GE ELECTIVE 3: PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE

Module 6

Learning Outcomes

1. To deduce, explain the theories and agencies of socialization and personality

development.
2. Relate, explain and understand the determinants and causes of collective
behavior.

Gender Culture and Deviance

 Gender and Development

 LGBTQ+ culture in the Philippines
 HIV/AIDS, Drug addiction)
 Types of Deviance
 Theories of Deviance

GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT

What is Gender and Development?
Philippine Commission on Women defined Gender and Development as the
development perspective and process that is participatory and empowering,
equitable, sustainable, free from violence, respectful of human rights, supportive of
self-determination and actualization of human potentials.
How Gender and Development started?
Gender and Development was developed in the 1980’s as an alternative to the
Women in Development (WID) approach.
Unlike WID, the GAD approach is not concerned specifically with women, but
with the way in which a society assigns roles, responsibilities, and expectations to
both men and women.
GAD applies gender analysis to uncover the ways in which men and women
work together, presenting results in neutral terms of economics and competence.
GAD focus primarily on two major frameworks, Gender Roles and Social
Relations Analysis. Gender role focus on social construction of identities within the
household, it also reveals the expectations from ‘maleness and femaleness’ in their
relative access to resources. Social relations analysis exposes the social dimensions
of hierarchical power relations imbedded in social institutions; also it’s determining
influence on ‘the relative position of men and women in society. In an attempt to
create gender equality, (denoting women having same opportunities as men,
including ability to participate in the public sphere) GAD policies aim to redefine
traditional gender role expectations.
 MODULE 6: GENDER CULTURE AND DEVIANCE

Gender and Development in Philippines

Philippine Plan for Gender and Development, 1995-2025, is a National Plan that
addresses, provides and pursues full equality and development for men and women.
Approved and adopted by former President Fidel V. Ramos as Executive No. 273,
on September 8, 1995, it is the successor of the Philippine Development Plan for
Women, 1989-1992 adopted by Executive No. 348 of February 17, 1989.
Three years after, DENR Administrative Order No. 98 – 15 dated May 27, 1998
came up as the Revised Guidelines on the Implementation of Gender and
Development (GAD) Activities in the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR) in order to strengthen the DENR GAD Focal Point System and
accomplishing the GAD vision “Partnership of Empowered Men and Women for
Sustainable Development”.
Republic Act No. 9710, otherwise known as the Magna Carta of Women was
approved on August 14, 2009 which mandates non-discriminatory and pro-gender
equality and equity measures to enable women’s participation in the formulation,
implementation and evaluation of policies and plan for national, regional and local
development.
A Memorandum Circular No. 2011 – 01 dated October 21, 2011 was released
addressing to all Government Departments including their attached agencies,
offices, bureaus, State Universalities and Colleges (SUCs), Government-Owned and
Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) and all other government instrumentalities as their
guidelines and procedures for the establishment, strengthening and
institutionalization of the GAD Focal Point System (GFPS).
Society before the Gender and Development…
Gender stereotypes are generalizations about the roles of each gender. Gender
roles are generally neither positive nor negative; they are simply inaccurate
generalizations of the male and female attributes. Since each person has individual
desires, thoughts, and feelings, regardless of their gender, these stereotypes are
incredibly simplistic and do not at all describe the attributes of every person of each
gender.
Here are some examples to simplify on how society works before Gender and
Development was formed:

GE ELECTIVE 3: PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE Page 2

 MODULE 6: GENDER CULTURE AND DEVIANCE

The Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) formerly Parks and Wildlife

Bureau (PAWB), being a staff bureau which is mandated to establish and manage
Protected Areas, conserve wildlife, and promote and institutionalize Ecotourism. As
well as to manage Coastal Biodiversity and Wetlands Ecosystems, conserve caves
and cave resources, to have information and education on Biodiversity and Nature
Conservation, manage Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife and the Hinulugang Taktak
National Park and to negotiate biodiversity-related Multilareal Environmental
Agreements and Monitoring National Implementation. The BMB is continuing its
efforts in reconstituting and strengthening its Gender and Development Focal Point
System (GFPS). This will form part to pursue equality of women and men and their
right to enjoy equal benefits from its programs and policies.
Through the continuous assistance, support and partnership of BMB to the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources National GAD Secretariat
(DENR-NGFPS) and the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), all programs
and projects of BMB-GADFPS for the past years were successfully undertaken.
Added by the fact that the operation of BMB-GADFPS was strengthen and fully
operationalized by virtue of PAWB Special Order No. 2009-26 dated February 05,
2009 which is the Reconstitution of the PAWB Gender and Development Committee
which is later ameliorated to PAWB Special Order No. 2011-29. Through this
issuance the BMB is true to its mandate of providing natural resiliency and sustained
benefits for all and to conserve and sustainably manage the country's biodiversity.
The Biodiversity Management Bureau is continuously empowering its efforts
to make its governance gender responsive through promoting gender responsive
management and transformative leadership as well as conduction of various gender-
related programs, activities and trainings.

