Free to have free thoughts

So many independence Day chevers posted all around. Just thought I'd share some here.

First, bumping off my original pitch for POC and wrote this article for the Independence Day special:

Free to be… but are we, really?

Freedom. It’s hard to throw around this word this time of the year, this era in our lifetime. One needs to be flexible in order to enjoy a relative amount of it, this freedom. And this is how we Pinoy LGBTQs have been negotiating our freedom -- by being flexible. Sure, we turn the other cheek, but we never forget incidents. Yes, we try to treat others like how we want to be treated, even if they do bad things to us just because of who we are. We try to forgive those who have hurt us in the past and try to reach out to them in order to have better social/working relations, even if they continue denying us our humanity just because of our SOGI.

 Read the rest here.

Then I went with my pitch and did the Stonewall commemoration article and intersected it with another pitch about how other lesbians don't participate in the advocacy circles, which is totally fine: 

Seeing the spirit of Stonewall simmer

But really, who are we to say what’s right and what’s wrong, what’s effective and what’s backward, or what’s proper or improper? Sometimes, it is all about strategy as well – the strategy of living, and the strategy of survival. How they live their lives outside of the advocacy circles could actually be investigated further, for in their strategies, perhaps they are developing a new(er) version of activism in being queer, in a way writing a new guidebook for queer survival. Perhaps that’s an initial food for thought for all of us as pride month excitedly unfolds.

Read the rest here.

And then one of my superfriends' photog stringer friend got an assignment that meshed LGBTs and Independence Day. Kahit di pa wagi ang balik-alindog program ko, I said what the hey, anything for the cause, teh. Lagi naman eh.

Ito ang kinalabasan nun:

LGBTs speak out on independence in a conservative society

For Libay, a feminist and a human rights advocate, there is a need to change the mindset of society through legislation, education, and media. She thinks that there is a need for a strong law or to amend existing laws that will give rights to LGBT people to enjoy life the same way as heterosexuals do. As part of academe, she believes that it is a never-ending battle to educate the public, especially reaching out to those with negative views about them.

Read the rest here.

But I like the other photos better though.

Kumo-coffice mode with Morena my travel netbook. 

(June 2012 photos courtesy of AC Dimatatac)

I think the photog missed the point of my shirt design. Sayang. 

Oh well papel.  Salamat na rin. 

Check it out. My friends are also there: si Mama Danton my CW classmate long before Ladlad days, then Kakay my superqueer lezpastora friendsheep from Dumaguete, fellow queer blogger Tata, saka my former student Pat.


Ayuz.

Pride on, pride one

Because it's June pride month yo.

peace for pride at peyups (June 2011 UPDiliman)

Plus, you wanna see some history? Since I had to show this to someone recently, might as well share it with you folks.

Presenting the very first LGBTQ lifestyle glossy magazine in the Philippines. The maiden issue of ECHOES, 2001.

Yes, this was the very first. So if anyone else claims otherwise like someone already did before heheh, thank you to our friends who know the truth and went to our defense. Hahaha echos!

Sensya na wala akong matinong scanner so I just took photos. 

Just because we featured them doesn't mean they are. Let's get that straight. Straight as an arrow.  Get that? Straight.

Incorporating some artworks as well.

Less is more. More or less. And hmm ideya ng mga beki ang kinda baktongish approach ha. Ako po'y hamak na lesbiyana lamang, nagsusulat.

 

 I was so lucky to have met the wonderful people who worked in this endeavor. To this day, some of them remain queertastically as friends. Man I miss this gig!

 

 Bongga ni mama. Love the b/w glitter thingie.

Uncredited last-minute write up heheh courtesy of yours truly, to complement Jeff's article. Yah, my role as editorial consultant also meant taga-edit ng mga last-minute nai-submit at tagasulat ng mga di naisulat hahaha. Yah such is life, and it was great.

Fantabulous history.

Of course, our favorite queer hangouts. When they were still actually queer.

Travel buffs and queerdom meet. Of course, it had to be Puerto GAYlera anufi.

Lifestyle was my domain. Began my freelance writing life reviewing restos. Back in 1998. Potah tanda ko na. Pero hey cute pa rin. Chos.

Out and proud is cool. And we began with featuring friends. Two of mine, here.

 Experts weigh in on issues. Of course we had to have Neil.

Queer pioneers reprezent! Of course it had to be Tita Aida, the first lesbian to come out nationally in the country, in the newspaper pa, after the fall of the dictatorship.

 Queer supporters reprezent! Of course we gotta have a Holmes column. Gotta gotta gotta.

Genius graphic artist's idea to have a dual cover feature. We say go lang ng go.

 And therefore.

I can't believe our baby was made 2001 pa. Gosh kung totoong bata 'yan, 11 years old na siya at papasok na sa grade six, at inabutan na ng K12. At malamang pinatuli na 'yan last summer kung boylet o niregla na siya kung gelay. Ganun teh! Shet.


But seriously, I am actually happy that after this stint, at least 2-3 more glossies of the same persuasion came out within the 2000s. I also freelanced as a writer for some of them while eheheh modeled for one. (Yah! Me, a mowdel! Lekat next time ko na scan 'yun ha. Hehe. Abangan!) 

Too bad publications like these were kind of ahead of their time. Maybe now is the time... 

What say you?

Hmmm esep-esep... :)

this is all about me

And I am having a swell time (uh, pun intended hehe) during this uber-long weekend. For a variety of reasons.

Here's one:

and P.S. i thought of this design myself (like with all my tatts):
my name in alibata/baybayin precolonial Philippine alphabet
destroyed by Spanish conquistadores in the 1500s in a
queered rainbow flag backdrop. :)

Evidence enough?

More soon. :)

Can't wait to heal :)

Owwwieee...

today is officially "play hooky day" + dealing with phobic fundies

pakinggan ang sinasabi ng stars para sa ikaluluwag ng utak at ikagiginhawa ng damdamin...


