CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
B. The emancipation of highly skilled Filipino gay men in Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok through a rainbow spec r m
Although the primary purpose of the participants in working in Bangkok was to find a job and gain experience, as self-identified gay men, coming to Bangkok also meant the chance for them to practice, express, and explore their identity and sexuality. For
so he could provide for the needs of his family back in the Philippines, as a gay man, coming to Bangkok was also his chance to experience the gay life in the city.
Ang ako purpose pag anhi diri dili jud laag-laag. Work jud akong gi anhi. I come here to work para maka support sad sa ako family, maka invest og house and lot, and maka drive og own car. Tapos opportunity napud to nga naay nag invite, naay nag encourage. To be honest Makoy, akong pag anhi pud diria sa Thailand kay gusto pud nako jud makita kung aha jud ko or kung unsa jud kaha ako future.
Kumbaga, hinahanap ko pa ang future ko. Bata pa baya ko. Peru serious ha, siguro usa pud sa reason is gusto jud pud nako ma try jud ang Bangkok, especially because I am gay.
(To be honest, my purpose in coming here was to find a job so I could help my family in Davao, buy a house and a lot, and own a car. I also came to work here because I want to see what my future is or what my future will be. I am not yet sure about my decisions in life. I am still young, and I believe that I would know what my future is here in Thailand. Seriously, as a gay man, I also wanted to experience what Bangkok is. When my uncle invited me, I took that opportunity).
The secondar reason of Jed s coming to Bangkok can be attributed to the fact that highly skilled Filipino gay men perceived Bangkok a city that welcomes and accommodates all people regardless of their sexuality. In fact, they held a sexual imagery of the city, where they could potentially meet new sexual partners, experience the vibrant nightlife, and explore more of their sexual fantasies. Jas mentioned:
For me lang ha, kapag sinabi kasi Bangkok, parang literal na it s a se in the cit . Ang dating sa akin, parang liberated ang daming prostitute, daming ganap parang open sila sa ganitong mga bagay like sex, orgies, mga chemsex ganun. For me, I can explore more of these things dito.
(Whe e a Ba gk k, i like e i he ci . Y ee a l f i e . F me, people are liberated and open to activities like sex, orgies, and sex and drugs. I can explore more of these here in Bangkok).
Jas perceptions of Bangkok ere confirmed b Ram hen he obser ed, hile inside the bar and in the massage parlor, how welcoming and accepting the environment is when it comes to gay men.
One time, sa bar, habang sumasayaw ako, may naghahalikan. Sa akin may
yung environment. Wala silang pakialam kasi almost everyone is doing it eh. At first na culture shock ako. Natakot ako. Na hala ano kayang mangyayari sa akin.
Na ganito pala ang kalakaran dito. When I was in a massage parlor, hindi ko alam na may extra service pala. Hindi ko nman sinabi sa masahista ko peru nilalaro na nya, eh marupok ako. Na e excite ako. Parang I am looking forward for more activities like this.
(There was one time while I was in the bar, I saw people kissing each other. Others also tried to hug me from behind, and I don t care anymore. I like this kind of environment because it is very welcoming. Everybody doesn t care because everyone is doing it. I felt shocked at first. I was scared of what might happen to me. But I also realized that this is how gay men do it here. When I was in a massage parlor, I didn't know there was an extra service. I didn't tell my masseuse to have an additional service, but he had pleasured me already. I'm sensitive, and it excites me, so I gave in. And I am looking forward to more fun and exciting activities like this).
For Garry, his orientation of the place happened when he went to Silom Road with his friends and saw a lot of sex toys and sex drugs on the sidewalk for sale. He was shocked because he had never seen those in the Philippines.
Alam mo Mako , I ll tell ou a stor ha, first Saturda ko pa lang yun dito sa Bangkok. Dumating kasi ako midnight ng Friday, Cebu Pac lang eh. Kasama ko yung ibang friends mo dati na friends ko na rin ngayon, dinala nila ako sa Silom Road. Eh syempre, kakarating ko lang galing Pinas so excited ako. Pagbaba namin ng BTS, sa Saladaeng station, jusko, shocks lola mo bes. Ang daming mga sex toys, mga sex poppers, sex drugs na binibenta jan sa sidewalk. From Soi 2, jan sa may Burger King, hanggang dun sa Soi 6 ba yun, sa may kasikorn bank, and dami diba. Tapos jan sa Soi 4, may mga bugaw pa na nag aalok ng massage at mga sex shows. Dun ko nakita na ang lala ng Bangkok. Open na open. Bet na bet ko naman, syempre.
