A Feast of Difference: "Gender Issues" and "Sexuality in Continuity and Change"

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Week 4 - Complexity and Diversity (1)
A Feast of Differences:
Gender Issues
Sexuality in Continuity and Change
A presentation by
Gregorio R. Caliguia III
MA in Philippine Studies*
(Society and Culture)
Prof. Rolando Talampas
(PS 202: Theories and Perspectives)
Asian Center
University of the Philippines - Diliman
9 September 2014

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PS 202: Theories and Perspectives Week 4 - Complexity and Diversity (1)
Gregorio R. Caliguia III - MA in Philippine Studies* (Society and Culture)
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GENDER ISSUES
Sex vs. Gender1
• Sex – the anatomico-biological characteristic of a being which is distinguished primarily by the reproductive organs.
• Gender – the socio-cultural construction of masculinity and femininity, their respective domains and limits, in certain extent, their fluidity.
1See J. Neil Garcia, Philippine Gay Culture: binabae to bakla, silahis to MSM (Quezon City: UP Press, 2008), 19. However, Judith Butler counters this claim of dichotomy of sex and gender, as to nature vs. culture. She argues that sex and gender, if not merely both cultural constructs, are the same as one. See Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity (UK: Routledge, 1999).

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Sex/Gender System – For Gayle Rubin, this term better represents the existence of “Patriarchy as a time-less transhistorical expression.”2
Patriarchy –Heidi Hartmann (in Eisenstein, 1979) defines patriarchy as “a set of social relations… in which there are hierarchical relations between men and solidarity among them which enables them to control women.”3
Matriarchy – “in essence [it is] a matriarchal society with many women actually holding sway over families, businesses and politics.”4
GENDER ISSUES
2Gayle Rubin, "The Traffic in Women: Notes on the 'Political Economy' of Sex". Discussed in the endnote 30 of Chapter 1, in Cynthia Cockburn’s Machinery of Dominance: Women, Men, and the Technical Know-how (London: Pluto Press, 1985), 261.
3See Cynthia Cockburn, Machinery of Dominance, 178.
4Lifted verbatim from Wilson LeeFlores, "Is the Philippines a matriarchal society pretending to be a macho nation?"PhilSTAR. September 29, 2002. http://www.philstar.com/sunday- life/177872/philippines-matriarchal-society-pretending-be-macho-nation (accessed September 7, 2014). See also the conjecture of Heather L. Claussen regarding the Philippine society having a national myth of matriarchy, in Unconventional Sisterhood: Feminist Catholic Nuns in the Philippines (U.S.A.: University of Michigan, 2004), 45. For an historical analysis of the role of women in the precolonial Philippines, see Ma. Fe Mangahas, “Ang Kababaihan sa Kasaysayan.” Diliman Review Vol. 39, No. 3 (1991): 17-22.

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“The essential point is that sex was not
only a matter of sensation and pleasure,
of law and taboo, but also of truth and
falsehood, that the truth of sex became
something fundamental, useful, or
dangerous, precious or formidable: in
short, that sex was constituted as a
problem of truth.”
– Michel Foucault, History of Sexuality. Vol. 1: La
Volonté de Savoir (1978), 56.
GENDER ISSUES
“In other words, acts and
gestures, articulated and enacted
desires create the illusion of an
interior and organizing gender
core, an illusion discursively
maintained for the purposes of the
regulation of sexuality within the
obligatory frame of reproductive
heterosexuality.”
–Judith Butler, Gender Trouble: Feminism
and the Subversion of Identity (1999), 173.

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GIRL, BOY, BAKLA, TOMBOY
– sex/gender roles in Filipino children’s game
Source: J. Neil Garcia, Philippine Gay Culture, 248.
GENDER ISSUES

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SEXUALITY
HETEROSEXUAL HOMOSEXUAL
GENDER MALE BOY/LALAKI BAKLA/GAY
FEMALE GIRL/BABAE TOMBOY/LESBIAN
Heterosexuality – the sexual orientation which object-choice of
desire is that of the opposite sex. Kraff-Ebing’s hetero-sexual implies
reproductive desire, an erotic normality.6
Homosexuality – the sexual object-choice is of the same sex. It was
coined in 1869 by a German sexologist, Karl Maria Kertbeny, to
refer to unnatural sexual acts.7
6 Jonathan Ned Katz,The Invention of Heterosexuality. (New York: Plume, 1995), 22.
7 Ibid., 53-54
GENDER ISSUES

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Philippine Sexual Order – Binary
LALAKI BABAE
[Tomboy] gender-crossing [Bakla]
GENDER ISSUES

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Gender-crossers: LGBT
LGBT stands for the lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders. The usage of the acronym in the country, by around 2000s, suggests the endeavour of the gender subalterns to have a unified stand in their multi- culturally progressive visibility.8
GENDER ISSUES
8 See my paper on gay historiography, Kasaysayan and Kabaklaan: gay historiography in the Philippine milieu (Unpublished manuscript, 2014): 26.

