UP Babaylan

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Harvey Milk Speech

Harvey Milk was the first openly-gay man to be elected to public office in the US in 1977. His most recognized speech, "You Cannot Live On Hope Alone," was given in 1978, shortly before he was assassinated.

"Somewhere in Des Moines or San Antonio there is a young gay person who all the sudden realizes that he or she is gay; knows that if their parents find out they will be tossed out of the house, their classmates will taunt the child, and the Anita Bryant's and John Briggs' are doing their part on TV. And that child has several options: staying in the closet, and suicide. And then one day that child might open the paper that says "Homosexual elected in San Francisco" and there are two new options: the option is to go to California, or stay in San Antonio and fight. Two days after I was elected I got a phone call and the voice was quite young. It was from Altoona, Pennsylvania. And the person said "Thanks". And you've got to elect gay people, so that thousand upon thousands like that child know that there is hope for a better world; there is hope for a better tomorrow. Without hope, not only gays, but those who are blacks, the Asians, the disabled, the seniors, the us's: without hope the us's give up. I know that you can't live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living. And you, and you, and you, and you have got to give them hope."
-Harvey Milk, 1978

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

The post otherwise known as "Is the UP College of Arts and Letters really Homophobic / Transphobic?"

Below is another documentation of a similar case of homophobia that occurred at the UP College of Arts and Letters as narrated by Libay Linsangan Cantor. Cantor is a Palanca-award winning fictionist and scriptwriter of children's TV shows. Lifted from POC. Follow Libay Linsangan Cantor at www.leaflens.blogspot.com.

Feel free to comment and share your opinions. ANONYMOUS COMMENTS WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED.

___________________________________________________

Nang mag-out si Prof. Hom O. Phobic

by Libay Linsangan Cantor.

Minsa’y nakakatuwang mag-aral nang mag-aral, lalo na’t may kakayanan kang gawin ito. Minsan, maraming humahadlang sa pag-aaral, at iba-iba ang karanasan ng bawa’t estudyante sa kani-kanilang buhay-eskuwela. Pero para sa aming mga LGBT, minsa’y may kakaiba kaming nakakasagupa, at nakakalungkot lang na ang kasagupa mo minsan ay ang propesor mismo – lalo na kung siya ay si Propesor Hom O. Phobic.

Habang isa akong guro sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas (UP), naging graduate student din ako. Isa akong creative writing

major at ang aking thesis ay koleksiyon ng maiikling kuwentong puro lesbianismo ang tema. Dahil sa iba’t iba ang larangan sa pagsusulat ng bawa’t faculty sa kolehiyo ko, kailangang magtugma ang thesis mo sa larangan ng faculty na magiging thesis adviser mo. Isa pa, dapat—kahit papaano—ay nakakaintindi o nakakaunawa ng mga isyu sa thesis mo ang kukunin mong adviser. Bilang lesbian feminist ang framework ng aking thesis, ang mga una kong nilapitan para kuning adviser ay ang mga guro-manunulat na nakita kong nakakaintindi at nakakaunawa ng ganitong mga isyu. Sa kasamaang palad, iba ang larangan nila – kung hindi tula ang sinusulat nila, sanaysay naman. O kaya’y ang iba ay wala sa bansa noon o may mabigat na trabaho. Kaya natuwa ako nang may isa akong kaibigang kapwa-manunulat na nagmungkahing kunin ang kakilala naming kuwentista rin, na pumayag nang akuin ako bilang thesis advisee. Kahit lalaki siya, sa palagay ko noo’y makakatulong siya dahil sanay na siya sa mga uri ng kuwentong sinusulat ko (puro tungkol sa LGBT community) bilang naging kaklase ko siya sa isang fiction class noong una akong nagsimulang mag-aral. Kilala naman akong openly out na lesbian sa unibersidad at dati pang nalalathala ang mga kuwento kong may mga karakter na LGBT kaya pamilyar na siya sa akin.