LGBT CULTURE IN THE PHILIPPINES

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people in the
Philippines have a distinctive culture in society and also have limited legal rights.
Gays and lesbians are more so tolerated than accepted in Filipino society. Despite
recent events that have promoted the rights, general acceptance, and empowerment
of the Filipino LGBT community, discrimination remains. Homosexuals in the
Philippines are known as "bakla", though there exist other terms to describe them.
Similarly, Filipino lesbians are generally known as Alfa, or more commonly known as
Lesbian.
According to the 2002 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Survey, 11 percent
of sexually active Filipinos between the ages of 15 and 24 have had sex with
someone of the same sex. According to Filipino poet and critic Lilia Quindoza
Santiago, Filipino culture may have a more flexible concept of gender; kasarian
(Tagalog for "gender") is defined in less binary terms than the English word; kasarian
means "kind, species, or genus".
History
Gender crossing practices go back to the history of pre-colonial communities
in the Philippines. The babaylans are typically female spiritual leaders, priests or

GE ELECTIVE 3: PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE Page 3

 MODULE 6: GENDER CULTURE AND DEVIANCE

shamans, in native communities, whose position can also be taken by males who
crossed genders, and were called asog, among many names. Effeminate people,
together with the weak, were handled gently during raids. According to J. Neil C.
Garcia, the feminized men were similar to women in almost all aspects, except for
childbearing.
Movements to promote the acceptance of the gays in Philippine society
include, but are not limited to the establishment of the Home of the Golden Gays by
Justo Justo, the 1980 Women's Movement which focused on the lesbian struggle of
Filipinas, the formation of The Lesbian Collective which was the first formal lesbian
organization in the country, the organization of the first LGBT Pride March in Asia
and the Pacific on 26 June 1994 by Pro-Gay Philippines and Metropolitan
Community Church Manila. The 1994 Pride March was organized in connection to
the 25th commemoration of Stonewall Uprising in New York in 1969. Notable
organizers were Murphy Red and Rev. Fr. Richard Mickley, then an MCC clergy and
now retired. There are however, other individuals and groups who believes that the
first pride march in the Philippines was in 1996. Beyond this, there have been
numerous efforts to spread awareness of the LGBT. The community has become
generally accepted in society, and has continued to initiate efforts that move for the
greater acceptance, protection, and empowerment of its members.
Representation in indigenous mythologies
Prior to colonization, the Philippines was a polytheistic nation with several
tribes worshipping different deities. Those mythologies included transgender gods
like Lakapati (or Ikapati), the goddess of fertility and good harvest, who was
described as an androgynous, intersex, or transgender goddess. Lakapati is a
hermaphrodite and a major fertility deity in the Tagalog mythology. Her prowess on
fertility covers not only human and divine fertility, but also the fertility of all other
things such as wildlife, crops, trees, and plants. She is also the goddess of cultivated
land. A prayer dedicated to Lakapati was recited by children when sowing seeds:
"Lakapati, pakanin mo yaring alipin mo; huwag mong gutumin (Lakapati, feed this thy
slave; let him not hunger)".
According to the scholar and linguist Jean-Paul Potet (2017), there is silence
regarding the gender of Bathala in the early Spanish accounts of the Tagalog
religion. The term may have been used as an epicene one by the Tagalog people
but the use of the Sanskrit-derived masculine term also suggests that the deity's
gender might be male. In a similar vein, the Tagalog word hari (meaning "sovereign)
is also mentioned as an epicene or genderless term by Potet, since the term is not
exclusive to male-gendered sovereigns, but also to those who are of the female
gender.
In Suludnon mythology, there are accounts of female binukots (well-kept
maidens) who had powers to transition into male warriors. The most famous of which
are Nagmalitong Yawa and Matan-ayon. In one epic, after Buyong Humadapnon
was captured by the magical binukot Sinangkating Bulawan, the also powerful
female binukot, Nagmalitong Yawa, cast her magic and transitioned into a male
warrior named Buyong Sumasakay. He afterwards successfully rescued the warrior
Buyong Humadapnon. In a similar epic, the female binukot Matan-ayon, in search of
her husband Labaw Donggon, sailed the stormy seas using the golden ship Hulinday