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SEXUALITY IN CONTINUITY AND CHANGE
Foucault (1978) claims that sexuality is an historical construct:
“Sexuality must not be thought of as a natural given which power tries to hold in check, or as an obscure domain which knowledge tries gradually to uncover. It is the name that can be given to a historical construct: not a furtive reality that is difficult to grasp, but a great surface network in which the stimulation of bodies, the intensification of pleasures, the incitement to discourse, the formation of special knowledges, the strengthening of controls and resistances, are linked to one another, in accordance with a few major strategies of knowledge and power.”9
9 Michel Foucault, The History of Sexuality.Vol. 1: An Introduction [trans. of La Volonté de Savoir] (New York: Pantheon Books, 1978), 105-106.

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Pre-colonial Sexuality
Masculinity and femininity were of coeval status, as the pre-colonial myth of Malakas and Maganda suggests that both the man and woman came from the same source at the same time.10 Consequently, sexuality/gender in the precolonial period was not strictly confined within the anatomical differences, it was based on the ‘loob/labas’ dichotomy. Hence, masculinity and femininity were not exclusively defined by their bodies [i.e., labas] but it was their loob that determines the essence of the person, including his/her sexuality.11
10 See the discussion regarding the “Mythic Phase” in Felipe Landa Jocano, Filipino Prehistory: rediscovering pre-colonial heritage (Quezon City: Punlad Research House, 1998).
11 See Zeus A. Salazar’s explanation on the femininity in the precolonial period, of which both ‘taal na babae’ (woman) and ‘binabae’ (woman-like) were qualified for the feminine position of the babaylan [i.e., shaman-priestess]. In Ang Babaylan sa Kasaysayang Pilipino, (Quezon City: Palimbagan ng Lahi, 1999).

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Five Pillars of the Philippine Baranganic Society and Culture
Zeus Salazar, Kasaysayan ng Kapilipinuhan: Bagong Balangkas (Quezon City: Bagong Kasaysayan, 2004), 13.

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Pillars of Precolonial Philippines
Datu/Raja/Sultan
Bagani
Babaylan
Panday
Manghahabi, Namamalayok
Masculine Space
+
+
-
+
-
Feminine Space
+
-
+
-
+
Gender/Sexual categories: Babaye [woman]
Lalaqui [man]
Binabayi/Bayouguin13/Asog [effeminate man]
13 Bayoguin is an effeminate man, or hombre maricon, is “inclined to be a woman and to all the duties of the feminine sex.” See Juan Francisco de San Antonio, O.S.F., “The native Peoples and their customs” (Manila, 1738). [From his Cronicas]. In Emma Helen Blair and James Alexander Robertson, The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898. Vol. 40 - 1690-1691 (Cleveland, Ohio: The Arthur H. Clark, Co., 1906), 345.
14 Maria Bernadette L. Abrera, “Seclusion and Veiling of Women: A Historical and Cultural Approach.” In Philippine Social Science Review (Quezon City:UPD-CSSP, January-December 2008-2009) http://journals.upd.edu.ph/index.php/pssr/article/viewFile/1274/1630. (accessed 7 September 2014).
Women in the periphery: Sandil
Binukot14

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Spanish Colonial Discourse on Sexuality
Source: Fray Sebastian de Totanes, Arte de la Lengua Tagala, y Manual Tagala, para la Administracion De los Santos Sacramentos que de Orden de Sus Superiores Compuso (Sampaloc: Convento de Nuestra Señora de Loreto, 1745), 143-145. https://archive.org/stream/artedelalenguata00tota#page/148/mode/2up
(accessed 7 September 2014).

