Liberation, Freedom, Justice

In this end of year-beginning of year blog I am embarking on an ambitious task.

I want to use the revolutionary mission of Jose Rizal for the liberation of the Filipino people from Spanish and friar suffocation (murder) – as something of a model for the liberation of LGBT people of the Philippines from the suffocation of homophobic religion and society.

I am inspired by Floro C . Quibuyen. I recently had a chance to meet Dr. Quibuyen, attend his lecture on Rizal as a revolutionary, and purchase his revised scholarly study of Rizal, “A Nation Aborted.”

I apologize that I cannot do justice to this incomparable study of Rizal. I can only attest to its being a source of immense inspiration to me. This is first because the subject is very near and dear to my heart, and second because of the impeccable literary and scholarly methodology which enhances its credibility and appeal.

And so, the project I am embarking on combines my two research and literary “loves,” Rizal and LGBT liberation.

I never regretted that I joined the left-leaning and short-lived “Gay Liberation Front” in 1971. It had a revolutionary concept that I have never let go of since.

This present day project will consist of a pattern of inspirational quotations from Dr. Quibuyen’s work followed by a commentary on LGBT liberation. The “lead” quote regarding Rizal will be 100% fact. The follow up commentary will be largely wishful fiction – in some ways like unto the wishful fiction of the Noli and Fili.

The biggest wish would be to see the work have even a fraction of the influence on LGBT liberation that the Noli and Fili had on the liberation of the Filipino people.
Surely this work, like Rizal’s works, will play a role in clarifying what LGBT people need liberation “from” and perhaps will even chart a course for reaching that much-hoped-for liberation.

(Let me note that there are multiple delightful scholarly “angles” explored and commented on by Dr. Quibuyen. Regretfully in this “short” project, for the sake of focus, I will avoid discussion of “side issues” that add so much richness to Professor Quibuyen’s work.)

(Let me note also from the beginning that there is no evidence to support stating that Rizal was gay in the sense of having an amorous, loving relationship or attraction to persons of the same sex, just as there is no evidence to indicate that Jesus, who had a “beloved disciple,” was gay, or that (future) King David of Biblical fame, who had a sworn relationship with Jonathan, was enjoying a sexual relationship with the one whose love “surpassed that of women.” Those are not issues of this discussion. Rizal did indeed exhibit finer sensibilities often associated with gay men. Here, the real issue is whether gay men, lesbians and women who love women, and bisexuals, and transsexuals can learn from the revolutionary insights of Rizal and apply them for the liberation of the LGBT people from the terrors and tyranny of heterosexist and homophobic domination and persecution?)

My first Rizal inspiration selection is from page 10 of the second edition of A Nation Aborted.

“Rizal’s vision was of a nation as an ethical community…
He was convinced that the road to national liberation, freedom, and justice was not via the violent seizure of state power… but through local, grass-roots community oriented struggles in civil society…

What if [such] local efforts and projects were replicated throughout the Philippines?”

[My comment: he knew about, read about and studied the French and American revolutions, and he developed a different idea of how to go about it.]

Philippine LGBT commentary

Gay was not born yesterday. Nor was Lez. They knew about stonewall. They knew how LGBT people around the world had been marching for freedom and justice for more than 25 years.

They were Filipino(a) to the core — in mind and spirit. They idolized Jose Rizal and their consciousness was slowly awakening to the magnitude of Rizal’s contribution to the liberation of the Filipino(a) people.

Even before Starbucks they sat down over coffee. They talked about what needed to be done for LGBT people of the Philippines. They talked about Rizal’s vision for liberation, freedom, and justice. Then Gay said, “Surely, 25 years after Stonewall the time has come for a Rizal-type revolution in the Philippines for the oppressed LGBT people.”

Lez replied, “I suppose Rizal had similar ideas when he thought how long it had been since the shameful execution in 1872 of the Gomburza fathers. You know, Gay, we are both active and experienced in civil society. We have seen a lot of action, demonstrating, marching. Let’s do all that, but let’s have a long term plan.”Yes, a master plan,” added Gay.

“Hold on,” Lez cut in. “Let’s make another commitment.”

“What’s that?” Gay asked.