Your horoscopes for Sunday December 14, 2008

General Daily Horoscope for everyone Today's security-conscious Cancer Moon can remind us of our emotional, physical or economic vulnerability. We may attempt to retreat into a safe space that is within our control; however, we may also realize that we don't have the luxury of such a place. With assertive Mars still tracking the Sun, it's hard to let go of anger. We must guard against our tendency to be passively aggressive as Mars pushes us out and the Cancer Moon pulls us in.

Taurus Horoscopes

(Apr 20 - May 20)

Sunday, Dec 14th, 2008 -- You might try to take on too much today because everything seems as if it will be simpler than it actually is. Part of the problem is that you are not willing to let go of a project until it feels right, so you may go back over what you already did. Although others may not notice the difference, it's important that you honor your own need for quality. Instead of rushing through your tasks, postpone some chores for another day.

dibala? go. relak lang today.

kaya ayan, games games lang. upload upload pics, online-online.

nga lang, naha-haggard ako dito sa multiply since this madaling araw. nakikita ko kasi sa imprint ng bottom of page kung sinu-sino ang dumadalaw sa site ko.

there's two particular visitors i'm wary about: one with the username djpray and one is gomitch. they only visited the pride march photo album page, and nothing else. when i visited their sites, i found out that djpray is a member of some religious congregation in cavite while this mitch is an american caucasian who travels to parts of the world to preach or something.

na-bother talaga ako. i saw in this amerkano's site some invite calling on his readers to join him in some protest rally dito sa pinas, during our pride march here. haggard. tapos he used one of the pride march teaser posters (yung "walk with pride") and some photos from the manila pride 2008 site sa article niya, along with other photos of pride celebrations somewhere else. haggard.

i'm sure he's trawling the web to find more material to use in his propaganda of hate. i just don't get it why these people don't just mind their own businesses and get a life. ito ba ang tinatawag na "other side of advocacy" na advocacy ring matatawag ang ginagawa niya? haggard.

for the first time in the history of the lgbt pride march in the philippines, ngayon lang ako nakakita ng ganitong klaseng hate protest directed towards the lgbt community, and during pride march at that. mula pa noong una akong nakanood ng pride march noong 1997 (tanda ko nah), small smiling hecklers lang sa crowd ang nakikita ko, pero nothing that serious and organized. this is something else. na-haggard talaga ako when i saw them lined up sa adriatico street, waiting for the march to begin sa remedios circle last last saturday. ngayon-ngayon lang ako nakampante actually when i saw some of my co-marchers' photos na nagpapa-picture sila with their/our own lgbt pride placards side by side with their jesus-laden anti-gay placards.

still, i can't get myself to laugh that long. i don't know why i am truly bothered by this. maybe sa kakapanood ko ng maraming pelikula na may ganito kaya ako affected. i can't forget the episodes of THE L WORD when bette's character was hounded by anti-gay religious fundamentalists sa harap ng bahay niya, nagpukpok pa ng placards of hate sa may garden niya! the nerve! and then that TV debate episode, which earned jennifer beals an acting award nomination (you should see her say the word "monster" grabe, great acting!). and then of course, there's THE LARAMIE PROJECT, where the likes of real-life anti-gay american preacher fred phelps was featured briefly. horrifying indeed.

ewan ko ba. sometimes i feel like these religious fundies will just step out of the shadows and hit me in the head with a 3-inch thick hardcover bible to knock my lesbianism out of me. dito kasi where i live, tanaw ko ang building ng "church of christ pentecostal missionary fourth watch" mula sa bintana ko. it's a big building and i don't know what it is. it looks like two big buildings na magkadikit, one looks like a school/academy while the other looks like a dormitory/office combined. walang church structure, walang cross-cross whatnot. and then a few weeks ago, a bunch of them pentecostal peeps filled to the rafters the whole marikina sports park (think ULTRA stadium) in a big big big congregation. thus, ang daming pakalat-kalat na mga manang and manong-looking peeps in lampas knee black palda at white uniform-like blouses diyan sa may kalye sa baba. harmless naman tignan sila sa mukha, pero pag nakita ko sila collectivel na marami, potah, parang afraid, at gusto kong mag-detour sa ibang kalye.

ewan ko ba. weird lang. i'm still processing why i feel this way, unlike my other friends and my girlfriend na seething anger ang nararamdaman for these anti-gay protesters sa march, nakakapanggigil nga daw kasi, something like that.

i'm a catholic-reared girl who realized in her college years that organized religion, especially of the catholic kind, is not for her. thus, agnostic ang chever ko up to now. di ko naman itinakwil ang existence ng supreme being chenes, pero kanya-kanya na lang tayo ng paraan ng pananampalataya at paniniwala siguro. kaya siguro ako frustrated why thse fundies won't leave me/us alone when i/we leave them alone anyway. lam mo yun?

ewan. siguro mas takot at hindi galit ang namamayani sa akin because i am wary/worried that these hate-filled people will actually have no qual ms about hurting my loved ones directly, for real. never mind me; kaya ko silang tadyakan at sipain (or takbuhan kung meron silang weapons of mass destructions and other automated weapons). pero paano na pag mga mahal ko sa buhay ang sinaktan nila? magkakamatayan talaga kami, and this is no metaphor. this is for real. handa akong pumatay ng tao in that sense. subukan lang nila!

hay naku, ewan ko ba. yes, agit ako. does this mean they have succ eeded in their "mission" to rile us up? sana naman hindi. ibig sabihin lang nito, hanggang sa huling hininga ko, i will work my butt in my own way to keep their homophobia away from me, my family, my work, my home, my community, and my country. never mind if may occasional factioneering and disagreements sa communities; normal yun. pero pag ganito na ang laban, alam naman ng lahat -- as if by instinct -- that it's time to fight.

and that, we will.