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Spanish Colonial Discourse on Sexuality
• Sodomia – unnatural acts, sin against nature (cun nagpupuit, ò cun napapuit caya, ò cun nagcasala sa hayop), as sins against the sixth commandment.15
• Patriarchy and Frailocracia
• Women: despensera,16 ‘Maria Clara’ [19th c.], Women of Malolos17
• Homosexuality: colegios unisexuales18; Rizal, Teodoro Patiño, Baldomero De Leon.19
15 Gaspar de San Agustin, Confesionario Copioso en Lengua Española y Tagala, Para Direccion de los Confesores, y Instruccion de los Penitentes (Sampaloc: Convento de Nuestra Señora de Loreto, 1787), 148-149.
16 See Nancy Kimuell-Gabriel, Asawa at Inasawa: Kalaguyo sa Kasaysayan (mula pre-kolonyal hanggang pananakop ng mga Kastila). In Katimawaan. 4 February 2013. http://katimawaan.wordpress.com/category/uncategorized/ (accessed 7 September 2014).
17 See Nicanor G. Tiongson, The Women of Malolos (Quezon City: ADMU Press, 2004).
18 Felix Roxas narrated on El Debate regarding thesodomitic practices committed by male students in colegios unisexuales, such as Ateneo Municipal, despite the strict disciplinary measures therein. In which school, he studied concurrently with Jose Rizal. See J. Neil Garcia, “Was Rizal Gay?”. In Closet Queeries: essays (Quezon City: Anvil, 1997), 164-174.
19 Gregorio R. Caliguia III, Kasaysayan and Kabaklaan, 17-18.

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SEXUALITY IN CONTINUITY AND CHANGE American Imperialism:
Gender and Sexuality between the Two Empires
Jomar Fleras contends on his work, Reclaiming Our Historic Rights: Gays and Lesbians in the Philippines (1993), political liberality introduced by the Americans embarked the movement of sexual liberalism which, according to him, led for the search towards one’s self-identity. The American era also witnessed the proliferation of sexological discourses, especially those by the psychologists granted to study on the American universities who would later return with their “Freudian” diagnoses.20 [But Fleras was critiqued by J. Neil Garcia as less credible for producing a synthesis out of historiographic irresponsibility.21]
20 Fleras, Jomar. "Reclaiming Our Historic Rights : Gays and Lesbians in the Philippines." In We Are Everywhere: A Historical Sourcebook in Gay and Lesbian Politics, edited by Mark Blasius, & Shane Phelan, 823-832.( New York: Routledge, 1997), 828.
21 See endnote no. 9 on Chapter 5: The Nineties. In J. Neil Garcia, Philippine Gay Culture: binabae to bakla, silahis to MSM, 489.

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Manila Carnival Queens(1908-1939) is a 2- week fair…organized as a goodwill event to celebrate harmonious U.S.-Philippine relations and to showcase our commercial, industrial and agricultural progress. Spectacular parades, lavish shows, firework displays and the crowning of the Manila Carnival Queen highlighted the "greatest annual event in the Orient".22
SEXUALITY IN CONTINUITY AND CHANGE American Imperialism:
QUEEN MAGDALENA I.
1928 Pasay Carnival
22 Cited verbatim from the description on the blogsite by Alex R. Castro, Manila Carnivals, 1908-39: A Pictorial History of the “Greatest Annual Event in the Orient”. http://manilacarnivals.blogspot.com/ (accessed 7 September 2014).

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Gregorio R. Caliguia III - MA in Philippine Studies* (Society and Culture) Japanese Occupation: Comfort women23 (and comfort gays24)
23 See Maria Rosa Henson, Comfort Woman: A Filipina’s Story of Prostitution and Slavery under the Japanese Military (U.S.A.: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 1999).
24 See “Markova: Wartime Comfort Gay in the Philippines.” Interview with Walter Dempster, Jr. by Ronald D. Klein. In Intersections: Gender, History and Culture in the Asian Context (Issue 13, August 2006); See also the film “Markova: Comfort Gay” (2000) played by Rodolfo Vera Quizon (Dolphy).