GE ELECTIVE 3: PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE Page 4

 MODULE 6: GENDER CULTURE AND DEVIANCE

together with her less powerful brother-in-law Paubari. Once when she was bathing
after sailing far, Buyong Pahagunong spotted her and tried to make her his bride.
The event was followed by a series of combat, where in one instance, Matan-ayon
transitioned into the male warrior Buyong Makalimpong. After a series of battles,
Labaw Donggon arrives and attacks Buyong Pahagunong, while Buyong
Makalimpong once again transitioned into Matan-ayon. Matan-ayon then has a
conversation with the supreme goddess Laonsina about why the men are fighting
and agree to sit back and watch them if they truly are seeking death.
Nomenclature
Bakla and bading are Tagalog words for a man who has feminine
mannerisms, or dresses or identifies as a woman. Although the terms are not the
equivalent of the English "gay", the bakla are the most culturally visible subset of gay
men in the Philippines. They are often considered a third gender, embodying
femininity (pagkababae) in a male body. Although bakla is sometimes used in a
derogatory sense, bakla people have largely embraced it. In addition to this, lesbians
in the Filipino community are called tibo or tibs, which are likewise often used as
derogatory terms. However, lesbians too have recently embraced this term, and
have used these terms jokingly to refer to each other. But despite being used to refer
to lesbians, the word tibo or tibs often refer to the more masculine lesbian, otherwise
known as the 'Butch'.
In the Philippines, the word "gay" is used to refer to any LGBT person. For
Filipino gays the Tagalog phrase paglaladlad ng kapa ("unfurling the cape") or, more
commonly, paglaladlad ("unfurling" or "unveiling") refers to the coming-out process.
Some lesbians (butch and femme) use the words magic or shunggril to refer to
themselves; paminta describes masculine gay men. Neutral slang terms for gay men
include "billy boy", badette , "badaf" and bading. Although many of these terms are
considered derogatory, they are sometimes used casually or jokingly by the Filipino
gay and lesbian community.
Rights
Although legislation supporting same-sex marriage in the Philippines has
been proposed several times in the Philippine legislature, none has been passed.
The Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC) disqualified the Filipino LGBT
political party Ladlad from fronting a candidate in the 2007 general election,
concluding that the party did not have a nationwide membership. COMELEC again
refused Ladlad's petition to contest the 2010 elections on the grounds of
"immorality". However, on 8 April 2010, the Supreme Court of the Philippines
overturned COMELEC's decision and allowed Ladlad to participate in the May 2010
elections.
The Philippines has been ranked one of the most gay-friendly nations in the
world and is the most gay-friendly in Asia. In a survey of 39 countries (only 17 of
which had a majority accepting homosexuality), the Philippines were the 10th most
gay-friendly. The survey, "The Global Divide on Homosexuality" conducted by the
US-based Pew Research Center, showed that 73 percent of adult Filipinos agreed
that "homosexuality should be accepted by society" (up from 64 percent in 2002).
LGBT Rights

GE ELECTIVE 3: PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE Page 5

 MODULE 6: GENDER CULTURE AND DEVIANCE

People around the world face violence and inequality—and sometimes

torture, even execution—because of who they love, how they look, or who they are.
Sexual orientation and gender identity are integral aspects of our selves and should
never lead to discrimination or abuse. Human Rights Watch works for lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender peoples' rights, and with activists representing a
multiplicity of identities and issues. We document and expose abuses based on
sexual orientation and gender identity worldwide, including torture, killing and
executions, arrests under unjust laws, unequal treatment, censorship, medical
abuses, discrimination in health and jobs and housing, domestic violence, abuses
against children, and denial of family rights and recognition. We advocate for laws
and policies that will protect everyone’s dignity. We work for a world where all people
can enjoy their rights fully.
LGBT Rights Bill (SOGIE Bill)
The House of Representatives approved LGBT Rights on 20 September
2017. The lawmakers had voted 198-0 in the approval of House Bill 4982, otherwise
known as the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression Equality
(SOGIE) Bill. Those who violate this bill are required to pay a penalty of ₱100,000 to
₱500,000 and imprisonment for one to six years. This bill prohibits and penalizes any
discriminatory acts against Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgender people.
The SOGIE Bill penalizes the following acts:

 Gender Profiling
 Denying or revoking a professional or other similar kinds of license, clearance,
except marriage license, issued by the government
 Denying access to public service, including military service including SOGIE
as criteria for human resource action
 Refusing admission or expelling a person from any educational or training
institution
 Denying a person access to public or private medical and other health
services open to the general public
Language
Swardspeak, or "gay lingo", is cant or argot derived from Taglish (Tagalog-
English pidgin) and is used by the Filipino LGBT community. It uses elements of
Tagalog, English, Spanish and Japanese, celebrities' names and trademarked
brands, giving them new meanings in different contexts. Words derived from
indigenous languages, including Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Waray, Bicolano and others,
are also used by LGBT communities.
A Swardspeak speaker could be identified as homosexual, making it easier
for people in the LGBT community to recognize each other. This created a group of
speakers, helping the community resist cultural assimilation and marginalization.
Straight people have begun to use Swardspeak, however, particularly in gay-
dominated industries such as fashion and film.
Politics

