Manalansan critiques a colonized perspective of queerness in non-Western countries, with a focus on the Philippines. I personally resonate with the representation of queerness for gay Filipino men as a cape for them to wear, not a closet for them to proclaim they step out of. I've also heard that concept called "coming home" instead of "coming out" in the queer and Asian community here. The topic of decolonizing and breaking away from the Western ideals of queerness forced on other cultures is especially relevant in a time when FilAm organizations are attempting to break away from the the gendered Spanish colonization of their name Filipino/Filipina. Now, student leaders on campus are pushing for the use of Pilipinx. The "F" of Filipino and "Ph" of the Philippines were both given by the Spanish, because there is no "F' sound in the native language of Tagalog. The 'x' represents the degendering of the language used to encompass all who identify with the Philippines, not just the men and women. Are these new conversations by transnational Filipinx Americans, both first and second generation, still connected to their roots in the homeland, or are these new directions leading the Filipinx American community away from their history and culture?
The promotional banner for the 2015 UCD Pilipinx Empowerment Retreat [Facebook]
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