V3I5P54

The Filipino Experience on Gender Expression in Surigao City  

Lucy L. Teves¹, Herley An H. Leyva^2*, Nicole Grace I. Nepomuceno³

Abstract

This study explored the Filipino experiences of LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) individuals in Surigao City. This qualitative study used Colaizzi’s (1978) descriptive phenomenology. The researchers identified their informants based on the criteria such as: being part of the LGBTQIA+ community, residing in Surigao City, and are 18 years old and above; objectives of the study, and through the use of the snowball sampling method to find the ten (10) people needed for the study. The researchers’ followed the process of the phenomenological descriptive method of Colaizzi’s (1978), 267 meanings units were extracted from their responses which evolved into the development of emergent themes reflecting the experiences of the informants. From these meaning units, twenty-four (24) cluster themes and six (6) emergent themes were drawn from the informants’ narrative data. Theme One: SELF-DISCOVERY: Shaping Oneself; is about the individual experiences that influenced their gender identity; Theme Two: DIFFICULTIES AND CHALLENGES: Discrimination and Prejudice; Theme Three: CONCEALMENT: Preservation of the Self; Theme Four: COPING: Resilience and Positivity; which talk about the informants’ experiences on creating coping strategies to battle against discrimination and prejudice; Theme Five: ACCEPTANCE: Its Complexities and Across Relationships; that talk about the informants’ accepting themselves or receiving acceptance from others; and Theme Six: EXPRESSION: Authenticity and Liberation of the Self; which highlights the informants’ gender expression: appearance, clothing, style, and attitude and behaviors. Hence, for someone to understand their gender expression, it is crucial to look into their journey of self-discovery, the obstacles encountered, and other circumstances that allows them to openly be the person they choose to be today. Indeed, the informants’ experiences from their family, friends, or society has made a huge impact on shaping their choice in clothing, style, or their attitudes and behaviors towards themselves and other people.

Keywords:

LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual), Colaizzi’s Descriptive Phenomenology, Self-Discovery, Difficulties and Challenges