out and identity ardclation that emblematic of thei experiences of the gay community, of America an of bala ote, While Fells Cannel (297) argued hat th al ina rare as of the Philippines negovate thee identites with images of Anew ‘sa argu hat Filipino gay ioigrants like Ron make sens of shee twstene through a complex deployment of experience in and sex bolle practices from both the Pippnes andthe nied States. Tis arcs pcformance,affnded bythe Gasporc experince, cables ‘he contestation of long-held bel about he eansation and teaser of modern gay technologies ofthe self. For example, Mama Rene ‘efasal eo vlorz the historic importance of Sonewallean be seen an serntive diasporc reading ofthe even. The words of Mama ‘en, Ro, std Rodel rewrite th pubic visible, sod vertalized pay ‘enty against the rnin the bak, ‘These everyday revisions of balay entities have ben engaged bercontemporaryscholeihip to whic now tut kd cd the Search for Moder ‘The winclal of recent writings on homely inthe Philippines dring the eat ate x9g05 has been in pata response othe “Dow ing” of gy and iesbian staiesin the Wee andthe spread of th Ds Pandemic. In this new cop of scholar, notable wots by Tony Peer, omar Firat, Michael L. Tas and J Nel C. Garcia present crt Positions on the bakls. These scholars provide ot only the most ibrantengagementwihisues of gy identity and pits (ua ibe ‘o) nthe Philippines today, burs the sme tne they propose varied sithques ofthe exigencies ofthe baka a soil ergo. ‘Tony Petz published acolesion oie shocstoris ad poetry in bok emiled Cabo 1980. Cabao ie comercial dict in Quezon Gi that spar of meopottan Manila and i known foe (among Tabor beeen datlsandGoy 35ther things) male haters hanging around specif places inthe aes ‘The books sabi The Fst ry ofthe Gay Laberation Movement ‘the Pippines ay tanlation fom Tagalog). “The ideas inthe book were crytalized in poem called “Manip “eto” (Manfeo), an junction to wacsform the image of the bala inc he gay man. nthe poe, Perez provides kind ofcalltearmsto craic the ercotpial action ofthe baka a gossip sn unas ‘Sos, bitchy, and effeminate quen- He sid hat unlessheisons estoyed and the mistake coreced,thce can never be any atay ment of igs, Weng Loma self-conscious "gay ibecatonist pe postive Perez view of bal salvation is thoroughly conditional and Contingent upon an unquscioned et of universal ates and quai, ‘which Nicanor Tongs, a Flipno cultural hitorian, emphases in ‘he bok’ foewod(anlaon mine): The abla needsto scep that he was bora biclogclly male and ‘thathe should sop ferunizing hs fest or behavoe. 2. "Gay" are noc some cheap impersontors in some “mice race” br are honorable labors, sldiers, pres, profesor, busines nen ad atts, 4: The ight pater for the Bats is another bale, osherwse the ‘elatonship would be unequal. 4 The gay relationship wil ever be the sme as hterovexul ‘elasonship shat has the Besings of chach and society. 5 Bela bak is tan ness tat one can become well rors or ‘hat shosld be erated. Pese2 1993) omar leca'(n995) ex "Reclaiming Our Hisoic igh Gays sd Lesbos in the Philippines” extends Peer’ argent into ahs torical oot. Writing inthe lest dition ofthe La fnteratonsl Gay ‘and Lesh Astocason) Pak Bok, Fleas teces the rationale forthe Fig foc gay and lesbian ight to male pre Spanish religious shamans calle babylon who crosedreseed and cepatedly indulged ia same tex pratoes Siguiente babsyan ozrupedhonoted postions in the community. Hess ures Me. Pnatbo, she symbol ofthe once dloemanevoeano and its scent spectacular epi, 28a emporl asker ae well at an apt metaphor forthe emergence of Fino gay ‘men from hioccl slumber and ivisiy int the light of gay ‘Although Fea so aloe in this iw a pay group atthe Univer 3 Gabel nae ‘sty ofthe Philippines scaled Babeylan) he cepatesis own assertion oflinkages with che crossing shamans andfllows Perec’ views by disparaging the cross-dressing pracces and transgender behavior ofsome Pipino gay mea, He asters thatthex pracices and behavior sehitoricl remnants oranachronots atlas ‘While the Stonewall cies gave bith to gay Hberation inthe US, in ‘he Philippines, homosexsal men and women wes perpetuate ing the feudal sereorypes. Gay men portrayed thee in he media as “screaming queens” who dd nothing be gos, at sly and Insta men. To legitimize dei enstene, bomose ntl ‘nan women came outwith the concept of gende apo: The ‘ay man thought of himself asa womaa tapped in amas body hl the lesbian envisioned href with a rapped male soul tht Phalcid er (bid 74) eas patholopies the balla an prescribes the debunking of hi “fale” image. He asters farer th gy Ubeaton consists of gay ‘men and lesbians “deconstucting and Breaking asym he eal seereotypes imposed wpon them by society” (ibid 7). According to Flas the farure ofthe gay liberation movement in the Philipines i cextcenely