Trans Rights forum, the repeat

this event is free and open to the public, courtesy of Rainbow Rights Inc, the LGBT org composed of LGBT-identified lawyers servicing the community. may snacks so attack na!

while the language used to write the ad is somewhat formally legalese in nature (sensha na, mga abogado nagsulat nito hehe), these "dialogues" events are tons of fun. so are the lawyers handling it. pramis. i can vouch for them heheh.

tara! see you there. no need to be lgbt. this is open to everyone who has an open mind.

and then after this, tawid lang tayo sa bahay ng alumni for the annual komikkon. yey!

--------

In an effort to address the seeming "invisibility" transgendered people experience, even in the LGBT Community, we are holding a "repeat" of the Transgender Forum held last August 2008.

This coming November 22, 2008, Saturday at 12:00 at the UP Film Institute's Bernal Gallery, UP Diliman we will again be having a forum on transgender issues.

Pau Fontanos of Ang LADLAD and Task Force Pride will do an initial introduction for levelling-off purposes, some basic terminologies and gender-sensitive language, as well as maybe some general information on sex re-assignment surgery, change in birth certificates, even something on same-sex marriages.

We hope to present trans issues from the unique Philippine perspective - how the Filipino transgender community has pursued its struggle for legal recognition, particularly in the courts. There will be a brief rundown/summary of the cases - the legal successes, the difficulties encountered, and the problems arising from the latest Supreme Court rulings.

And as is our wont in R-Rights, we will try to analyze the Supreme Court's differing decisions and put in context the High Court's rationale, including the weaknesses of the arguments based on misguided assumptions, as well as the lack of proper legislation and procedural rules for LGBTs.

more chicha

mga blast from the past and kinda near past, and the heres and nows. ayuz.


GO FISH
(1994)
d. rose troche
s. rose troche, guinevere turner

pitch: college and post-college lesbians bond, face issues of their community, and help those who need help in the love department find love despite their eccentricities

catch: wala. this film is perfect. pramis

and that it is. i remember watching this a long time ago and ending up liking it. more than ten years after, as i watched it again, i find myself loving it.

and why shouldn't i? the lesbians here are of my generation, mga kasabayan ko, perhaps in sexuality moda and in creativity, too. the way the film was shot, with all those quirky experimental in-betweeners sandwiched sa more normative scenes and all, huwaw, may tatak nga kami, in fairness. at hindi lang sa pagiging lebsiyana ito. the style reminds me of darren arronofsky's earlier style, isa ko pang kahenerasyon although syempre iba ang filmmaking focus niya.

simple lang itong film. no more than a little over an hour, pero puno at satisfying sa kuwento, iyon ay kung lesbiyana ka. i don't think they made this film for non-lesbians, pero those who get it are okay. it means may openmindedness na nangyayari. that's how i see it.

hay grabe. nakakatuwa at nakakatawa na ganun pa rin ang concerns natin after more than a decade --finding love chorva. hindi talaga ata ito magbabago bilang thematic framework, ng buhay at ng sining. well, okay naman ako don. :)

hay. wala na akong masabi... basta. there must be some strange reason why i bought this film and watched it at the time i did, in some kind of lesbianic divine intervention kind of way. yes, the universe has a funny way of reminding you that you are okay.

grabe.

and that, i am.



ITTY BITTY TITTY COMMITTEE
(2007)
d. jamie babbit

pitch: a pre-college student working in a plastic surgeon's office finds love and radical feminist advocacy in a girl who's a member of the appropriately termed group CIA or Clits in Action (i'm not making this up!)

catch: it feels amateurish at times, and not in a good way

fast forward to 13 years since GO FISH and we still get independently-produced films shot in a quirky, edgy way, with characters spewing lines of advocacy of a feminist and lesbian nature. nice. nga lang, mas maganda ang handling ng GO FISH sa ganun, at ito hindi.

maganda naman sana ang kuwento, something that should be close to my heart. er, bosom din. the lead character, a kinda prim and proper chicana who is so out to her loving family, works as an assistant in a plastic surgeon's office known for good boob jobs. nawindangers lang ang life ng family niya when she joined nga this radical group with chicks wearing black leather jackets. hay, at yun na ang start ng prublema -- na minsan naman, para kasing walang prublema yung characters, na pilit lang sinaksakan ng prublema. hay labo, lalo na yung nag-a-angst-angst na si chicana na parang wala sa rason o tamang katinuan, script-wise. tapos yung object of affection niya na kept woman ng isang tanders na feministang may sariling NGO chorva (um, shades of lola darkness ito, minus the evilness hehehehe). hay basta, ang daming malabo kaya sometimes it feels so amateurish. parang di pa tapos ayusin at i-rewrite at workshop-in yung script e shinoot na. it felt that way.

hay. sayang. the title was a catch for me kaya ko to binili. well.. take the good with the bad, i suppose. and no amount of cameos will save this film, kahit pa man sina clea duvall yan o si jenny shimizu.