“I would like for us to make a commitment from the start to recognize the equality of all people.”

“Yes, yes,” said Gay, “I am all for that.”

“We can start out,” Lez explained, “by emphasizing our attitude of equality by using inclusive language, language that includes everyone, not just men or women, but both.”

“Of course,” Gay assured her, “I am for that. Give me an example.”

“I said we need a long term plan. You said we need a master plan. You see the master is the ‘boss man’ and that does not emphasize equality.”

“Ah, I see,” said Gay, as if awakening from sleep. “I need to be alert and clean up my masculine dominated language.”

“Well,” Lez said with a cheerful smile, “Let’s get back to our long term plan.”

“We can’t do it alone,” Gay said. Rizal could not do it alone. Bonifacio could not do it alone. I am sure we both know like-minded people. I have a friend named Tran, who is even school-trained with a master’s in activism, or something like that. I will invite her to meet with us.”

“I was thinking of my very wise friend, Bi,” Lez replied. He could help us develop these ideas.”

It took time. Others came forward. Gay had a friend, known as Pastor Gay who had organized a church for reform and action on the religion front. They recognized the same kind of abuse against LGBT people in today’s society that the friars had imposed on the native people of the Philippines in general.

Within a year the dyed-in-the-wool activists formed themselves into an organization to do what they do best – street action, demonstration, and attention getting.

Pastor Gay and Gay Pro, a leader in the activist group, got together and got their groups, which were the first openly out and activist groups in the country, to co-sponsor the first LGBT march and rally in the country on the 25th anniversary of Stonewall, and it turned out to be the first such march and rally in the whole of Asia.

Bi observed in the coffee shop discussions that “there was a lot of publicity in newspapers and television, and even magazines, about this first small march, but did we know how, did we have a plan for getting the most out of this publicity for the liberation of our people?”

One day at the coffee shop Lez announced, “We have gathered together women who love women, and we are already talking about what we need to do most. Some think it is ‘sisterhood.’ Others think the sisters need to help each other understand what it means to be a ‘sister.’ They are already planning to write a book about it.”

Pastor Gay said, ”That’s what we are doing. We have a church of LBGT Christians and we teach ourselves that God loves us LGBT people unconditionally, and nobody can take that away from us. We don’t just have Sunday sermons, but we have week night discussions on our right to have and claim the love our God offers us, with no strings attached.”

Then the political activists got together and started talking about what laws were needed for LGBT people.

Gay Pol came to the coffee shop and explained, “The political activists are convinced that what we need to start with is an anti-discrimination bill. Gay Abro, who also had been involved in starting an activist LGBT group on the university campus, took on the job of writing the anti-discrimination bill.”

That was exciting news for the coffee shop talk group. Soon they found out that the bill was introduced into the congress by Rep. Etta Rosales. Members of the coffee shop group testified for it in hearings in congress. It passed the House of Representatives. Sadly it died for lack of action in the Senate. (This was the fate of hundreds of other bills, so Gay Pol said, “At this time we cannot see the hand of homophobia in the lack of Senate action at this time.”)

So they talked at the coffee shop. Gay Pol announced that the political activists would hold a weeklong workshop to study the manifestations, extent, and effects of homophobia and discrimination. That project resulted in a Noli Me Tangere of “evils” that LGBT people were experiencing.

Now over the years while all this scattered action was developing, Gay, Lez, Bi, Tran , Pastor Gay, Gay Pol and friends formed a coalition composed of representatives from all the groups to keep the annual marches marching every year. In 1998 the LGBT parade even marched in front of the President of the Republic in the Centennial Citizens Freedom Parade.

As the years went by with parades every year, with many organizations doing their thing, Gay, Lez, Bi, Tran and friends were reflecting on the scattered efforts that were made at Rizal’s time. A little activity here and there, books were published, magazines were written, the Liga was started, Rizal was arrested and sent into exile, the Katipunan secretly began. But nothing was happening to bring about the dream of freedom from injustice.

In the coffee shop, by now it was Starbucks and competitors, the long term plan was slowly evolving.

They did not debate whether Rizal “recanted” or not. They focused their whole attention, energy, brain power and zeal on bringing freedom and justice to their people.

