DOMINANT HOUSE. The Dollhouse, holding its latest annual elections in the photo above, is seen by some lgbt individuals on campus as not sufficiently representative of them. photo shows new Queen mother Josh Lao. Photo by Stephanie C. Gorospe
THE SANGGUNIAN has discussed plans of facilitating discourse with the Ateneo’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
School of Social Sciences Chairperson Toni Potenciano, who first raised the concern to the Central Board last June 29, was the main proponent of the proposal.
“We want to give them space to at least have discourse, to let other people know that ‘Hey, this is what we are,’ as well,’” she said.
She said that the proposal is still in the conceptual stage, but will eventually push for the rights of different gender groups to come together once it has fully actualized.
Coming out for discourse
One of the goals of the pursuit of discourse is for various LGBT groups, other than the Dollhouse, to represent themselves. The Dollhouse is composed primarily of LGBT students who are pushing for the awareness and acceptance of the LGBT community in the Ateneo.
“I know that there are… a bunch of interested gay people who are not in Dollhouse, but who want to have another group to kind of change how the LGBT community is represented in Ateneo,” explained Potenciano.
“I’m not exactly sure what their objectives are as a group—if they’re going to have a political agenda or a social agenda,” she added.
“There’s this one GUIDON article I read a long time ago where it said that [LBGT] gender representation in Ateneo is limited to Dollhouse. We, at least, want to change that.”
Potenciano further added that the current state of representation of the LGBT community on campus has led to other gender groups’ clamor for recognition, and reflects the failure to perceive that people have different gender identities.
“One person even messaged me regarding this whole issue and she said that, ‘I’ve noticed that you’re putting emphasis on the gays. How about the lesbians?’ So, I think it is high time that we actually become aware, and that there’s space for these people to come together,” Potenciano said.
Boxing up
Potenciano said that a lot of members of the LGBT community who are not part of the Dollhouse have shared their grievances about being constrained by the stereotypes associated with the LGBT community. “Maybe it’s because they don’t want to be stereotyped into that kind of gay.”
Theology Instructor Fr. Daniel Sormani, CSSP said that stereotyping has dictated how a person should act within a community.
“[Stereotyping] is unhealthy for other people who are getting in touch with themselves because they’re thinking that that’s who they should be if they’re gay or straight. Then, they find themselves so confused because they’re looking straight, acting straight, but then they like the [same] sex,” he said.
Sormani and Potenciano both pointed out that social networking sites have become a channel of hate and prejudice against the LGBT community.
Sormani added that with the prevalence of jokes thrown around by Ateneans in social networking sphere, they constantly put the LGBT community into bad light.
“That just shows that even here in Ateneo, where people constantly tell you that they are for gay marriage, people still have those prejudices. Because if they didn’t, why would you make that as a joke to embarrass another person?” he said.
“Saying that their sexuality makes them embarrassed means that there is something shameful or embarrassing about being gay.”
Looking ahead
Potenciano said she plans to collaborate with the people behind the on-campus effort called Women’s Month for the desired discourse. “I am planning to talk to the people of Women’s Month because it’s really [also about] gender awareness and women and not just about the LGBTs,” she said.
She also expressed her positive outlook for the success of the proposal. “Hopefully, it will be received well. We just have to tread lightly on the ethical issues [since Ateneo’s still] a Catholic university.”
Dollhouse Queen Mother Josh Lao voiced out his support for the plan. “I’m happy that the Sanggunian is pushing for something like this. We just want to educate Ateneans on homosexuality, knowing that not all Ateneans are accepting.”
“It’s all about educating the people and making them understand what we go through. I mean, hindi madali maging bakla ah (I mean, it’s not easy being gay),” said.
Lao also expressed his desire to help with addressing the different gender issues. “Through our small events that we make or through our individual endeavors, we try to celebrate homosexuality and effortlessly try to show others that we can excel and shine and hopefully make a difference.”
Sormani, however, noted that it would take more than student council legislation to address this issue. “In a sense, you wouldn’t be afraid to say that you’re a Filipino when you are mistaken to be Indonesian. But then, you would get all hyper when somebody thinks that you’re gay when you know you’re heterosexual. I think, that’s the thing we have to focus more on—this whole mindset change,” he said.
“People are going to want proof [of progress on this issue], and proof will come when there are no more insults,” he added.
