Chapter 1
The Problem
Introduction
A Closet Queen (homosexual) is a person whose gender orientation and sexual desire is on a person of his same sex. For a person who is a homosexual, to come out in the open is not easy. There were lots of cases that homosexuals were cast out from a lot of aspects both in the macro and micro level. In a heterosexual society, homosexuality is considered as taboo or a deviant.
Pettis (2004), stated that in the Philippines, there are two-terms for homosexuals. The first one is bakla/sissy, bading, binabae, bayot, bantut (in local term) that have a sexual attraction with the same male sex. The second one is lesbian/tomboy, T-bird that has a sexual attraction with the same female sex. On the other hand homosexual men are also called ‘jun-jun’, ‘maya’, ‘shukla’ or ‘amegs’ that is the focus of the study.
As cited by Tan (2001), there is a local term for coming out of homosexual men and that was ‘magladlad ng kapa’. It has a literal translation of unfurling one’s cape and was clearly coined in the context of the ‘parlorista’ or the fashion designer. They were also known in the pageant industry and some personalities in showbiz.
As observed by the researchers, the coming out of a homosexual in Bukidnon State University, Malaybalay City it was slowly changing and in fact people were more likely to hang out with them because they are the happiest person to be with. Today, it is considered as normal to see an open homosexual people since most of the people accepted them in the society. However, because of the standards of the Filipino society, people still differentiate proper from improper and abnormal behaviors. Others still discriminate them for being gay. To note, other people would label them as deviants with regards to their attitudes, beliefs and dispositions.
But society does not know the struggles of a homosexual, on how he is supposed to behave and be accepted as a normal person. Thus, the purpose of this study is to find out how homosexuals at BukSu evolved and established their own identity as homosexuals and be accepted by the mainstream society.
Framework of the Study
This study was anchored on the Labeling theory of Becker (1950) as cited by Garcia (2013).
Garcia (2013) stated that labeling theory was generally an individual’s identity within a society, focusing on the labels society has on them usually because they do not fit into the typical norm. Labeling was a process of giving an individual a title they have not chosen for themselves. This title carries with it preconceived ideas, traits and characteristics about the individual. Labeling theory could have either negative or positive consequences, but usually it was associated with negative consequences that spin around deviance. Labels can start at birth and can last for a lifetime.
In application of this theory, people are defined on how society perceives them and on how a person accepts the labels that was attached by the society to him. People label them as deviant based on the homosexuals’ attitudes, beliefs and dispositions. This remains because people differentiate the proper and improper in the society.
According to Becker (1950) as cited by Garcia (2013) that in labeling theory, there are two distinctive deviances the primary and secondary deviance. Primary deviance is when most people do something deviant but do not expose themselves; secondary deviance is when a person takes on the identity of a deviant and can be pushed into a ‘deviant career.’ Someone becomes deviant when they get labeled by the people that surround them.
Meanwhile those people who make deviant behavior can be interpreted as a ‘law offender’. This was a powerfully negative label that generally changes a person’s self-concept and social identity. Offenders may also encounter social obstacles especially in finding a person who will accept them, for who they are, specifically those homosexuals who were labeled as deviants (Becker, 1950 as cited by Garcia 2013).
According to Blumer (1930) as mentioned by Tassinari (2011) symbolic interaction theory was the conceptualization of outlooks based on attitudes and later change of attitudes. These were the two phases of symbolic interaction theory: the first was symbolic phase, a tendency that was represented by a specific direction; and the individual’s attitudes and approach towards an object that become organized on the basis of the symbolic character of the object.
This symbolic character replicated how the object has been seen and acted upon by others. The second was an affective or ‘feeling’ phase that assures the attitude in its liveliness, movement, strength and courage. Blumer as cited by Tassinari (2011) argued that this concept of ‘feeling’ was important in attitudes because it was necessary to every social attitude and that emotion and feelings were involved in how human relate to objects; and in order for sincere change in an attitude, the feelings one has towards that object must change.