PUCCINI FOR BEGINNERS
(2006)
d., s. maria maggenti
c. justin kirk, gretchen mol, elisabeth reaser

pitch: a lesbian new york writer, fresh from a break-up, finds herself having relations with a man and a woman at the same time, not knowing that the two were lovers

catch: wala! happy din ito! biased ako e bakit ba hahahaha

this one's another good one ha. kakaaliw siya. i love justin kirk esp in ANGELS IN AMERICA and in LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION! buwisit yun kasi sa lahat ng mabibigyan ng nominations for acting sa ANGELS, siya wala! bad trip! e role niya kaya yung may pinaka-bearing dun, haller. oh well.

katuwa itong film. nakakatuwa kasi feeling ko, halaw sa tunay na buhay ng writer-director hahaha. i read somewhere na maggenti's not identifying as a woman-loving-woman daw kasi lately, which is kinda ironic, coming from directing another pivotal lesbian film in the 90s called THE INCREDIBLY TRUE ADVENTURES OF TWO GIRLS IN LOVE. yes, that film kung saan semi-baby butch pa si tina, yung actress sa THE L WORD. yes, siya yun! look at the eyes. they have the same blank stare.

feeling ko ganun nga ang film. isang biyaning na malaki ang commitment issues kaya napasok sa isang masalimuot na hetero at homo relationship at the same time, kasi nagpapatianod lang siya. eto yung mga may rason sa buhay na "it just happened..." like "bakit mo ko pinagpalit? bakit ka nainlab sa iba?" at ang sagot sa iyo ay "it just happened..." hanlabo. nakakainis kung tutuusin pero i let it go kasi kyut yung actress eheheh. i am biased that way. madali akong bentahan.

ayokong ibigay ang ending pero nakakatuwa naman siya, but not in a star cinema mainstream cinema film type of way. in an indie film type of way and in a lesbianic way din. basta happy siya. nakatulong ang magandang script. ito halatang nagdaan sa pagbubuno ng mga makikilatis na mata at utak, at mabuti ang kinalabasan. winner! watch!




THE THANK YOU GIRLS
(2008)
d., s. charliebebs gohetia

pitch: a group of visayan gay/trans people, whose livelihood is to join gay beaucons, goes on a roadtrip to find their own inner journeys and outer fabulousness despite the odds

catch: a bit longish, could be edited down a bit pa

congrats to upfi student bebs for helming this first full-length of his. maganda ang topic at hindi siya seasonal: mga gay beaucon joiners na ang tawag pala sa kanila e "thank you girls" kasi lagi silang natatalo o hindi nakakaabot ng first place. premise pa lang, panalo na! kakatawa siya hahaha.

nainis lang ako at hindi ako marunong mag-bisaya. gusto ko pa naman maintindihan yung nuance ng gayspeak nila doon kasi kakaiba e. but the subtitles work naman.

what doesn't work is that repeating narrative cycle style sometimes, reminiscent of other nonlinear narrative films like some mexican films na di ko na maalala title, basta andun si gale garcia chorva kyuti. may malaki dapat dahilan kung bakit babalikan ang ikot ng isang parte ng naratibo, at dapat e sa ibang anggulo naman ito i-take. yung nangyari kasi, parang iisang anggulo lang, at tight lang ang isa at yung isa e wider shot. weird lang.

may feel din siya ng PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT, this aussie film of yore na ganito din ang tema, na ni-ripoff naman ng american film na TO WONG FOO THANKS FOR EVERYTHING JULIE NEWMAR about the same time. inevitable ang comparison kasi road trip ito ng trannies at may eksenang nasa top ng bubong ng jeep at nagpapalipad ng colorful cloth.

the VO also reminds me of Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN na di mo alam kung sino ang nagsasalita tapos marami siyang alam sa buhay ng mga tao sa film. iffy lang na in the end, yung jeep pala ang nagsasalita. siya ang VO. actually, i think it could work better kung walang VO na lang, totally. ngayon ko lang naisip. hm.

pero other than that, masaya naman. the acting was good, the lines are witty and funny, lalo na yung nagpapraktis sila ng mga QnA portion while travelling. pinaka-paborito ko ito:

maitim na vakler: i have a question for you. define darkness.
vakler na nagre-rehearse: darkness is here beside me.

or something like that. hahahaha! basta aliw ito! if only for the lines. hahaha! saka maganda yung kuwento. nga lang, minsan it felt pepered with advocacy, with the beaucon women spewing lines straight out of taskforcepride hahahahah! well, this is good pero it might not be a bit realistic, kasi sa totoo lang, hindi naman masyadong advocacy-aware ang karamihan sa mga beaucon joiners na ganito e. siguro dapat tinimpla lang. i get the point but sana hindi nasobrahan.

all in all, happy ako na sasali ito sa vancouver. sana manalo! congrats guys!

isa pang naalala kong exchange, thanks to lush's blogpost.

vakler 1: okay, here is your question. what is your waistline...and why?

hahahahaha nakakatawa! ang dami pa nito e. basta! watch!!!!!!!!


next time ulit.

lesbyana lesbyana, isinapelikula ka na naman!

the title is a take-off from an essay i wrote about the lesbian portrayals in philippine cinema, published in this book by the UP Press. wala lang, it's a sunny afternoon (from a rainy morning) and i decided to hole in here to watch some films and now, make reviews. feel ko lang magsulat e. la lang. sama ko na rin yung iba kong napanood dati pa na pinagmuni-munihan ko muna.

chirchiryahan na!



IMAGINE ME & YOU
(2005)
d., w. ol parker
c. lena heady, piper perabo

pitch: a recently married woman gets struck by love at first sight with a lesbian florist, and is torn on what to do

catch: wala! maganda siya! :)

okay, this is not the first queer-oriented film that piper appeared in. i liked her first in COYOTE UGLY kahit hindi queer ang character niya, pero napaka-queer lang ng scenario ng film (e kasi mukhang mga tranny performers yung ibang models doon). i liked her in LOST AND DELIRIOUS even if the whole lesbian storyline of that film is soooo whacked! (as in haller, tragic lesbian love na naman, pweh!). i like her here, too, kas siguro okay ang chemistry nila ni lena hedy, who plays the lesbian florist na na-inlababo-han nung just hetero-married character ni piper.

out of the list of films i really want to watch, gusto ko siya simply because of the title hehe. kanta kasi siya, at isa sa kanta na gusto ko mula sa lumang panahon. or more appropriately, first line siya ng kanta ng the turtles entitled "happy together." well, it doesn't really get featured so prominently in the film pero ginamit siyang device in the end kaya nagkitang muli ang would-be lovers na itey, in that star cinema kilig fantasy way.

