Kevin Lee- Week 10 Blog Post

            In Martin F. Manalansan IV’s article “In the Shadows of Stonewall: Examining Gay Transnational Politics and the Diasporic Dilemma,” he talks about the “official” Stonewall movement for gay rights that occurred in June 1994. This article talks about Filipino gay men and how they feel about their sexual identity. The Stonewall movement was a huge step for the queer community to move forward because one rarely sees movements for the queer community, which is usually looked down upon or a community that does not fit the social norm. According to the article, the Filipino queer community is one of the communities that have trouble presenting their voices. The Filipino queer community is proud of their sexual identity; however, they face many struggles that relate to this identity. The article mentions that Filipino gay men have a hard time being in public spaces because these spaces are a place of shame and not pride. However, the Stonewall movement helped move the gay/queer community forward in that they were able to stand up for themselves to fight for their rights. More movements like the Stonewall movement should be formed because the queer community is just as important of a community as the rest of the communities of the world. If we are able to bring more awareness of the queer community and its struggles, then we may be able to help decrease the amount of racial/sexual discrimination that occurs.

Question: If more movements like the Stonewall movement occur, will more opportunities for the gay/queer community appear or will it hinder the community further?

Work Cited:

McKay, Steven C. “Filipino Sea Men: Identity and Masculinity in a Global Labor Niche.”Asian Diasporas. Ed. Rachel S. Parreñas and Lok C.D. Siu. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 2007. 63-83. Print.

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