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.