Lez said, “I am appalled by the abuses our people continue to suffer.”

“For me,” Gay said, “I am deeply saddened, driven to action, when I realize that year after year the Anti Discrimination Bill of Rep. Etta Rosales does not get passed in both houses of the Congress.”

“You know,” Bi said, “This year it was deliberately blocked by the political anti LGBT maneuvers of a certain Protestant bishop who is a member of the House. Just plain bigotry, and he got away with it because of the apathy of the others.”

Tran told them that she “would like to get married just like her sister did with a beautiful wedding, marching down the aisle in her fabulous wedding gown and veil, but we all know that fighting for same-sex marriage is not our priority in itself. Respect, equality, yes, and marriage is surely a symbol of equality.”

Then they put their heads together. Gay said, “We can look back in history and see that nothing was happening for decades as the colonial abuses continued from Gomburza to Rizal, and before and after. Rizal had a dream, a vision, an idea for a liberated nation of free people. But nothing happened.”

Lez pleaded, “Let’s don’t continue this scattered ineffective approach.”

Pastor Gay said, “Let’s look at Rizal’s vision again. He wanted the Philippine nation to be an ethical society. What in the world is an ethical society?”

"But what did Rizal mean,” Lez asked, “by local grass-roots community oriented struggles in civil society?”

“Then the question is,” Bi asked, ”What are the local projects that can be replicated throughout the Philippines so that our people can be set free and enjoy justice?”

They agreed the time for just talk talk was over. The time was long past for a long term plan, inspired by Rizal, that could be followed to bring about freedom and justice for the LGBT people of the Philippines.

To be continued.

Merry Christmas -- all year round

Merry Christmas -- all year round

That's my Christmas message this year.

It's a message originally designed for "lovers."

But I am sure we can find many applications.

My Christmas message this year, for my first octogenarian Christmas, can be a wonderful experience for you in many situations in your life.

When people come to us for a Holy Union, we discuss with them at some length a concept of "love" which I call, "Love's Bottom Line."

I started this practice only about 3 and half years ago, and I wish I had started 30 years ago.

NOW I am getting emails from around the world, "Since our wedding in your chapel 2 years ago, we have been living happily together in London -- so grateful that you taught us Love's Bottom Line. It has made our life together very happy." Maybe you can discover the secret of :"Merry Christmas -- all year round."

Love's Bottom Line

"God is love, and wherever love, God is; those who live in love live in God, and God lives in them." I John

"The greatest love one can have is to lay down one's life for one's friend."

ByFr. Richard R. Mickley, O.S.Ae., Ph.D.

In a retreat I facilitated for 36 college students they were assigned in small groups to define "love." That triggered a lot of discussion, but hours later (well after midnight) there was a near unanimous agreement that -- it is not possible to have a definition of love which does not include the idea of "giving."

For a moment we got scriptural and reminded ourselves that God, who is Love, "so loved the people of the world that God gave Jesus…" We decided that it is pretty hard to "show" love without "giving."

When people come to us for a Holy Union to unite themselves in a loving and holy union, it's usually quite obvious that they "love" each other and are in "in love."

But we go on to explore what is the "bottom line" that makes their wedding, their union, their life together, their love make sense.

Everyone who is honest and realistic admits that they have arguments and disagreements, and sometimes some admit they have rather nasty brawls. What's at the root of these unpleasant glitches in their "love affair"? They usually agree that it's because one of them insists on "doing it my way," or saying, "I'm right and you are wrong," or saying, "I don't care what you say, I want this." Often the root of the problem is the desire, the drive, to win, to come out on top.

Now, when that happens, it leads to a deadlock, an unhappy hour or two hours, or an unhappy relationship, depending on how long the stubbornness, the obstinacy, continues.

Remember we are talking about love, about a so-called loving relationship. You can have disagreements at work, but the dynamics are quite different. You can want your own way in the work-place, but there the solution will be probably be solved on the basis of "authority" or the "good" of the work."

In a loving couple, in our day and age, we usually don't have a "boss" of the relation ship. It is now more common to think and act in an "equal relationship." (By the way, if you choose to have one person as the "boss" of the relationship, you should have some well-understood guidelines on how and when the "authority" operates.)