GE ELECTIVE 3: PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE Page 6

 MODULE 6: GENDER CULTURE AND DEVIANCE

While there are no laws pertaining to same-sex marriage or unions, Open

Table MCC Church, a local church (Mandaluyong, Philippines) of the Universal
Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC), cites freedom of religion
in sanctioning what it calls holy unions. These ceremonies are conducted solely for
the purpose of celebrating love and are not legally recognized. When participating in
the political dialogue, political representation is important. Because of this, the
existence of LGBT political party Ang Ladlad and their representation of the LGBT
community in politics is important. The Filipino Ang Ladlad party, whose founders,
leaders, and core constituency belong to the LGBT community, was recognized by
the government and participated in party elections in 2013.
Transnational networks such as LGBT non-government organizations allow
connected brokers in the Philippines to widely adopt goals and strategies that are
cross-culturally recognizable. Efforts to pass an anti-discrimination bill that prohibits
using sexual orientation and gender identity as a basis for discrimination is an
example. Goals and tactics used in the Philippines such as emphasis on "sexual
orientation" and "gender identity" as a distinct part of the self, the idea of being "out",
and pursuit of rights-based remedies are hallmarks of transnational LGBT politics.
The diffusion of LGBT subjectivities affected by the shifts in the global system
allows studies exploring links between LGBT advocacy and hegemonic geopolitics to
increase. An example is through the non-relational diffusion though media,
technology, and shifts in democracy and neoliberalism. According to Oscar Atadero,
one of the organizers of the 1994 Pride in Manila, the decline of interest in a style of
mobilization that is public and militant and the failure of mass movement in the
Philippines can be attributed to "the sudden appearance of the Internet at the same
time gays and lesbians were forming political movements".
There are, however, notable movements as well. One mobilization was
Ladlad's "immoRALLY" in front of the COMELEC office in Manila, two weeks after
the rejection of their petition for party-list accreditation in the 2010 elections. The
protest rally was held after COMELEC rejected the petition based on moral grounds,
claiming that the LGBT people are not immoral. The event brought together national
organizations such as Babaylan, Task Force Pride, and the Akbayan party-list to
protest the charge against the LGBTs.
Geraldine Roman is the first transgender person to be elected to the
Philippine congress. She has been a staunch advocate of an anti-discrimination bill.
Entertainers Aiza Seguerra and Arnell Ignacio are the first LGBT-community
members appointed as government officials; they were appointed by President
Rodrigo Duterte chair of the National Youth Commission and vice-chair of the
Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, respectively.
In December 2019, Duterte appointed trans activist Dindi Tan as director of
the Department of Agrarian Reform.
The Communist Party of the Philippines, a Maxist-Leninist-Maoist political
organization, states that it has recognized same-sex relationships within its
membership since 1998.
Media

GE ELECTIVE 3: PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE Page 7

 MODULE 6: GENDER CULTURE AND DEVIANCE

The Philippine media and show business scene—encompassing film, radio,

and television—comprises a vital part of LGBT culture in terms of representation.
Prominent celebrities including Vice Ganda and Boy Abunda are all featured in major
programs and are often tapped to endorse major products and services.
In 2004, the Republic of the Philippines Movie and Television Review and
Classification Board (MTRCB) had disseminated a memorandum calling homosexual
relationships—particularly lesbian relationships—an "abnormality of human nature",
discouraging producers from broadcast any sort of portrayals that promoted these
relationships. While there are still several LGBT personalities in show business as
well as LGBT characters in films and television programs in the Philippines, notices
such as this have limited particular LGBT portrayals in media. While there is an
acknowledgement of LGBT people, there is also a lack of understanding leading to
stereotyped portrayals dominating the media.
For the gay Filipino man, two main stereotypes have been revealed in studies
to be dominantly presented in media. There is the feminine gay who often cross-
dresses, demonstrates stereotypically feminine actions and speech and is attracted
to stereotypically masculine men. The following films have portrayals of the feminine
gay:

 Markova: Comfort Gay

 Aishite Imasu: 1941: Mahal Kita
 Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros
 Petrang Kabayo
In contrast to this is the masculine gay portrayal, where the men still appear
stereotypically masculine but are attracted to the same sex. A cited example of this
is the film In My Life.
Lesbianism in Philippine media has also been studied with two common
stereotypes emerging: the butch and the femme. The two are often seen in a butch-
femme dichotomy, where in a lesbian couple one assumes the traditional roles of the
masculine-male and the feminine-female, respectively. Femme-to-femme
relationships, when depicted, have been shown more often as abused or ridiculed
couples in a more heteronormative society. The following teleseries are recent
portrayals of femme-to-femme lesbian relationships in the Philippines:

 The Rich Man's Daughter (2015)