bight Plas ar ven undee way fora Gay ie wet, which wil etare sn interational lesbian and gay fm festival theater fsa, mardi ers, and a symposium. Soon thee willbe a gay press. Cay ‘menare now barding together to bale the pea of as... Ga) ‘nd lesbian activism inthe Piippines) i in prtcal terms just starting... Gay men and lesbian women se] will ert hie personhood. They wil gh and evenly win hei historic igh ss leaders ands heal (Ibid: 78) Flra' atv attempt sruate itor the fight for gay and lesbian rights inthe Philippines il apart whet he unconditionally takes the Western model of sexual objec choice in characterizing gay ‘dent and repudiates the gender-based mosel ofthe babs. Tope vith Fre, Fras falls nto kindof concep rap while ang to show the particles ofthe Phlippioe experienee of gay and le bans He doesnot intecogae the notion of vbilinvsblty and Instead portrays the fight for nights term of publi altura rode ‘tions sch a parades, ls, and books Hedchotomizesberween the Thetelasbewann aloond Gay 97baka idemiy ofthe Pillppine tadtons andthe gay deny of the incezotional cultural aetna. Indeed ie the rca constiueny for ‘whic he writs, Fess unwitingy proces a Eacocetric model of liberon. “Ten (1995) argues tht a “men who have sex with men pidemilogical category coined daring he abs pandemic, in cs beer erm ous han bala. He claims that in many cases, the tr ‘nabeenadoped and used by men who have aended safer sex wor shops ia Mana. He further lastest Litton of blab teat ings taxonomy of group of men who compete the homosextal opt Iiton inthe Pipa. 4 Call Boy. These ate male sex workers, whose lintel inches ests fom difeenesabeuhures, a5 well as middleaged women (zatrnss). Mos call boys come from urban and ul poo fat ie... Callboysareaa important segment ofthe ui poplaion. in cies ousie Metro Mani, eer are no gay bars but thee ate ‘many freelance ale ex workers. 2. Taloistas. This a generic fo lowincome mss, maay of ‘whom wock i beauty parr hough thee are also these work- ing as domestic servants small matket vendors, anda waters For the average Filipino, the parlorsas, who ae found thoughout che ‘county seresent the entice “homestxal” population defined 2s ‘abla... Thepalorias are patronize "gay" establishments and ‘end w ceganize thi owa acts, analy dag bessy pages, ‘through nehboctood associations 4. Gays Tis group hus become viable inthe lst wo decade in ‘Mewo Mania. Many selfieatfy as “ga” “homovenua” or “bisexual,” and in conzadiincson tothe lower as balla/pr- loca Tis group is far feom homogenous, and can basically be divided inc thse with middleclass orgie and those fom igh Fncome groups eis the middle-as group tha has been actively ‘organizing che county’ gay mens epacizations. This gay popula tion remains ply in the shadows, scaling ia gay establish- ‘ents n Metro Manila but keeping seus oretation icreetat home tin their workplace The middleincoene group, a nore ‘alnrtble to ecopomic dislocation, tends to remain inthe closet, ‘vena they become active in gay groups... These hte vile Populations have rarynglinkages withthe large shadow mat pop 38 hbo lation consiting of individuals who saay not slFientify as ‘homoserualburaremec “ut” a well a others who seen ae bisexsalorhcerosexaa bi: 87) ‘Tan rigily conltes clas, selidenecaton, and eter soxildy- ‘namics by spc “sabcure.” The df with hs formulation ‘in pare wih the conecptulzation of cas and with Tas inability 49 ‘secoonfr the fac that balla ashe ims entons inthe end "doe ‘nates the rhetoric” of homosexual in the Philipines. Wale bala does evoke particular eass notions af being tacky beautias or fe: male inperinators, these evocasons do n0¢ easly or unprblem ically tale ico aceal real” peeont of “populations” Ta adi ‘ion, Tan hints that with ce rowing awareness of gay police and scwualpoeal organizing sound arps and gay issues ere ia increasing shit rom bohls to gy bot asa mode of sentifcton 23 well asa sytem of clurl practices snd non. In thigh, Tan, lcs, and Perez provide «simpli understanding ofthe dynamics ‘berween baa cute and gay clr. Ale, in varying degrees of expisines,valorze oy over bal, and despite some inte eooes of acive” or “oats” sponser, poray baka clare as eventually aring of. (OF the four, Garcia isthe only one ro rellet on he exigencies of bald clare vss the emerging politico’ gay cule His ey sppearsioan anthology called Ladlad (Uafuting, which he coeited, Ins close reading of play by another Flipino gay author, Orlando Nades, Hanan Dio ma Lamang at Maromang Salat (Upto Ths eine and Thank You Very Much), Garcia focises onthe cwo enn character, the seemingly mascliag respectable Fidel and uli, de ‘creaming vulgar queen or he stereotypical abl. Garcia agus tt ‘he author in the end causes Fidel ro identify with Julie and demon seats the staring reaination that tis Jalie who vss up fom she