Outrage Magazine's Kiki Tan writes about the sad situation of his gay friend. Reading about this story reminds me why I am very angry at how Filipino society treat us, gay men:
Greg, a friend, the only gay guy of seven brothers, was once considered the source of shame of his family. “Sayang ka, kalalaki mong tao babakla-bakla ka!” was what he was told when he was kicked out of their home. When his father had an accident that forced him to retire, his mother was forced to accept labada just to make ends meet. It was also at this time that three of the brothers married their pregnant girlfriends, though continued living off their mother’s measly income, and the others chose not to continue schooling. This was when they approached Greg, now running a beauty parlor, to help them out – something he willingly did. Interestingly, and annoyingly, though he is now the family’s breadwinner (even of the married brothers and their kids), for his family he is still “sayang”, though this time they often add that with “May silbi naman siya kahit bakla lang siya.” Such irony.
3 comments:
yup. that's the irony here... they belittle us, openly out gay men when they themselves, are most of the time, the ones that need serious help. I think many heterosexual Filipinos are still stuck at the cliche of gay men as inferior individuals...
relating to the story, walang gratitude ang family na yun... tinutulungan na nga, tinawag pang Bakla 'lang'... i pity them though.
sounds like the entire family, bakla included, has some major self-loathing issues. major.
correct me if i am wrong, i read something similar to this writing in one of Ladlad's trilogies. sugar-cinnamon coated but the same bread.
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