 Baka Bukas (2016)
Die Beautiful, a 2016 comedy-drama narrating the life (and death) of a
transgender beauty queen, was entered into the 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival
and won two awards at the Tokyo International Film Festival in 2016.
LGBT representation outside of television and films have been made through
existence of gay beauty pageants such as Miss Gay Philippines. It is in this
competition that all manner of gays, men or women, as well as transgender and
bisexuals are eligible to enter, granted that they first meet the
qualifications/requirements of the pageant. However, the organization of these
events have been met with controversy in certain cases. For example, in 2013, at the
9th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival awarding, transgender woman

GE ELECTIVE 3: PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE Page 8

 MODULE 6: GENDER CULTURE AND DEVIANCE

Mimi Juareza was still considered under the "male" category as Best Actor and
referred to with the pronoun "he".
Events
With the general tolerance of the country towards the LGBT community, its
members have organized a number of events in the past years to empower the
Filipino community in creating a safe space for the LGBT. Since the First Pride
March in 1994, the LGBT community has continued to celebrate this event on the
month of June.
The more recent Pride Marches have become more visible to the public with
its organizers' use of social media to promote the advocacy, and the event.
More Recent Metro Manila Pride Marches
2015 - Fight For Love
The 21st Metro Manila Pride March in 2015, entitled Fight For Love, was held
on 25 July. The turnout of the event was an estimated number of 2,000 participants.
2016 - Let Love In
The following Metro Manila Pride March was themed Let Love In. There was
an uncertainty whether or not the event would take place due to the Orlando
Nightclub Shooting, but the event still pushed through. The march began at Luneta
Park on 25 June 2016.
2017 - #HereTogether
Pride March in 2017 was entitled #HereTogether. On 24 June that year,
members and supporters of the LGBT Community gathered at Plaza de los Alcaldes,
Marikina to begin the 2017 Metro Manila Pride March.
2018 - #RiseUpTogether
The 2018 Metro Manila Pride March, which took place on 30 June 2018 and
began at Marikina Sports Center, was themed #RiseUpTogether. Compared to the
previous year with about 7,700 participants, this year's Pride March round up to
20,000 attendees.
2019 - #ResistTogether
Held at the Marikina Sports Complex, the 2019 Pride was themed
#ResistTogether, which fashioned the march as a celebration of the country's
diversity and a protest against homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia. The pride
also focused on the passage and support for the SOGIE Equality Bill in Congress.
Attendance in the 2019 march peaked at 70,000 people, almost thrice the number
from the 2018 march.
Advocacy

 Alpha Nu: Begun in 2014 and considered the Philippines' first openly gay
fraternity, Alpha Nu is recognized by the University of the Philippines-Diliman

GE ELECTIVE 3: PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE Page 9

 MODULE 6: GENDER CULTURE AND DEVIANCE

and advocates non-violent initiations, gender sensitivity and psychological

support. It holds annual forums on HIV awareness.
 USeP Maharlika: The first LGBT student organization at the University of
Southeastern Philippines, established in 2013
 PUP Kabaro: A gender-equality activist organization at the Polytechnic
University of the Philippines
 UP Babaylan: Established in 1992, UP Babaylan is the first LGBT student
organization in the Philippines and is the only LGBT support and advocacy
student group at the University of the Philippines Diliman in Metro Manila.
 Doll House: A community group for open-minded individuals at Ateneo de
Manila University
 ProGay Philippines (Progressive Organization of Gays in the Philippines): A
gay-rights organization in Metro Manila that led the Asia and Pacific's first
Pride March in the Philippines in 1994.
 Open Table Metropolitan Community Church: A local progressive, ecumenical
and LGBT affirming church Mandaluyong
o Open Table MCC - the Mandaluyong church of Metropolitan
Community Church
Can't Live in the Closet: Lesbian activist group in Metro Manila

 Lesbian Advocates Philippines (LeAP): Metro Manila

 Lunduyan ng Sining (Sanctuary of Art): Registered lesbian art studio,
providing a venue for lesbian art. The studio has produced a lesbian literary
and art folio, What These Hands Can Do, and holds monthly music, film or art
performances at Mag:net Katipunan in Quezon City
 IWAG: Social and support group in Davao City
 Northern Samar LGBT Community (NSLGBT): Northern Samar
 GAHUM: A gay support and advocacy group in Cebu City
 Rainbow Rights (R-Rights) Philippines (formerly the Rainbow Rights Project):
Non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental organization to create an
environment which upholds human rights and equal opportunities for all,
regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression (SOGIE).
 Society of Transsexual Women of the Philippines (STRAP): Metro Manila
 PinoyFTM: Founded in July 2011 as the first organization for transsexual and
transgender men in the Philippines. Based in Metro Manila, it has members
throughout the Philippines.
 Order of St. Aelred: Spiritual gay center in Metro Manila
 AKOD: Gay support group at the Davao Oriental State College of Science and
Technology
 Gorgeous and Young (GAY): Support group
 Philippine Financial and Inter-Industry Pride: The Philippine Financial & Inter-
Industry Pride (PFIP) is a collaborative, voluntary, and not-for-profit
community composed of dedicated representatives from LGBT+ Employee
Resource Groups (ERGs) or Human Resource / Diversity teams of the
financial services industry and associate partner organizations. The PFIP
aims to foster working environments that are safe and inclusive for the LGBT+
community.•Philippine Forum on Sports, Culture, Sexuality and Human Rights