(Y k ha , I m g i g ell a . I a m fi Sa da he e i Ba gk k beca e I arrived at midnight on Friday via Cebu Pacific. My friends, who happened to be your friends also, brought me to Silom Road. I have just arrived from the Philippines, and I was very excited to see the nightlife in Bangkok. We took the BTS sky train and got off at Saladaeng Station. When we walked down Silom Road, I was shocked. I saw a lot of sex toys, sex poppers, and sex drugs that were just openly sold in the sidewalk. From Soi 2 near the Burger King up to Soi 6 near the Kasikorn bank, that sidewalk was filled with all those things. Then, when we went to Soi 4, there were a lot of pimps offering massage and sex shows. At that moment, I realized how liberated and open Bangkok is when it comes to sex. Of course, I like to be here).
With regard to the workplace, Jas was also impressed by how much equality in the workplace is observed in Bangkok.
Impressed talaga ako about sa rights ng LGBT dito, na parang ma-i-compare ko talaga sa Pilipinas kasi makakita ako dito na parang..ahh lad bo nagtatrabaho sa 7/11 ng okay lang, walang discrimination. Not like in the Philippines kasi kapag sinabi mong ladyboy pang parlor lang at limited lang yung trabaho na pwede ibigay kasi nga may discrimination. Na parang di ka pwede pumasok sa malalaking company. Makakapasok ka pero kelangan mo pa itago yung sarili mo as a gay ka, ganun kelangan mo pa mag pretend na straight ka.
(I am really impressed by how LGBT people are treated here in Thailand compared to how they are treated in the Philippines. Here, you would see lady boys working at 7 eleven stores and they are not discriminated. Unlike in the Philippines, when you say lady boys, they are only limited to working at beauty parlors. And to me, it seems that lady boys cannot find a job in big companies.
If they could, they had to hide their identity as gay men. They have to pretend that they are straight people).
Even at his workplace, Garry opined that he was free to express himself considering that his colleagues were not homophobic. He is 33 years old, working as a receptionist in a hotel in Bangkok for five years now. He added that he was glad how accepting his workplace is as regard his identity, and that he never had to hide who he is.
Ang saya dito sa Bangkok. Welcome na welcome ka and take note hindi sila homophobic. Sa workplace, you are free to express yourself kasi hindi naman sila judgemental. Wala naman sila pakialam sayo kung ano ka. Ang importante is pumasok ka sa trabaho and you do your work. Sa work ko nga, I can be fashionable kasi wala kaming uniform and they are OK with that. Even my general manager pa nga minsan nagsasabi na oy, you look beautiful today, mga ganung praises. Pati nga siya, may mga tattoo eh. Nung ininterview nya ako dati, sabi nya sa akin na he doesn t care da if I am ga , lesbian, or transgender as long as I can do my work effectively. Ganyan ka open-minded sila dito.
(It is so much fun here in Bangkok. They welcome everyone here and they are not homophobic. In the k lace, a e f ee e e elf a d he d j dge ba ed ide i and sexuality. They don't care what you are as long as you go to work and you do your work.
Actually, in my workplace, since we d have a uniform, I can wear anything and be fashionable.
My workmates are okay with it. Sometimes, even my general manager would jokingly praise me like I look beautiful today, you know, something like that. He even has tattoos. When he interviewed me before, he said that he did not care whether I am gay, lesbian, or transgender. What is important for him is that I can do my work effectively. That is how open-minded they are here).
Fl high butterfly
Participants highlighted that since Bangkok is an open place to explore their sexuality, they could be whatever they like and do whatever they want. Unlike when they were still in the Philippines, where they could not freely express themselves, in Bangkok, they formed and validated their identity and sexuality through the experiences, influences, and support they had from the gay community in Bangkok. For Ram, he compared himself to a flower that bloomed in Bangkok since he could now express his sexuality.
I see myself as discreet, tago. I have to hide my sexuality before sa Pinas. I have to be this. I have to wear this. I have to follow my parents kasi as a gay man, I am not accepted sa Pinas. Yung masculinity appearance kelangan ma achive ko. So ang perception ko before sa sexuality is man and a woman. I do not see myself as a gay. Parang hesitant ako or afraid ako na e present yung sexuality ko. