Blog Continues

Introduction

I don’t know much about the technicalities of blogging. But I can now continue my own type of blogging, after a period of interruption.

Lipat Bahay

Due to financial constraints, we found it necessary to move (lipat bahay as it is called in the Philippines). That sure disrupted things for awhile.

Pneumonia

Unknown to me too, I had pneumonia during the physical labor of the moving. So when we finally got settled, the double pneumonia hit with a double whammy and put me in bed for a week and on limited physical activity for another period of time.

The Garden

Then trying to get things straightened out was another task that had to be done. Our friend Jessie (from Dumagette and Saudi) was visiting, and he helped tremendously designing and setting up the transferred garden so tastefully.

I continued to amuse myself not so strenuously making little planters of assorted decorative plants which I have placed all around, inside and out.

Encyclopedia

Academically speaking, I have been doing some work on a new world wide LGBT encyclopedia. I have been working on the Philippine LGBT entry with some teachers from the University of the Philippines.

My 79th birthday

When it was time for my 79th birthday on November 12th, things had calmed down a bit, and Simon invited a dozen family members and personal friends for a quiet lunch in our screened-in porch and meeting room which is surrounded by trees and our garden. It turned out to be an all-afternoon time of fun and talk and laughter (with some people dropping in who got word that something was going on.) There was a cake, a small one, to add to the apritada (delicious Filipino dish of chicken and vegetables in a special tomato sauce) Simon made, the deviled eggs I made, and the goodies brought by the others. Unlike my 75th surprise birthday party which Simon pulled off, there were not 75 people who brought 75 cakes. (We are saving the big party for the 95th.)
Computer crash

In the mean time my computer has crashed, and I am using Simon’s. But all my files are, of course, on my hard disc. That means some very important files are inaccessible.

Therefore the additional items I wanted to share today are put on hold, until I can get my computer fixed I am gradually getting things in order financially. The last water bill came yesterday for the old house. It was P687, and that’s the end of that. It’s the staggering unpaid electric bill there which is still hounding me, but I hope something happens that I can get that taken care of in December.

2007 December Pride March

The Task Force Pride Network, which we have belonged to since its beginning in 1999, is holding their annual December LGBT Pride March on December 8. Details are on the TFP Task Force Price Website. Pro Gay Philippines continues to hold an annual LGBT Pride march in June, since our first one in June 1994, the first in Asia.

Gay priests

Chanel 7, as one of the two top national networks, wanted to interview me on one of their popular news programs last week. The topic was “Gay Priests.” They wanted me to appear with a local gay Roman Catholic priest. And they wanted me to put them in touch with a local gay Roman Catholic priest. Of course, there are many. But I told the producer, “You want me to break the seal of confidentiality?” They said they would call me when they found a gay priest they could interview along with me. I told them that that would not happen, that they would not find any priest willing to do that. I explained to them that being an openly gay priest is the same as resigning from the active priesthood. Such a priest would be taken out of active ministry immediately. Of course they did not call me back; they did not have the show.

Prejudice

Prejudice, indeed, is the hallmark of the church when it comes to almost anything sexual (except producing children in holy wedlock). The sexual prejudice of the church, of course applies to gay priests, but it spills over into society. That is why, for example, the Republic of the Philippines is the only nation in the world which does not have divorce. I do not promote divorce, but the facts of human life are demonstrated in that every country in the world bigger than the Island of Malta recognizes the human need for legal separation because of the reality of human nature.

Prejudice and discrimination is subtly and sometimes not so subtly found throughout society with reference to LGBT issues. Still, all too often, couples come for a Holy Union, and they insist in hushed tones that it be “discreet,” or “very private, “ or “strictly confidential.” I, of course, would always honor that. The issue is why it is necessary for them to feel that way. What prejudice are they afraid to face? What discrimination do they fear?

Persecution

People ask me if I am ever “persecuted” by the church? I tell them that stories get back to me about discriminatory remarks made by priests and even bishops. A few years ago, a page one news story in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the leading English daily, named me, that priest who solemnizes same-sex unions, in a derogatory comment from the archbishop, accusing, falsely, an active Roman Catholic priest of collaborating with me. (It turned out to be another man, a “white” Roman priest.).

LGBT Library

Back here, today, we are waiting for another shipment of LGBT books and resource materials. The balikbayan box is on the way from George and Ryan in New Jersey. Its contents will be added to the hundreds of other volumes and resource items they have sent over the last several years for the George DiCarlo-Ryan Reyes LGBT Library of the Philippines (my title, not theirs). Added to my original rather extensive collection, these box loads from George and Ryan make an impressive LGBT library.

Today that entire collection sits in a special room in boxes – from the move. But we have no resources for the challenging job of getting it out of boxes, setting up shelves, and displaying the materials so university students and LGBT people can continue to benefit from them. We are hoping that a local drive to raise funds for the library will be successful and make it possible to get the library back in “operation.” It’s not just taking them out of boxes and putting them on shelves. It’s classifying and properly shelving them, so I can’t just hire help from next door. It requires some know-how and for me to be with them (as I am the custodian of the classifying system for this specialized library). Pray that our local fund raising drive will be successful for this.

A Phenomenon

A phenomenon has hit us that has changed us (us and the Philippines) gradually over the last several years, subtly at first, but very noticeably now. Jobs and especially good-paying jobs are hard for many people to come by in this country, even educated people. (Doctors even become nurses to make more money in the United States as nurses,,,)

The phenomenon is the call center “industry.” It has boosted our economy, made well-paying jobs available to thousands of well-educated people. Teachers, even professors, leave their classrooms to get double the pay working nights taking calls from the United States (or some “developed” country). People who leave for work at 10 or 11 at night cannot attend evening meetings. People who work at night have their metabolism turned upside down, and many find, if not physical ailments, psychological impairment for their lifestyle as they had known it. Call centers have changed this nation. This has hit many of the NGO’s, non-government organizations. It has changed the membership rosters and attendance at many of the organizations in our LGBT networks. In our case we noticed that when fifty of our sixty-nine Gay Men’s Support Group (GMSG) members got jobs in call centers, our weekly attendance dropped from 20 to 10, and, when some of the leaders finally succumbed to the call to call center money, we were devastated even more. Who can blame people for wanting and getting jobs that pay better than almost all other jobs (for educated and talented people)?

Conclusion

And those are some of the things that are happening in the Republic of the Philippines (not to mention rebellions in hotels) in the 79th year of this 16 year missionary to the Philippines. A time for re-thinking, a time for redirected work and action to bring God’s people the comfort of knowing God’s unbounded, unlimited, unconditional offer of friendship.

Do you have any ideas, any advice? saintaelred@gmail.com

God is Friendship. (St. Aelred)