GE ELECTIVE 3: PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE Page 10

 MODULE 6: GENDER CULTURE AND DEVIANCE

(Team Pilipinas): A forum promoting human rights, sexual and gender

diversity and equality through sports, culture and recreation
 UPLB Babaylan: LGBT organization and support group at the University of the
Philippines Los Baños; promotes gender equality among the student body
and beyond. Sponsors Pink Flicks (a film festival focusing on gender issues),
symposiums, educational discussions and gatherings with other LGBT
organizations.
 Metro Manila Pride: Umbrella organization for the annual Metro Manila Pride
events
 Quezon City Pride Council (QCPC): A pioneering initiative of the Quezon City
government and the first of its kind in the country, it is a council to enforce
LGBT rights and gender-based policies and programs. Created by Mayor
Herbert Bautista with an office order, it was launched on 25 March 2013 to
highlight the city government's support for the implementation and
enforcement of gender-based policies, programs and activities.
 Equality Philippines (EqualityPH): Non-profit organization to promote and
safeguard the rights of LGBT members and allies in the Philippines
 True Colors Coalition (TCC): Political LGBT organization to continue the
community's struggle for equality, acceptance and freedom by organizing,
educating and mobilizing the community and its allies and campaigning to end
all forms of discrimination. TCC is a member of Kilusan para sa Pambansang
Demokrasya (KILUSAN).

HIV/AIDS
Also called: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, AIDS, HIV, Human
immunodeficiency virus
What is HIV?
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It harms your immune system
by destroying a type of white blood cell that helps your body fight infection. This puts
you at risk for serious infections and certain cancers.
What is AIDS?
AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. It is the final stage of
infection with HIV. It happens when the body's immune system is badly damaged
because of the virus. Not everyone with HIV develops AIDS.
How does HIV spread?
HIV can spread in different ways:
 Through unprotected sex with a person with HIV. This is the most common
way that it spreads.
 By sharing drug needles
 Through contact with the blood of a person with HIV
 From mother to baby during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding
Who is at risk for HIV infection?

GE ELECTIVE 3: PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE Page 11

 MODULE 6: GENDER CULTURE AND DEVIANCE

Anyone can get HIV, but certain groups have a higher risk of getting it:
 People who have another sexually transmitted disease (STD). Having an STD
can increase your risk of getting or spreading HIV.
 People who inject drugs with shared needles
 Gay and bisexual men, especially those who are Black/African American or
Hispanic/Latino American
 People who engage in risky sexual behaviors, such as not using condoms
What are the symptoms of HIV/AIDS?
The first signs of HIV infection may be flu-like symptoms:
 Fever
 Chills
 Rash
 Night sweats
 Muscle aches
 Sore throat
 Fatigue
 Swollen lymph nodes
 Mouth ulcers
These symptoms may come and go within two to four weeks. This stage is
called acute HIV infection.
If the infection is not treated, it becomes chronic HIV infection. Often, there
are no symptoms during this stage. If it is not treated, eventually the virus will
weaken your body's immune system. Then the infection will progress to AIDS. This is
the late stage of HIV infection. With AIDS, your immune system is badly damaged.
You can get more and more severe infections. These are known as opportunistic
infections (OIs).
Some people may not feel sick during the earlier stages of HIV infection. So
the only way to know for sure whether you have HIV is to get tested.
How do I know if I have HIV?
A blood test can tell if you have HIV infection. Your health care provider can
do the test, or you can use a home testing kit. You can also use the CDC Testing
Locator to find free testing sites.
What are the treatments for HIV/AIDS?
There is no cure for HIV infection, but it can be treated with medicines. This is
called antiretroviral therapy (ART). ART can make HIV infection a manageable
chronic condition. It also reduces the risk of spreading the virus to others.
Most people with HIV live long and healthy lives if they get and stay on ART.
It's also important to take care of yourself. Making sure that you have the support
you need, living a healthy lifestyle, and getting regular medical care can help you
enjoy a better quality of life.
Can HIV/AIDS be prevented?