Nang una kong lapitan si Prof. Straight Adviser, nagpasalamat ako dahil kinuha niya ako bilang advisee. Nilinaw ko rin kung ano ang balak ko sa aking thesis, at tinanong ko kung sigurado siyang kaya niyang hawakan ito. Oo daw, walang prublema, sabi niya. Alam naman daw niya ang tungkol sa mga LGBT. Saka sa dami ng baklang manunulat sa kolehiyo namin at sa sirkulo namin—ang ilan ay kaibigan pa nga niya/namin—ay nakampante ako na kahit papaano, makakatrabaho ko siya ng maayos sa paghulma ng aking thesis.

Mali pala iyon.

Matapos ang ilang buwan, nakalap ko na ang mga kuwento ko at magpapatulong na ako sa kanya sa pagpili ng sasalain at rerebisahin pa. Maayos kong binigay ang makapal kong manuskrito at naghintay na lang ako ng abiso niya kung kailan kami muling magkikita.

Pero nang lumipas ang ilang linggo—mga apat o limang linggo mahigit na yata—ay naisip ko nang tanungin siya sa estado ng aking thesis, kung tapos na niyang basahin o anuman. Pinatawag niya ako sa opisina niya at nag-usap kami. Di ko lang alam na noong araw na iyon, si Prof. Straight Adviser ay magkakaroon ng ibang anyo sa harap ko.

“Nabasa mo na?” tanong ko.

“Yeah, I want to talk to you about it. So ‘yung gagawin mo pala ay may erotica, ano?” sabi niya. Medyo nag-iiba na ang ngiti niya pero di ko pinansin iyon.

“Oo, pero hindi lahat ng stories. ‘Yung iba lang. Iba-iba ang themes.”

“Okay. Kasi doon ako may prublema.”

Nabahala ako sa sinabi niya. Baka marami siyang ipapatanggal. “Ah, okay. Bakit?”

“I think I can’t handle this thesis anymore. Nahihirapan akong hawakan ito,” nangingimi niyang sinabi.

Ay, iba pala ang prublema niya. “Ah talaga? Bakit naman?”

Dapat pala ay kumapit ako sa silya dahil tumambling ako sa sinagot niya. “Kasi… I’m a Christian.”

Patlang.

Kakaiba. Sa tagal ko na bilang out lesbian, marami nang nag-out sa akin bilang LGBT para makakuha ng panibagong pananaw at perspektibo. Pero ito ang kauna-unahang pagkakataon na ang isang taong di ko naman inuurirat ang relihiyon (dahil hindi ko naman talaga ugaling uriratin ang relihiyon ng isang tao) ay nag-out na relihiyoso pala.

Matapos ang ilang sandali, wala, patlang pa rin. Mahirap sundan ang pag-out na ito. Ano ang sasabihin ko? Di rin niya yata alam kung ano ang susunod na sasabihin niya. Pero sumubok naman siya, kaya lang tumbling pa rin ako sa sinabi niya.

“Plus you’re also using some feminist and queer theories, right? I’m not really familiar with those theories. Maybe you need to ask someone who’s familiar with them.”

Tumbling ito talaga, dahil bilang graduate students, lahat kami ay kailangang kumuha ng literary theory course kung saan kasama na doon ang pag-aaral sa feminist at queer theories. Saan kaya niya hinuhugot ang mga sinasabi niya? O baka absent siya nang ang mga teoryang ito na ang pinag-aaralan sa klase niya.

Pero sabi nga sa infomercial – But wait, there’s more!

“So to solve the problem, I asked Miss Genre-Crossing Writer to be my co-adviser. Maybe she could handle the erotica part since she already taught erotica-writing classes before. Pumayag naman siya.”

Ganda. Ako ba, pumayag? Di ba dapat ako ang una niyang tinanong? Saka bakit ‘yun ang tinanong niya, e makata iyon at sanaysay ang sinusulat? “Um, sige… Kakausapin ko siya... Salamat…”

Natawa na lang ako nang kausapin ko na nga itong writer-prof. na ito, at laking gulat niya nang malaman ang tunay na dahilan ni Prof. Straight Adviser – ang pagiging Kristiyano nito. Ni hindi nga rin daw niya alam na Kristiyano ito. Ganda.

Buti na lang at nasa isang gradwadong komite pala si Miss Genre-Crossing Writer kaya naisalang niya ang isyung ito sa kanilang kolehiyo. Iminungkahi niyang sana’y di na maulit ang ganitong karanasan dahil malinaw na mali ito. Lahat ng pagkuwentuhan kong guro sa unibseridad ay sumasang-ayon sa pananaw na iyon – na mali ang paggamit mo ng relihiyon bilang hadlang sa pagtulong sa isang estudyante. Ang isang guro pa nga ay nagsabing walang puwang sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas ang ganitong klase ng guro, dahil di naman Katoliko ang eskuwelahan. Inaykupo, naisip ko, kung ginagawa ito ni Prof. Straight Adviser sa mga graduate students, paano pa kaya sa mga kawawang undergraduate students na kadalasa’y walang lakas ng loob na labanan ang ganitong kamalian? Tsk. Kaya mula noon, kinilala ko na siya bilang si Prof. Hom O. Phobic.

Matapos ang halos isang taon ng pagkabagabag, tinulungan na lang ako ni Miss Genre-Crossing Writer na kausapin ang isang kapwa guro na kunin ako bilang adviser. Itong gurong ito ang talagang gusto kong maging adviser noon pa man dahil isa siya sa pinakamahusay kumilatis ng maikling kuwento at sanaysay, at mahusay rin siyang sumulat, siyempre. Buti na lang at naintindihan niya ang implikasyon ng kaso ko, at kahit marami siyang trabaho, inako niya ako – at masaya namang nairaos ang thesis ko, sa isang mas mabuting porma pa nga. Blessing in disguise? Baka blessing in the skies! Hulog talaga siya ng langit sa panahong iyon.

Habang tinatapos ko ang aking thesis, di pa rin maalis sa akin ang kalungkutan ng homophobia na bumiktima sa akin. Nilapitan ko ang isang kaibigang kapwa guro din, kapwa manunulat at isa ring bakla. Humingi ako ng abiso dahil sa nahihirapan ang kalooban ko sa pangyayaring ito.

“Mamu, ang hirap. Di ba dapat labanan ko ito? Advocate tayo, e.” Oo nga naman. Para saan ba ang pag-martsa-martsa namin sa Pride March kung di namin ipaglalaban ang karapatan namin dito?

Tinaasan ako ng kilay ni Prof. Bakla. “Madz, pagka-graduate mo na lang… saka ka magreklamo. Para sure. Mahirap na. Tapusin mo muna. Alam mo na…”

Minsan pala, ang pagiging advocate ay kailangang isantabi para sa mas praktikal na paggalaw sa mundo. Kahit sa akademya. “Hm, oo nga. Sige, fine.”

Pero siyempre, mabigat pa rin ang loob ko, noon. Ngayon, okay na ako, dahil graduate na ako, sa wakas.

Pero hindi, teka. Hindi pa ako okay. At hindi yata ako magiging okay. Habang alam kong malayang nakakapagturo si Prof. Hom O. Phobic at ang mga kauri niya sa unibersidad – at sa iba pang eskuwelahan sa buong Pilipinas – ay di yata ako matatahimik. Ayokong maranasan ng ibang estudyanteng tulad ko ang naranasan kong iyon. Dahil lamang sa kakulangan ng pag-intindi ng isang Kristiyanong tao sa mga karanasan ng taong kakaiba sa kanya, magpapalaganap na siya ng mga baluktot na isipin at gagawa ng baluktot na gawain laban sa mga LGBT? Teka, di yata puwede iyon.

Natawa pa nga ako nang isumbong ko ito sa kaibigan kong nagmungkahi na kunin si Prof. Hom O. Phobic bilang adviser. Kaming tatlo ang magkakaklase noon sa fiction class na nabanggit ko, at ang kaibigan kong ito ay heterosexual din, pero iba siya. Tulad nga ng sabi sa isang Pride March placard, siya ay “Straight, but not narrow.”

“Uy Chong, ayaw na ni Prof. Straight Adviser sa thesis ko.”

“Huwat? Bakit naman?” sagot niya sa SMS text.

“Kasi daw, Christian siya. Alam mo ba ‘yun? Ako hindi, e.”

Natawa ako sa kaibigan ko nang sabihin niyang “Ha? Nasira naman ang ulo ko sa sinabi mo! E di ba ang dami ngang erotica at malalaswang kuwento sa Bibliya? Hindi ba siya nagbabasa nito?”

Marahil ang binabasa lang niya ay ang mga berso na nais niyang gustuhin. Natawa na lang ako at pinasalamatan ko ang aking kaibigan.

Kaya ngayong naibahagi ko na ang kuwentong ito, magsilbi sana itong aral sa lahat ng nagtuturo. Sana nama’y mas buksan pa natin ang ating isipan bago tayo magturo. Sana’y magturo tayo nang walang kaakibat o bahid ng diskriminasyon laban sa mga taong kakaiba sa atin. Kung sarado ang isip ninyo, paano kayo mahusay na makakapagturo?

Monday, February 21, 2011

HOMOPHOBIA and TRANSPHOBIA in UP DILIMAN

Below is a transcript of the letter submitted by Hender Gercio to the Department of European Languages, College of Arts and Letters, University of the Philippines Diliman. Hender Gercio is our former Punong-Babaylan (President).

Feel free to comment and share your opinions. ANONYMOUS COMMENTS WILL NO LONGER BE PUBLISHED (updated march 3, 2011).

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February 7, 2011

TO: Prof. Wystan de la Peña

Chairperson

Department of European Languages

College of Arts and Letters

University of the Philippines Diliman

RE: Incident Report and Request for Action

Dear Sir:

Please allow me to introduce myself through this letter. I am presently a junior undergraduate student pursing a degree in European languages (with French as specialization) in your Department. I was also part of your EL170 (Techniques of Translation) class during the summer of 2009.

I also identify as transgender, as a transsexual woman to be exact. I was assigned male at birth, but I have undergone gender transition and now live full time as female. Should you require more information to familiarize yourself with these concepts, an FAQ sheet published by the American Psychological Association about transgender individuals and gender identity is attached to this letter.

I would like to seek your assistance in addressing an issue that has come up during my classes with a member of the DEL faculty, Ms. Dominique “Nikki” Del Corro. I am currently her student in French 30-31 (Advanced Spoken French; Tuesdays to Fridays, 2:30-4:00PM) and EL 181 (Directed Language Activities: Practicum; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:30AM-1:00PM).

On January 27, 2011, after our EL 181 class, Ms. Del Corro approached me and asked when it would be convenient for me to have a talk with her. I inquired about the purpose of the meeting and she told me not to worry and that it was something related to my subjects French 30-31 and EL 181. We had the discussion on February 2, 2011 after our French 30-31 class.

Ms. Del Corro began by saying that she noticed me correcting my classmates whenever they referred to me using male pronouns (in French: il, lui) or male forms of address (in French: Monsieur). I replied that I identified and socially presented myself as female, and that addressing me as a woman was the appropriate thing to do. She then asked me about my biological sex. I told her that my legal sex (i.e. the sex/gender marker on my legal documents) was male, but I argued that this was irrelevant and ultimately misleading, because my legal sex did not accurately reflect my real-life identity, that of being a transsexual female.

Ms. Del Corro then admitted to me that she did not feel comfortable addressing me as female in class. She said “I am a Christian, and this is against my religious beliefs.” She also told me that she cannot separate being a Christian from who she was as a teacher. She then continued that she believed that homosexuality was a sin, and it was due to this reason that she cannot allow herself to accept and address me as female (I actually interrupted her to say that I was transgender, not homosexual/gay, but that did not affect her stance). Our conversation ended in a standstill, between my right to be recognized in my chosen gender in class and her right to her religious belief. We finally agreed to escalate this to you for a decision.

In the section “Academic Freedom of Faculty Members,” the UP Diliman Faculty Manual states that

2.1 Members of the teaching staff enjoy academic freedom; Provided however, That no instructor in the University shall inculcate sectarian tenets in any of the teachings, nor attempt either directly or indirectly, under the penalty of dismissal by the Board of Regents, to influence students or attendants at the University for or against any particular church or religious sect or political party.

By insisting on refusing to address me as female in class due to her religious belief, Ms. Del Corro is clearly succumbing to religious bias while inside the classroom. In addressing me as male (via the use of male pronouns, masculine forms of address, masculine adjectives, etc.) in front of the entire class, she deliberately invalidates my gender identity and implicitly propagates her religious belief that “homosexuality/transgenderism is wrong/evil/immoral/sinful and should not be accepted.” Since she is the authority figure inside the classroom, her legitimization of this practice (of refusing to recognize me as female) also indirectly influences my co-students in adopting the same homophobic/transphobic religious view.

Ms. Del Corro could also be found in violation of some of the articles of the “Code of Ethics for Faculty Members” in the UP Diliman Faculty Manual. Members of the faculty of the University of the Philippines should commit to:

III. Promote a strong sense of nationalism and enduring concern for social justice, gender equality, cultural values, community welfare, and protection of the environment;

Promoting concern for social justice necessitates an awareness of the complex issues of power, privilege and prejudice in today’s society. Instead of advocating to change structures that exclude groups and individuals (such as sexual and gender minorities), Ms. Del Corro, through her homophobic/transphobic views, participates in their further oppression. In judging my female gender identity as “invalid” just because I am transgender, she definitely does not promote gender equality (between transgender and non-transgender females) either.

Consenting to Ms. Del Corro’s actions also runs contrary to the cultural values and traditions of the Department of European Languages, of the University of the Philippines Diliman, and of the secular Philippine state.

Our Department, considered as the home of experts in European languages and cultures, should supposedly be full of people who are well-versed in European affairs, and who have been exposed to and influenced by Europe’s liberal, humanistic and progressive climate. Europe has achieved leaps and bounds when it comes to advocating for equal rights for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people. The European Court for Human Rights recognizes transsexuality as a protected characteristic under Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Last year, France has become the first nation in the world to drop transsexualism from its list of mental disorders. DEL also proudly embraces the sexual and gender diversity of its faculty and staff, as evidenced by the number of its employees who are openly gay. It strikes me as highly ironic how Ms. Del Corro, herself an alumna of two highly progressive and radical educational institutions (UP Diliman and the University of Paris-Sorbonne), could continue to hold such bigoted beliefs about LGBT people.

The founding of the University of the Philippines Babaylan, the first and biggest organization of LGBT students in the country, in 1992 and its consistent recognition by university authorities year after year, demonstrates UP Diliman’s commitment to supporting its LGBT students in their struggle for equal rights within and outside the campus. The Diliman Gender Office conducts gender sensitivity training sessions to organizations, university institutions, and interested individuals. The UP Office of Guidance and Counseling offers its services to students who are in need of support in matters of coming out, relationships and other LGBT-related issues. The RGEP class Social Science 3 (Exploring Gender & Sexuality) provides a means for all UP students to understand and appreciate the diversity of genders and sexualities that exist within nature. These are just some of the initiatives that clearly portray UP as an LGBT-friendly campus.

Philippine society, heavily influenced by the Christian doctrine that Ms. Del Corro has invoked above, has been traditionally hostile to the LGBT community. The State should clearly remain separate from the Church, however, and little by little we are seeing advances in this campaign for secularism. Early last year, the Supreme Court overturned the Commission on Elections decision disqualifying the LGBT party-list group Ang Ladlad from seeking a congressional seat on grounds of “immorality.” This recognition of LGBT people as a minority group with legitimate concerns is a big statement on the part of the Philippine government in distancing itself from religious dogma. House Bill 956, seeking to prohibit a wide-range of discriminatory policies and practices against Filipino LGBTs, is currently pending in Congress.