and that's how the whole film feels -- it feels like a star cinema production! palitan mo lang ng hetero loveteam ang lesbian loveteam dito and you get the whole star cinema film shebang: title na halaw sa isang kanta, two gorgeous-looking lead stars, a good storyline with believable characters, humorous sidekicks used as foils (the girl bida's new hubby's promiscuous best man best friend who wanted to bed the lesbian florist), smart wisdom-y things from old characters (piper's dad supportive of her daughter's experience of "love at first sight" despite the homo odds), the mega kilig muntik-nang-maghalikan-pero-idelay-para-kilig moments (at madami ito ha, piper has perfected acting this out haha!), the mega-kilig plant and payoff devices used to make the characters find each other (complete with habulan sa ending kasi papunta sa airport/vacation ang hurt one, na hahabulin ng natauhang loved one at hahabulin yung isa chuva), grabe lang kulang na lang ang credits nito e sabihing directed by olivia lamasan produced by charo santos concio hahahaha! sobrah! all the elements are really there!

kaya siguro gusto ko. kasi it's so mainstream that way (but unlike star, laidback lang ang storytelling at hindi magarbong attention-caller) kaya effective ang kilig moments kasi nakaka-relate ako. finally, a true lesbian kilig film! winner!

hotness si lena heady! yun lang. hehe. i was wondering where i saw her before, and a quick imdb search revealed siya nga pala yung nasa spanish/english film na LLUVIA EN LOS ZAPATOS (the man with rain in his shoes) directed by spanish filmmaker maria ripoll, whom we all met when she went here a couple years ago and we had coffee and cake at the upfi office. tama! at siya rin yung hotness na queen sa testosteron-y cgi film 300. ayuz. i love lena hehe especially that british accent niya ha. happy siya.

happiness ito. for a hetero guy writer-director, super sensitive ang approach sa materyal na ang ganda. parang non-issue masyado ang pag-switch ng hetero lead girl sa pag-fall in love sa lesbian, kasi given lang na hey, it's love, chever. although masyado lang mabait at madaling natanggap ng husband niya, pero sige kineri na rin ng characterization ng dude, so puwedeng palusutin.

but all in all, okay siya. watch!



NOTES ON A SCANDAL
(2006)
s. from the novel by zoe heller
c. dame judy dench, cate blanchett

pitch: a veteran closeted lesbian high school teacher uses a younger new teacher's scandalous affair with a student to curry favors in her favor

catch: putangina ang homophobic!

bwisit! bwisit ito! nakakairita! arrgghh! sayang ang talents. pero iyon ang ipinagtataka ko: bakit pumayag ang talents na lumabas dito?????????

the film is about hidden scandals, usually frowned upon by society. cate's character is an art teacher in a high school and currently undergoing a seven-year itch sa marriage niya with an older man. si dame judy naman is a closeted lesbian pero alam naman ng lahat ba, yung ganun. she had a previous run-in with another teacher na, it turns out in the end, naging stalkerish ang moda niya at the girl had to issue a restraining order pa sa kanya. tapos heto na naman siya, na-focus-an niya ng affection yung new art teacher na halos i-blackmail niya emotionally pero pa-underground ang dating when the art teacher had a sexual love affair with an underage student. haggard! i'm sure hetero ang sumulat ng novel na ito, and not once binanggit nila ang posibilidad ng sexuality chever ng closeted older teacher. nakakainis kasi napaka-homophobic lang ng buong set-up, not to say na walang lesbyanang closeta man o hindi na mangba-blackmail ng ganun sa isang babae para maging emotionally indebted sa kanya yung gelay. maraming ganyan diyan sus i can name names hahahaha. pero that's not the point. the point is, sobrang condemned na agad ang character ni judy in the beginning, kahit na cate's character was "punished" for punishing the closeted lesbian, pero iffy pa rin ang whole situation, kasi the older teacher ends up beginning something na maaaring ganun ulit sa isang complete stranger in the end. aaaaah basta! ayoko ito. buset. kakainis. argh. sayang talent! asar.




RENT (2005)
d. chris columbus
s. from the broadway musical created by jonathan larson
dop. stephen goldblatt
c. rosario dawson and some of the original broadway cast

pitch: a musical about angsty middle class but kinda poor-ish new york artists living in tenement housing chever

catch: er, nasan ang ibang songs?????

it takes a good director to understand the angsts, the motivations, the desires and the longings and loneliness of the characters of a script (or a play) and to be able to translate that on screen requires an enormous amount of understanding. sadly, chris columbus is not that kind of a director.

from the visual language itself, one could see just how homophobic the person behind the camera is. songs about same-sex love are filmed so very far and with some stupid element foregrounding in the mise en scene that we don't get to feel the love the couple is expressing (best demonstrated by the song "i'll follow you" about angel the tranny and tom collins the teacher). minsan din mukhang tanga ang filming ng same-sex eksena na you don't get to understand the nuance of what's happening (best exemplified by the "take me or leave me" number kung saan nag-aaway ang lesbian couple maureen and joanne during their engagement dinner! at habang palipat-lipat sila ng lokasyon per stanza e nakatungangang sumusunod lang ang ibang tao sa kanila! nubayun!!!!!!!!!!!!!). the only moments we see the camera capture tenderly the tender moments of couples ay yung sa treatment na sa huli ng hetero couple roger and mimi. pero pag discussions na about people having AIDS and all, nakalayo rin ang camera, except when that montage of roger and april's love story was being montaged, tutok sa tragedy siya, which felt iffy and sensationalistic a la tv patrol of yore. yes, needless to say, puro long shots at wide shots ang pelikulang ito karamihan. buset.