GE ELECTIVE 3: PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE Page 12

 MODULE 6: GENDER CULTURE AND DEVIANCE

You can reduce the risk of spreading HIV by:

 Getting tested for HIV
 Choosing less risky sexual behaviors. This includes limiting the number of
sexual partners you have and using latex condoms every time you have sex.
If you or your partner is allergic to latex, you can use polyurethane condoms.
 Getting tested and treated for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
 Not injecting drugs
 Talking to your health care provider about medicines to prevent HIV:
o PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is for people who don't already have
HIV but are at very high risk of getting it. PrEP is daily medicine that
can reduce this risk.
o PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) is for people who have possibly been
exposed to HIV. It is only for emergency situations. PEP must be
started within 72 hours after a possible exposure to HIV.

DEVIANT BEHAVIOR
I. NATURE AND MEANING OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR

 Deviant behavior is a form of behavior which goes beyond the expected or

approved behavior of the group. It is a behavior which maybe be tolerated,
approved or disapproved by the group.
 What is considered deviant in one society may not be considered as such in
another.
 What is deviant in a particular society at a particular place and time may not
be considered as deviant at a future time.
II. THEORIES OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR
1. SOCIAL PATHOLOGY – explains that deviant behavior is caused by actual
physical and mental illness, malfunctions or deformities.
 Solutions: Education, re-education, hospitalization, rehabilitation,
imprisonment, capital punishment.

2. BIOLOGICAL THEORY – relates that behavior is a result of genetic

aberrations.
 Cesare Lombroso – an Italian criminologist, who studied the skulls and bodies
of many prisoners, reported that there are “animalistic” physical patterns
found in criminals, savages and apes; that people with enormous jaws, high
cheekbones, and prominent superciliary arches – are born criminals.
 Charles Goring – a British physician, who found no differences between
criminals and ordinary citizens.
 Witkin (1976) – found that prisoners with an XYY chromosome pattern or with
an extra Y chromosome (a normal man has an XY chromosome pattern)
might predispose themselves to deviance.
 Danish study – the researchers speculated that men with an extra Y
chromosome are less intelligent and easier for the police to catch.
 Solutions: Education, re-education, hospitalization, rehabilitation,
imprisonment, capital punishment, and behavior modification.

GE ELECTIVE 3: PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE Page 13

 MODULE 6: GENDER CULTURE AND DEVIANCE

3. PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY – relates that behavior is brought about by

inner tensions or inability to control one’s impulses and failure to structure
one’s behavior in an ordinary way.
 Solutions: Psychiatry, psychological counseling, hospitalization, and
rehabilitation; shock therapy.

4. SOCIAL DISORGANIZATION THEORY – believes that deviant behavior as

caused by the breakdown of norms, laws, mores, and other important values
of society.
 Solutions: Modification or rehabilitation in the part of the system which suffers
from disorganization.

5. LABELING THEORY – society’s labeling on behaviors as deviant causes

deviant behavior. Behaviors are labeled or tagged as proper or improper,
moral or immoral, good or bad. Behaviors which transgress the social norms
and values are labeled or socially defined deviant; they are, in turn,
sanctioned by ostracism or punishment.
 Solutions: Relabeling and delabeling certain people as “criminals”,
“prostitutes”, “homosexuals”, “schizophrenic”, etc. once considered as
deviant.

6. ANOMIE THEORY OR STRUCTURAL STRESS THEORY – posits that

deviance exists when people are denied access to accepted means to reach
approved goals.
 Durkheim – introduced the concept of “anomie” as a condition within society in
which individuals find that the prevailing social norms are ill-defined, weak, or
conflicting. For example, many people expect to have a job, but the economy
may not provide enough jobs for everybody. Thus, a jobless job – seeker may
resort to illegitimate or illegal means to achieve his goals.
 Solutions: Giving access to approved goals; equal opportunity for all.

7. CONFLICT THEORY – states that deviant behavior is caused by an unjust

social structure where unequal distribution of wealth and power exists.
 Solutions: The moderates propose more reforms in the various social
institutions; the radicals advocate a sweeping transformation or a
revolutionary approach, an overhaul of the existing unjust social structure in
order to bring about a more or less equal distribution of wealth, power, and
prestige in the new social order.

8. CULTURAL TRANSMISSIONS OR DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION

THEORY – deviance is created through the socialization or transmission of
norms within a community or group.
 Solutions: Education, re-education, role models of successful people
hospitalization, rehabilitation, imprisonment, fines, censures, capital
punishment.
III. POSITIVE FUNCTIONS OF SOCIAL DEVIATION

GE ELECTIVE 3: PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE Page 14

 MODULE 6: GENDER CULTURE AND DEVIANCE

 A number of social deviations are the outcomes of legitimate and conventional

controls.
 Social deviance makes people aware of the possible dangers emanating from
such deviation.
 The recognition of deviance makes the group aware of the limits of tolerance
they will have for some standards or norms.
 A certain amount of deviance may ensure the safety of some persons and
minimize the strain on society.
 Deviation may serve as a warning device for some imperfections of faults in
the society which may cause discontent and unrest and lead to changes that
intensify morale and efficiency.
IV. TYPES OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR AND THE MEANS OF INDIVIDUAL
ADAPTATION
1. Innovators – are those who accept culturally approved goals but disregard
the institutional means to achieve them.
 Examples: government officials and low-wage earners who commit graft and
corruption to achieve a higher standard of living.