As stated by the theory of Weber (1920) as cited by Crossman (2017), the symbolic interaction theory analyzed society by addressing the particular meanings that people impose on objects, events, and behaviors. Particular meanings were given primacy because it was believed that people behaved based on what they believed and not just on what was objectively true. Thus, society was thought to be socially constructed through human interpretation. People interpret one another’s behavior and it was these interpretations that form the social bond.
In application of this theory people have different attitudes and behaviors in society specifically among homosexuals. In addition, the theory foresees that there are changes among homosexuals from past to present and also the changes of perception of the society towards them. Based from this theory, people give meaning to those actions based on how an individual reacts to the current situation.
Statement of the Problem
This study explored the coming out of a closet queen in Bukidnon State University, Malaybalay City for the School Year 2017-2018.
Specifically, this study aimed to answer the following:
1. What are the struggles/experiences of homosexuals in coming out of their true selves?
2. What are the factors that influenced them on becoming a homosexual?
3. How did the community accept them as homosexual?
Significance of the Study
The results of this study is hoped to be of benefit to the following:
To the Homosexuals. The findings of this study is hoped to enlighten them and strengthen them to have courage and trust in themselves for better acceptance within themselves and in the society.
To the Heterosexuals. This study will hopefully enlighten them on the nature of a homosexual that they may consider the homosexuals with respect and as equals in the society. It will also help them to realize that they are also human beings that need acceptance and love and should therefore be treated with respect and dignity.
To the Parents of a homosexual. This study will inform the parents towards the acceptance of their children as homosexuals and be treated as normal human beings.
To the Community. This study provides information to help understand various aspects of homosexuality and would therefore make the community to be open-minded and sensitive, and hopefully change their perspective of homosexuals as deviant persons.
To the Future Researchers. This study will also serve as reference and additional information on the different perspectives and views of homosexuality.
Delimitation of the Study
This study was delimited to the coming out of a homosexual of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) students of Bukidnon State University (BukSU) Malaybalay City, School Year 2017-2018. There were 1,654 total populations of the College from the registrar’s office. The researchers used purposive sampling for choosing the participants whom the researchers already identified. There were seven closet queen interviews as selected participants from the chosen location in order to get the result of the study. The in-depth interview was utilized in this study to acquire the needed data to answer the statements of the problem. The researcher-made questionnaire was used in the study.
Definition of Terms
The following terms defined theoretically and or operationally for better understanding of the study.
Closet Queen. A homosexual who has not identified himself as being homosexual, it can be known to a homosexual who denies his homosexuality to himself and keeps it hidden from others (Plummer, 2002).
In this study, it refers to a homosexual who is in denial stage or called as secret queen.
Homosexuals. Homosexuals refer to a man or a boy who is effeminate or who has the qualities or traits of a woman or a girl. This includes also a woman or a girl who has the qualities or traits of a man or a boy (Pettis, 2004).
In this study, it refers to a ‘gay’ homosexual who are attracted to their same sex or exhibiting opposite sexual behavior among the members of the same sex or gender.
Social Acceptance. Social Acceptance refers to the individual’s feelings about performing the action and how others nearby identify the users’ actions that need to be investigated as to determine social acceptance (Montero, 2010).
In this study, it refers to the ‘gay’ homosexual that want to be accepted by others especially in the society.
Struggles. Struggles refers to complications, problems, troubles encountered by the people on their individual problems (Baah, 2009).
In this study, it refers to a ‘gay’ homosexual who are experiencing/encountering being bullied or being not accepted by the mainstream society.
Self-Acceptance. Self-Acceptance is embracing who and what you are, your strengths as well as your imperfections. It is also an invitation to stop trying to change yourself into the person that you are wished for (Herald, 2015).
In this study, it refers to a person who already knows who he is; knows his strengths and weaknesses, and knows what he wants that will allow him to be more comfortable with his place in this world.
Experience. Experience refers to the bearing or enduring of something hard, bitter disappointment that happens to someone (Letsoalo, 2016).
In this study, it refers to the ‘gay’ homosexual who experience of being not accepted as a normal person in the mainstream society.