V. Instill in our students the passion for learning, the discipline attendant to the pursuit of excellence, intellectual honesty, and respect for the humane;

“Humane” is defined as “marked by compassion, sympathy, or consideration for humans or animals” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Choosing to continue addressing me as male in class (either because of her religious belief or because my legal sex remains to be male), regardless if I insisted that I self-identify as female, is anything but compassionate, sympathetic or considerate. Ms. Del Corro is aware of how mentally and emotionally distressing the effect of being misgendered is, especially on transgender individuals such as myself, yet she chooses to misgender me anyway while invoking her religious freedom. This is definitely not the brand of “respect for the humane” that you would like your teachers to instill in their students.

VIII. Reject activities and interests that interfere with our responsibilities as faculty members and conflict with the interests of the University;

As a language teacher, Ms. Del Corro’s primary duty is towards her students, us language learners. I cannot claim to be an expert on this area, but I am sure that the effect of the classroom environment on the language learning rate of students is huge. It is important that language learners feel relaxed, safe and welcome before any learning can take place. How can a transgender student like me feel welcome in class if my teacher refuses to recognize my gender identity, which is integral to me as a person? How can I feel relaxed when I feel mortified every time I hear male pronouns, forms of address and adjectives being used to refer to me? How can I feel safe when I know that at the back of my teacher’s mind, she thinks that I am immoral and that I am condemned to go to hell when I die?

Religious prejudice has no place within the classroom’s four walls, especially if it is a UP classroom. I am therefore demanding, in behalf of all present and future transgender students of this public and non-sectarian university, for my chosen gender identity to be affirmed and respected. I implore you to exercise your professional authority over Ms. Del Corro, and require her to treat and address me as female in class (through the use of female pronouns, feminine forms of address, feminine adjectives, etc.). I hope for a speedy resolution of this concern, and I await the opportunity to report to your office and have a dialogue with Ms. Del Corro and yourself. Thank you and more power.

Sincerely,

Hender Gercio

BA European Languages

Student Number 2xxxxxxx

Email: xxxxxx

Mobile: 0928.xxxxxxx

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UPDATE: I had the dialogue with Ms Del Corro and Mr de la Peña last February 18 (Friday) 4PM. The chairperson informed me that he cannot require Ms Del Corro to address me as female since my legal gender remains to be male (as it will forever be unfortunately, unless a Philippine gender recognition law gets passed) and that there was no university policy addressing transgender students. He also stated that Ms Del Corro did not violate any of the university rules (i.e. academic freedom, code of ethics).

I am frustrated by how easily respect, political correctness and common sense get thrown out the window in favor of a mere technicality. I am angered by the unnerving tolerance of university officials to transphobia/homophobia, allowing bigotry to fluorish under the guise of religious freedom, depriving LGBT students of their human rights in the process. I am horrified, that with the absence of regulations that ensure the safety and well-being of LGBT students in Philippine schools, that we will continue to be moving targets of bullying, harassment and violence.

As of now, I am still waiting for the signed written copy of Mr de la Peña's decision so that I can escalate the case. I hope this finally opens the door to the active lobbying for LGBT rights to be recognized in UP Diliman and other educational institutions across the country.

My pronouns are MY pronouns. I don't care who your God is, but I will not let you take my gender identity away from me.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Congratulations! HEART DIÑO #1 USC Councilor

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

UP Babaylan x International Student Festival 2011 : Oslo, Norway

Rhyan Regondola was one of the Philippine Representatives to the 2011 International Student Festival which was held in Oslo, Norway.

UP Babaylan x International Student Festival 2011 : Oslo, Norway ( Part 1 )

Rhyan Regondola was one of the Philippine Representatives to the 2011 International Student Festival which was held in Oslo, Norway.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Support the advocacy for GENDER EQUALITY!!! Vote for UP BABAYLAN's HEART DIÑO - USC Councilor!!!

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Support this year's STRONGEST and BEST candidate who will campaign for GENDER EQUALITY and advance the rights and welfare of the LGBT students of the University.

Like her FACEBOOK Fan Page of you are and advocate of Gender Equality!! (^_^)

http://www.facebook.com/usccouncilor.heart