2. Ritualists – are those who give up cultural goals but follow the prescribed
norms.
 Examples: a religious fanatic; an employee who reports to work but does
nothing about it.

3. Retreatists – are those who abandon both the cultural goals and the
prescribed means to achieve them.
 Examples: drug addicts, hippies, alcoholics.

4. Rebels – are those reject both the societal goals and prescribed means to
achieved them but try set up new norms or goals.
 Examples: rebel soldiers; New People’s Army.
V. SPECIFIC KINDS OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR
1. Infractions of the Sex Code and Laws
a. Rape i. Homosexuality
b. Prostitution j. Transvestism
c. White slavery k. Sex transplant
d. Sexual harassment l. Pre-marital relations
e. Polygamy m. Live-in relations
f. Adultery n. Extra-marital relations
g. Concubinage o. Pornography
h. Sexual perversions such as zoophilia or beastiality, pedophilia, necrophilia,
nymphomania, sex-mania, exhibitionism, nudism, voyeurism, sadism, and
masochism.

2. Infractions of Life, Liberty, Property and against the State

a. Abortion i. Graft and corruption

GE ELECTIVE 3: PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE Page 15

 MODULE 6: GENDER CULTURE AND DEVIANCE

b. Child abuse j. Coup‘d etat

c. Wife battering k. Rebellion/mutiny
d. Violations of human rights l. Plunder/economic sabotage
e. Juvenile delinquency m. Piracy
f. Vandalism n. White-collar crime
g. Embezzlement o. Organized crime/syndicates
h. Criminality which also includes: estafa, perjury, arson, theft, robbery, smuggling,
murder, homicide, parricide; genocide, kidnapping, etc.

3. Infractions against Self (Victimless Crime)

a. Illegal gambling f. Mendicancy or beggary

b. Alcoholism g. Prostitution
c. Suicide h. Smoking
d. Drug abuse i. Mental and psychological aberrations
e. Runaways j. Curfew, loitering

VI. SANCTIONS AS MEANS OF SOCIAL CONTROL

Sanctions – refers to systems of reward and punishment in order to ensure that
norms are followed and expectations met.
Kinds:
a. Formal sanctions – are used for violations of formalized norms in organizations
or associations and carried out by people with legal and moral authority to enforce
them. Examples: penal laws, fines, death penalty.
b. Informal sanctions – are gossip, unfavorable and favorable public opinion, giving
or withdrawing of affection, love or friendship; verbal admiration or criticism,
reprimands or verbal commendations.
VII. SOCIAL CONTROL OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR IN THE PHILIPPINES
The informal sanctions include the following:
1. Pakikisama or concession
2. Gossip, ridicule, ostracism, reprimands
3. Favorable or unfavorable public opinion
4. Bestowal or denial of affection
5. Approval and praise
6. Mob violence]
7. Verbal labels or censures, such as immoral, sinful, vicious, anti-social,
unethical, brusque, grotesque, obnoxious, distasteful, preposterous,
ignoramus, barbaric, uncivilized, disgusting, brutal, unconscionable, satanic,
etc.
8. Leveling technique or sociostat. (A person who publicly takes credit for an act
or claims any kind of superiority in the group is cut down to size.)
9. Curbing of antisocial attitudes by ascribing undesirable statuses or deviance.

The formal sanctions include:

GE ELECTIVE 3: PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE Page 16

 MODULE 6: GENDER CULTURE AND DEVIANCE

1. Governmental sanctions – In the form of penal or criminal laws,

administrative codes, civil service rules and regulations, statuses, ordinances;
scrolls certificates and plaques of merits and recognition for exemplary
services.
2. Business group sanctions – In the forms of promotions, bonuses,
certificates of merits, citations of awards, suspensions and expulsions.
3. Church or religious sanctions – In the forms of promise of salvation or a
future state of euphoria, penance, withholding of religious services at death,
or excommunication.
4. Clubs and civic organizations sanctions – In the forms of awards and
citations for achievement and meritorious service, or fines, temporary
suspension of membership, or expulsion from the organization.

Learning Exercise 6.1

Answer the following questions. Write your answer in our Google classroom.

1. Is HIV and AIDS the same thing?

2. What is Gender Identity?
3. Do children raised by lesbian or gay parents have problems in personal
development in areas other than sexual identity?
4. When do you know if the person is considered as Deviant?

Online References:
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]

GE ELECTIVE 3: PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE Page 17