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Machismo
Vivienne Velez Valledor-Lukey (2012), in the review of related literature of her dissertation on Filipino gender traits, encapsulates machismo as “characterized by privilege and virility” by “overcoming obstacles, losing one’s virginity, and having a ‘healthy’ libido.” This further extends to the Filipino men’s regard to themselfves as “strong, proud, brave, courageous, daring, attractedto women, rational, and capable of fulfilling responsibilities.”
See Pagkababae at Pagkalalake (Femininity andMasculinity): Developing a Filipino Gender TraitInventory and predicting self- esteem and sexism. PhD. Dissertation.Sycarus University, 2012, 15.
Contemporary Sex/Gender System

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Feminine mystique, Feminist movement/s, & Women in Philippine Media
Lilia Quindoza Santiago, Ang Pinagmulan ng Kaisipang Feminista sa Pilipinas. In Review of Women’s Studies. Vol. 6., No. 1 (Quezon City: UCWS, 1996); and, Ma. Luisa Camagay, Working Women of Manila in the 19th century (Quezon City: UCWS and UP Press, 1995).

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 Binabae, Bakla, Bayot, Bantut, Homosexual, Gay, Beki, and beyond27
 Lakin-on, Tomboy, T-bird, Tibo, Butch, Lesbian28
 Bisexuality vs. Silahis vs. MSM29
 Transgendered identities
 Gay and Lesbian Pride March (1994) to LGBT Pride Parade (since 2000s)
On the Peripheries
 HIV/AIDS30
 Prostitution and Sexual Crimes
Health and Crime Issues
27 Martin Manalansan, Global Divas: the Filipino gay men in the diaspora, (Quezon City: ADMU Press, 2006); J. Neil Garcia, Philippine Gay Culture (2008); Margarita Go- Singco Holmes, A Different Love(1994).
28 Sharon Anne Briones Pangilinan, “Ang Pagdaloy sa Kasaysayan at Kasaysayan ng Pagdaloy ng Panitikang Lesbiana ng Pilipinas.” In Likhaan: The Journal of Contemporary Philippine Literature. Vol. 3 (2009). journals.upd.edu.ph/index.php/lik/article/.../1789 (accessed 7 September 2014).
29 See J. Neil Garcia’s Philippine Gay Culture (2008), and Margarita Go-Singco Holmes, A Different Love: Being Gay in the Philippines. (Manila: Anvil Publications, 1994).
30 “AIDS Datahub: Philippine country Review 2008.” In Philippine National AIDS Council. 2008. http://www.pnac.org.ph/uploads/documents/publications/Philippines%20Country%20Review%202008%20-%20AIDS%20Data%20Hub.pdf (accessed 8 September 2014).

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Gregorio R. Caliguia III - MA in Philippine Studies* (Society and Culture) Intersectionality of Class, Ethnicity, and Gender
Gender-conscious perspective
Methodologies: feminism & deconstructionism, queer theory, Babaylan Feminism31
CONCLUSION
31 See Fe B. Mangahas at Jenny R. Llaguno. Centennial Crossings Readings on Babaylan Feminism in the Philippines.(Quezon City: C&E Publishing, Inc., 2006).

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Dr. Nancy Kimuell-Gabriel (2011), feminist-historian, asserts that gender historians in this matter ought to be well-prompted by the guidelines in conducting their interview with their historical subjects:
1. Napakahalaga ang tiwala at pakikipagkapwa
2. Kailangan ng pagkapa, pagmamasid, pakikiramdam, pagkuha ng loob, pagbubukas ng loob at pakikipagpalagayang-loob
3. Kailangang marunong sa wika/Pilipino/Tagalog at pagkakaroon ng kababayan/ kadua
4. May ugaling magparinig at mangantiyaw; magbigay-konswelo at pasalubong
5. May pakain, palamig, pabaon, pahatid ang mga Maykaya
6. Kulturang amuyong, usisero at kuyog ng mga maralita
7. Maselang paksa ang seks at kasarian
8. Sa peministang pananaliksik, mahalaga ang pagbabahagi din ng mananaliksik sa kanyang sariling danas, hindi makaisang panig ang panayam.32
32 Nancy Kimell-Gabriel, a feminist-historian, enumerated various points that should be upheld in Kasaysayang Pasalita (Oral History). See her paper, Kasaysayan at Kasarian: Bakit Mahalagang Magsalaysay ang mga Kababaihan. A paper read on the First National Conference on History and Culture. Polytechnic University of the Philippines (Thursday, 16 February 2012).See also Kimuell-Gabriel, Nancy. “Kasaysayang Pasalita: Ang Kulturang Pilipino at Karanasan ng mga Pilipinong Mananaliksik sa Larangang Pasalita .”Malay Journal. De La Salle University (April 2011): 41-60.

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