parang sinayang ni columbus ang musicality ng materyal. hindi siya marunong mag-shoot ng isang musical film, that's it. he should learn from the masters. like how WEST SIDE STORY was shot, na kahit napaka-gay minsan ng choreo ng sharks and jets hehe e buo pa rin ang masculinity ng gangs kahit maga-jazz-jazz sila sa kalye ng new york! ito...ewan, ang labo. ang pangit. asar na asar ako kasi original dvd ang binili ko nito!!! pang-pirated lang pala dapat ang kaledad niya. hmp. buset.

kulang sa imagination, e! like how "tango maureen" was interpreted. man, iba attack ko dito kung ako magdidirek nito. ang chaks! ang bland! at heartless. wala talaga siyang compassion sa characters, sa situations nila, sa materyal. parang di niya naiintindihan ang angst ng ganitong klaseng mga tao. sayang. sayan sobra. hay... sayang kasi i really really reaaaaaaaaaaaally love the musical. i watched new voice's staging of this, twice! (the first staging, with monique mooning the audience hehehe was better, yung sa music museum. the second, nawala na ang angst ng roger ni calvin millado, kasi in-love na siya hahaha. ito yung sa gsis theater na)

hay... sayang.


o sya, more movies later.

LGBT Pride Month at UP Diliman

from our friends at Progay, UP Babaylan and the University Student Council:

Pagbati!

Mga kasama sa komunidad ng LGBT sa Pilipinas, inaanyayahan kayo
kasama ng inyong organisasyon na sanay makasama kayo sa isang Pride
March bilang pag-alala sa Stonewall Riots na naganap noong June 26-
28, 1969 na nagsilbing mitya ng pagbabago at pandaigdigang kilusan
nga mga LGBTs sa iba't ibang panig ng mundo.

Ang tema ng gaganapin na pride march ay "Pride and UP: isang daan
taong kasaysayan ng pagtatanghal ng dangal" ito po ay gaganapin sa
June 27, 2008, at ang kitaan para sa martsa ay Vinzons Hall ng
10:00, masusunduan po ito ng isang forum mula 1-5pm at cultural
night ng 6pm. Ito pong pride march na ito ay isinusulong ng Gender
Committee ng University Student Council na sinusuportahan ng lahat
ng gender advocates sa loob ng pamantasan.

Naway makasama tayong lahat.

Marlon T. Lacsamana
ProGAY UP Diliman

Visit our website
http://progayphilippines.blogspot.com

Progay Philippines is a service and advocacy organization that provides counseling, training and education assistance to marginalized gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual Filipinos.

Mailing address:
35 Scout Delgado Street,
Barangay Laging Handa,
Quezon City
1103 Philippines

Telephone: (632) 3743451
Mobile: 0928 7571119

Email: progay@yahoo.com, progay@gmail.com

Hello to everyone!:) Here is the calendar for the UP Diliman Pride Week:

June 25

LGBT Film Showing 1-4pm CAL AVR

June 27

UP Pride March 10am ACADEMIC OVAL (Start at Vinzons Hall)

UP LGBT Forum:Issues surrounding the LGBT Community of today
1-6pm Claro M. Recto Hall, FC

LGBT Cultural Night 6PM onwards, tentatively in Front of Faculty Area beside Pi Omicron tambayan

UP LGBT FORUM: Issues Surrounding the LGBT Community of Today

One of the events in the PRIDE WEEK is the LGBT FORUM. This forum aims to be a venue for information sharing and dissemination. It also aims to educate the attendees most importantly those who do not belong to the LGBT community about the lives of the LGBT individuals. The forum will tackle subjects about the different issues concerning the LGBT Community of today. The forum aims to answer some of these timely questions - Are the issues challenging the LGBT people of yesterday still challenges the LGBT people of today? Or the issues the community faces now are new? What changes do the LGBT community of the country went through thru time?

With the help of our respected speakers, we will all try to discover and understand the world of LGBT communities.

Venue: PH 400 (Claro M. Recto Hall in the Faculty Center)
Time: 1-5PM

Speakers and Topics:

Percival Cendana on LGBT in Leadership and Mass movement

Eva Callueng on Lesbianism

Paolo Fontanes on Transgender rights and other related transgender issues

Jonas Bagas on Anti Discrimination Bill

REPRINT: the Inquirer article

originally posted at leaflens.multiply.com
----------------------

since i intended this portal to be the repository of my stuff, i'll reprint the article i wrote which appeared in the lifestyle exclusives ng inquirer. i checked their website naman and it's clear na they don't put everything in there, lalo na itong special section. tama nga naman. i'll also add here the photo that accompanied the article (sorry mareng rovie, hindi nagamit yung kuha mo kasi lowres daw).

pero before that, share ko lang yung chika ng nag-solicit ng article, si ms linda panlilio, a fellow writer din.

Dear Libay,

Wow! What a wonderful piece! I loved it. Your article will help educate the homophobic public out there on LGBT issues. Thanks a lot! Am sure my Inq. editor, Cheche Moral, will like it too. I'm not touching it at all. Am leaving it to Cheche to make it fit in the space she has allotted for this special features issue. Would you like to send me a photo of yourself and Sarah? The other articles will have photos.

Btw, you'll be pleased to know that you will be in the company of great writers in the anthology I'm doing for Anvil. No less than National Artist Edith Tiempo is contributing--on her relationship with her students (mentor-"mentees"); Krip Yuson, on his pater-filios relationship with his kids; Sarge Lacuesta and Mookie Katigbak--on their bf-gf relationship; Joy Cruz on her "stepfamily"; Karina Bolasco, on being a single Mom to her daughters; Ed Maranan, Roweena Torrevillas, Barbara "Tweetums" Gonzalez, etc.

So please expand your Inq. article to 3,000 words, if possible, or at least to 2,000. Deadline is March 31. Meantime, thanks for being so prompt, and for your wonderful contribution.

