Hepps! Don’t get mad at me, that was about 5 years ago and don’t worry, not anymore. Peace! You can’t blame me naman eh. Look, I grew up in a very conservative religion. Since I was born and was raised by my grandmother who is sooo conservative and may I add, I lived in a community that considered homosexuals as immoral where, in the representation of their lives, they are invisible. I once belonged to a community where its structures, expectations and divisions has fostered wrong ideas about homosexuality.
In Hong Kong, I came to understand what homosexuality really is all about. (Someday I would like to write more about it, that is, pag pumayag si Editor). Being a lesbian, I’m sure, isn’t madali. It has difficulties straight people may never even understand, the way I do. I am in no way saying that I am an expert on sexual orientation or a psychologist but, for sure, I do know how it feels like to be offended, abandoned and rejected, or worse, to be treated a second class citizen. I understand why you’ll get upset when someone laughs at you because you’re a lesbian and how it hurts you so bad when your loved ones disregard you as a member of the family. And worst, when you feel like as if the whole world is against you (kawawa ka naman).
In fact, that is merely the reason why some lesbians are afraid to make ladlad, especially those who are in the Philippines na mostly are devout Catholics, alam naman natin na against sila sa third sex ‘di ba? And as what I am saying, mas gugustuhin pa nilang magpa-girly look than being condemned. It’s frustrating kasi that people never give up interfering, criticizing and chastising them. I don’t seem to understand why some people couldn’t embrace homosexuality as they do heterosexuality and that being lesbian does not make them
less lovable and unique. So what ba kung ganuon sila? Do they really have to be miserable all their lives?
less lovable and unique. So what ba kung ganuon sila? Do they really have to be miserable all their lives?
If you are a lesbian, that’s alright, believe me. Ms. Dorothy Thompson, once recognized as one of the most influential columnist in a 1939, said, “One cannot exist today as a person in full consciousness without having a showdown with one’s self, without having to define what one lives by, without being clear in one’s own mind what matters and what does not”.
Mapalad ang mga lesbians sa Hong Kong because a great number of heterosexuals really understand and accept them. I am glad that many are active members of responsible associations and they’re contributing a lot to the Filipino community.
Let me salute you all, (except for those who are laman ng mga discos and karaoke bars na umiinom, naninigarilyo at nagsusugal during their days off. And watch out, ladies… may mga lesbian na babaero diyan at peperahan ka pa daw huh… kidding!)
In all seriousness, as an OFW and being a lesbian, how much do you want to succeed in life? Do you have enough courage to bare your true self? Do you have the strength to change others’ wrong perception of you? Do you have enough will-power to continue your goals when the rest of the world is telling you it will never work? Well, there is a price tag of misery attached to those. Oooppss! I’m sorry, did I scare you? People are people and if you listen to them, no doubt you will fail but if you listen to yourself, you can’t lose. Sabi nga ni Sir Bill Cosby, “I don’t know the road to success but one sure way to failure is trying to please everybody”. Forget what everybody wants, what your parents want, what people want. Decide for yourself who you are, what you desire to express and experience: what do you want! Whaaat…?
Are you telling me na gusto mo nang maging tunay na babae? Some psychologist said that one’s sexual orientation determined at birth, puberty, marriage, etc. will remain as is or all time. Now, don’t ask me what is the cause of homosexuality or may gamot ba para supilin ito? Honestly, I don’t know the answer because up to now, sa dinami dami ng mga interested scholars that came up from these studies they all ended up with inconsistent and inconcurrent results. So, just keep up the good work, pare, keep doing things you know will improve your life and enhance your status. Remember, you are doing just fine..fine..fine..! And we, at True Friends Newsmag, together with The Writer’s Guild, are here to encourage and support you in all you do and as you celebrate every little thing about yourself. MABUHAY!
Author: Shirley Tamayo
*Published in True Friends Newsmag (Cover story for August 2008 issue)
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