In a loving equal relationship you can learn to interact by following accepted methods of negotiation and compromise. Of course that takes not only some know-how, but also some practice. For most people, these skills don't come automatically, probably because of lack of good role models in our families and in society around us. I have a chapter on this in my book, Sharing and Growing, which is a full length how-to-do-it manual for building a stronger and more harmonious relationship.

Having said that, let's go back to the "bottom line." In short, the bottom line is what you have when all is said and done. In business the bottom line is what you still have left (hopefully) after the expenses are subtracted from the income.

In a relationship, the bottom line is the one thing that is the most important, most sensible reason for being together. (Or, the only sensible thing that is left after all the crazy stuff is ruled out.)

In business, people work together as partners to make money. Why do two people come together in love as a couple? We are not talking about teaming up to make money. Is it to have their own way? Is it to win arguments? Is it to fight, argue, disagree (or even agree) all the time?
Why are two people together as a couple? Is the argument you have today, or winning it, going to be important a year from now? A month from now? Will you even remember what it was about a week from now? Will it even matter tomorrow? On the other hand does it matter that both of you will have been unhappy because of it all this time?

Well, then, is the purpose of the relationship to win every argument, to be grouchy, cranky, unpleasant, downright sad because you don't get your way?

What is the one thing that makes sense? What is the one thing that makes it sane and good and pleasant for two people to be together? To call themselves a couple? If you have the answer to that for you and your partner, you will know the bottom line. Let me just note, that some of the elements could differ from couple to couple in how they go about it. (The same thing will not work for everybody. Some people seem to be born to argue, and really can't be happy unless they are arguing. And that could work for them – if both partners have this insatiable urge to be happy by arguing. There are some people who say, "Wouldn't life be boring if you never have an argument?")

So, the bottom line is not necessarily agreeing all the time. What is it? You can, and probably should, learn guidelines for negotiation and compromise, but what's the object of it all?

Especially, what is the whole idea, the sensible pujrpose, of getting together for a life of togetherness?

Both negotiation and compromise require some "giving" from each partner. So, what we want to stress is that nothing will work if it is not "two-sided" giving. And that holds doubly true for the "bottom line" for couples in a loving relationship. Remember, we suggested there can be no definition of love without including the concept of "giving."

Are you together to be unhappy? Are you together to make each other miserable? What is the one thing that makes sense? Yes. It is, "We are together to make one another happy." That's the bottom line. To make it practical, we can put it this way, in every situation, "

What can I do to make my partner happy?
How Can I Make My Partner Happy?

If I know my loved one is blissful when I bring a rose or a dozen roses, would I wait a year to bring a rose or roses? If I know my partner is a movie buff and really enjoys having me in the next seat at the cinema, will I always say, "No, I hate movies"?

Sometimes this is a hard thing to deal with. What if one likes dancing more than the other? "How can I make my partner happy?" Perhaps without a lot of explaining, perhaps this time I will go to the movie with my partner, and the next time I will go dancing with my partner, so we both have a chance to make the other happy. If one is a vegetarian, that does not mean the other has to make the supreme sacrifice and unhappily become a vegetarian, but it presents a challenge, "What can I do to make my partner happy?"

Smoking and drinking, spending money, and going out with friends can present similar challenges. If you know your partner is sick and hungry, will you set out food, or will you beg for company on the dance floor? What will bring happiness at that moment?

There is always a way when the bottom line is the starting point, and a bit of unsophisticated compromise is thrown in. (Like: My partner hates smoking; I will never smoke in my partner's presence. It's up to me to decide if my love requires me to give by "giving up" smoking.)

Going back to the definition of "love" -- giving -– if I want to give love to my partner, I find a way to show it by asking myself, "What can I do (give of myself) to make my partner happy?"

Perhaps becoming human with us, with all our suffering and pain and hardships, may not have been the most pleasant thing the Word of God could desire, but love was foremost in the being of Jesus, so that he gave himself to the fullness of human life, healing, going about doing good, but enduring hunger and sweat and suffering, and eventually torture and death as well, all because of love.

If we want to say with St. Paul, "I live now, not I, but Christ lives in me," Can we put easy limits on what we are willing to do to make our partner happy?