Cheers!

Linda

sobrang nakakataba ng puso ang compliment na ito, coming from ms. linda. super.

at binigyan pa ko ng new deadline haha! ayuz.

but the inq sub-ed, ms moral, actually edited the article pero konti lang. ang ginalaw lang niya actually, yung last two lines. i was actually very very thankful dahil napaganda niya yung tuldok statement na nais ko sanang sabihin sa original article. dun kasi ako nahirapang i-phrase kung paano nga ba ie-end ito. i wanted to put in there kasi yung dating exploitative tagline about homosexual love sa US. at grabe, nakaka-high sakin yung ginawa niyang improvement. saka nilagyan niya ng subheads which i expected them to make. great! kewl din ito. yan ang editing.

eto ang labas. para sa mga di nakabasa, enjoy!

----------

[published 10 February 2008 Phil. Daily Inquirer Lifestyle Section Exclusives]

LIVING AND LOVING WITH LESBIAN PRIDE

By libay linsangan cantor

It has been ten years since I came out as a lesbian to my family and friends. but this is the first time I am coming out with a girlfriend who is as out as I am.

Confused? Don’t be. In the local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, relationships are one of three things: out in the open, discreet or closeted.

Being out in the open means there are no issues whatsoever that bother either party – no workplace homophobia to be fearful of, no disinherit-if-you’re-gay issues hounding their respective families, and it’s perfectly all right for each party to be seen as a couple in public. In short, it’s the love story with the possible “happily ever after” tag.

Being discreet means being out in the open is done in a limited fashion. People might not even notice that the couple is a couple unless they introduce themselves as such. This kind of relationships has some issues being considered. Issues may vary, depending on each party’s concern such as family, job security, public reputation or something else. This relationship is usually hidden from the heterosexual world but not from the LGBT world – a kind of “selective outing” is done.

A closeted relationship means not even the LGBT community is fully aware of its existence. People who are usually in a closeted relationship are also closeted LGBTs themselves. Aside from having the usual issues concerning work or family, there might be other bothersome factors or angles, such as having an illicit affair with one who is legally married or has another partner.

Not for me

My coming out in 1997 didn’t mean I was a closeted lesbian. It was just then that I discovered that heterosexuality isn’t for me, and the way I could express my love in honesty is by being with another woman. And on that fateful year, I met that woman – a lesbian woman. We were both alike at the time – so very feminine-looking girl-next-door types. She belonged in a lesbian advocacy group and was very out to everybody—except, it turned out, her family and relatives. That was why when I met her mother, I was merely the “designated best friend.”

I didn’t really know how to react to that. I mean, there I was, happily rejoicing my newfound final and real identity, but I cannot show it to the mother of my partner. We both couldn’t. Their family was just strict by nature and even her heterosexual cousins couldn’t overtly show their partners to their elders.

In less than a year, that relationship ended. I continued living my life outside of the closet and joined efforts of the LGBT community for positive visibility, especially in the media where I work. That became the focus of my lesbian feminist advocacy up to this very day. That means speaking about LGBT issues in public gatherings and appearing in media outlets like newspapers and TV. As a writer, I wrote about it a lot.

Highly patriarchal

But all that changed when I met my next partner, a closeted lawyer. Because hers was a highly patriarchal world, she said, we could never declare that we are a couple. So more than a best friend, sometimes my designation became a “personal assistant.” We knew some of her family members knew what we were really about—even if they never talked about it—but we kept it on the safe side nonetheless. This meant no more TV or print appearances for me, and my LGBT advocacy involvement lessened. That went on for half a decade.

When that relationship finally ended, it made me think long and hard on what I really want out of a relationship. I’ve thought of a few. I want to be proud of my partner as she is proud of me, and we both shouldn’t have issues of showing that love and care to the world. I want a bond devoid of paranoia; I don’t want my partner to be scared that someone might see us in each street corner or mall, and therefore will make every effort to keep us under the radar of everyone all the freaking time. I will support a partner who will support me, too, who understands our advocacy, and who believes in it fully. I want a partner who believes that relationships should have equity, aside from the usual requirements of trust, honesty, being caring and nurturing.

Proud

Happily, I’ve found all of that in my new partner, Sarah. She’s all that, and more. No paranoia, no excuses, no apologies. She doesn’t believe in closets, and neither do I. Thus, I can just be myself in public with her, and she is the same. It doesn’t bother us that we are a bit “different” from the rest of society – or are we, really?

In this day and age, love comes in all shapes and sizes, and this happens to be our “packaging” – two women deeply in love with each other. You can’t go wrong with love.

I am at peace. Finally, I am with someone who understands what this is all about – that living and loving outside of the closet is what it is about. Ours is a love that indeed dares to speak its name. //

there you go. mukha ba kong fil-am jan? hehe.

huling hirit ng pride weekend

ay, masaya itey! kitakits sa lovapalooza! tsup tsup! i am so there! taralets!

pride+passion:

The 2007 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT)
Pride March Post Parade Party
(featuring The Great LGBT Kiss Fest)
December 15, 2007, Saturday, 10 pm, Government Bar, Makati City

The Post Parade Party

Every year, Task Force Pride (TFP), the official network that sponsors the annual pride parade in Manila holds an official after-party to celebrate the success of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Pride March.

This year’s post-parade party, which will be held on December 15, 2007, Saturday at 10 pm at Government Bar in Makati, as in the previous years, aims not only to give members of TFP, its volunteers and all those who supported the Pride March a chance to meet each other and have fun but also to showcase the achievements of TFP and its organizational and individual members to encourage greater participation from the LGBT community here and abroad.

The Great LGBT Kiss Fest (a.k.a. Our Own Version of ‘Lovapalooza’)

On September 1, 2007, almost 7000 couples in Tuzla , Bosnia kissed for 10 seconds thereby breaking the previous Guinness World Kissing Records set by Hungary and the Philippines .

In June this year, 6614 couples gathered in Hungary for synchronized osculation beating the February event in Manila dubbed Lovapalooza with its tally of 6124 couples.

Up to now it is not clear whether LGBT couples were allowed to participate in the Manila kiss fest. Some say they were not. Others say they were, but were not counted.

To put matters to rest, this Saturday we will be holding The Great LGBT Kiss Fest! This community kiss-in aims to gather the largest number of LGBT couples to kiss for 10 seconds as a culminating activity to this year’s Manila pride celebrations. The kiss fest is our community’s way of celebrating LGBT love and will be our greatest show of pride and passion for the LGBT cause.

Gates open at 10 pm for on site registration followed by a short program featuring various performances to entertain the crowd prior to the kiss fest.

MECHANICS

ATTIRE: Please wear something pink (or any of its versions) to be allowed to enter the Kissing Area in Government.

ELIGIBILITY: To join the kiss fest, you and your partner have to be an adult under Philippine law (i.e., you must be 18 years old and above). To prove that you are of legal age, kindly bring any of the following: an ID that shows your birth date (e.g., driver’s license, etc.), an ID and/or a copy of your birth certificate.

BEFORE THE EVENT: To ensure participation, member organizations of TFP including its partners will pre-register couples from now until December 14, 2007, Friday. TFP members are encouraged to pledge a minimum number of couples for the event.

DURING THE EVENT: On-site registration starts at 10 pm at the TFP Booth in front of Government. A separate sign-up sheet for those who want to join TFP will also be available.

WHY KISS IN: Every year we celebrate pride but tend to forget that what we are, in fact, celebrating is love: love for ourselves, our dignity and rights and love for our significant others who are at the core of our LGBT identities. And of course, we’re just really looking for an excuse to kiss in public!

So let’s celebrate LGBT love! Pucker up and come to The Great LGBT Kiss Fest! (If you are single, find a willing partner or friend and join the kiss in!)

See you there!


at ito pa! noon ko pa gusto jumoin pero wala ako kakampi hehe.

bloomingdames got pride

this is not the first time this year that i heard that term applied to me: blooming. blooming flower? i hope so. blooming idiot? hehe i hope not. although that's what i used to fire back when someone kids that i am blooming daw. sige na nga.

when my friend froggy dropped by my office some months ago, she told me that i looked different from when she saw me last, here in the office, same spot, about early this year. she said before, i looked harassed or heavy, in spirit and aura, i guess. but as she said, i look different now, happier, lighter, blooming. maaliwalas kumbaga.

then another friend, lia, told me earlier that i actually look blooming nga. so to reaffirm what i have been hearing lately, yes, indeed, blooming nga siguro ang lola niyo.

it takes a while for me to be in this state of mind and heart, especially my soul. malaki rin ang nalampasan kong kabigatan nitong mga nakaraang taon in getting over my former relationships, i guess. took a while, super, kaya nga matagal akong single. single but not looking. masaya naman ang state na ganoon. i'm not the kind of person na mamamatay kapag walang syota. i'm not bridget jones. o kaya yung kind na parang di makahinga kung walang ka-date. hindi rin ako girl crazy, girl addict or girl-driven. di ko alam bakit ang ibang tao e hindi kumpleto ang sarili kapag walang partner. napaka-clingy. ayoko ng ganun. hindi ako ganun. but unfortunately, yung huli kong jowa e medyo ganun, kaya nga distancia amiga ako sa kanya dahil sa kabigatan lang ng hatak niya. mahirap magkaroon ng jowa na high maintenance na self-absorbed. never more.

i'm just lucky now because i'm in a new relationship with someone who makes me bloom. for the first time kasi, nagkaroon ako ng girlfriend na out. as in, super duper out. first time magka-hhww in public, peck on the cheek or lips, hugs, the works, man. as in, lantad. at iba pala talaga ang pakiramdam. sobrang nakaka-reaffirm ng advocacy. walang praning, walang guwardiyadong galaw, walang pangamba. nagtataka nga yung isa kong friend dati, si roselle, kung saan daw ako nakakakuha ng energy na mag-keep ng relationship na closeted gayung ako mismo e hindi closeted na tao. kasi naman, lahat yata ng relasyon ko e nasubaybayan niya, at kloseta lahat ang drama. hm, ako rin nagtaka. bakit nga ba? saan nga ba? kaya siguro madalas nauubusan ako ng energy reserves sa aspetong ito, kasi hinihila ng black hole ng closet ng mga klosetang partner ang energies ko, creativity, and everything else. well, never more.

kaya siguro mas ginanahan ako sa pagsali sa task force pride this year. kasi for the first time, walang jowang magbabawal sa akin na magmartsa o makisama sa pag-oorganisa. walang jowang magbabawal sa akin na lumabas at magsalita sa media dahil baka makita ng mga nanay nila ang mukha ko at magtaka. walang jowang hahayaan lang akong magmartsa kasi "org activity" lamang ito at "requirement" lang.

for the first time, nagkaroon ako ng kasama sa pagmartsa sa lgbt pride march na alam ang kaibuturan ng dahilan ng pagmamartsa ng daan-daang bakla, lesbyana, trans at bi sa pilipinas/maynila. for the first time, kasama kong nakimartsa ang kasama ko sa buhay. at for the first time, nagmartsa siya na walang kiyeme at takip sa mukha, dahil alam niya kung para saan ang paglaladlad, paglalahad at paglalakad na iyon.

oh yes, we got pride. indeed. lots. and more to come!

and to quote dranreb in a long long ago interview with boy abunda:

B: are you gay?
D: i'm very happy.

oh yeah, i'm very happy, too. indeed. happy to be gay! :)