God is Love, and those who live in love, live in God, and God lives in them. Great things are about to happen when the starting point, the beginning attitude is not "How can I win?" but "How can I make my partner happy?"

Stop and think. What would be the result in your life? If each time you felt like prolonging an argument, you asked yourself, "How can I make my partner happy?" Or if each time your partner felt like intensifying a fight, suddenly there would be a reflection, "What can I do to make my partner happy?"

Note: this a question one asks oneself (internally). It is not something one throws in te face of the other.

Of course it takes two. It works best if both partners are saints. If both are not saints, wouldn't it be great if both tried to be – in this regard, at least. Unfortunately, the world has all too seldom witnessed the peace and joyful togetherness experienced by the couple who elevate their love to this level.

Even if the world has not seen it, you will enjoy the most wonderful, most happy, most fulfilling relationship ever possible in the history of the world if you mutually base you attitude and love on Love's Bottom Line: "How can I make my partner happy?"

St, Francis of Assisi gives us some hints on how to do this in his beautiful prayer for peace:

Lord,Make me an instrument of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury – pardon;
Where there is doubt – faith;
Where there is darkness – light;
Where there is sadness – joy.

O Divine master,Grant
that I may not so much seek;
To be consoled – as to console;
To be understood – as to understand;
To be loved – as to love.For…
It is in giving – that we receive;
In pardoning – that we are pardoned; and,
It is in dying – that we are born to eternal life.

[In summary:It is in giving -- that we love;
It is in loving -– that we find happiness.]

(This summary added to St. Francis' prayer.)

Fr. Richard R. Mickley, O.S.Ae., Ph.D.
The Order of St. Aelred (O.S.Ae.)
St. Aelred Friendship Society (SAeF)
E-mail: saintaelred@gmail.com
Website: http://www.geocities.com/staelredmonasterymanila

HIV

Today is World AIDS Day, and I think it is timely to remind our Friends of some alarming facts about what is happening in our country. Men who have sex with men are now the leading “cases” HIV in this country.

When I came to this country 17 years ago, I was surprised that MSM sex was not the leading cause of HIV spreading in this country. I came from Los Angeles where 50 of my friends died of AIDS because they did not know what was causing AIDS (and most of them were infected even before scientists knew there was a virus and virus transmission involved).

Now we all know where HIV comes from, not from sex, but from unprotected sex.

I give only the first few scary paragraphs here. Read the whole article on Inquirer.net (Just click on the link that follows.)

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20081201-175389/Govt-warns-vs-HIV-danger-in-MSM-sector


SPECIAL REPORT: Gov’t warns vs HIV danger in MSM sector
By Diana G. Mendoza
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:31:00 12/01/2008

MANILA, Philippines — Amid the celebration of World AIDS Day on Monday, the health department is grappling with the problem of declaring an epidemic of HIV infection among a sector it calls MSM, or men having sex with men.

Increasingly, recent victims are students and young professionals.

The huge problem is that it could not declare this epidemic in the same way it does an outbreak of dengue fever because of the “gay” stigma implicit in it.

Dr. Eric Tayag, head of the health department’s National Epidemiology Center, sounded the alarm in October during the Philippine National AIDS Convention, a biannual event of the NGO AIDS Society of the Philippines.

Citing the health department’s HIV/AIDS Registry, a collection of reports from hospitals, clinics and treatment centers of laboratory-confirmed HIV tests, Tayag noted sudden, steep increases in HIV infection among MSM in the last three years.

The registry recorded 210 new infections among MSM in 2005, 309 in 2006 and 342 in 2007.

This year, from January to September alone, there were already 395 cases, up 96 percent since 2005.Tayag said there was nothing like this in the 21 years since the government kept an official record of HIV infections starting in 1984 when the first AIDS case was reported in the Philippines.

Because the cases were tremendously in excess of what was usually expected, Tayag concluded that there was “an ongoing HIV and AIDS epidemic among the MSM.”

“Several factors may be responsible but we believe MSM has become the new sexual norm (in HIV transmission),” he said.

Independent behavioral studies, he said, have shown widespread unsafe sex in this group, such as the nonuse of condoms during anal sex.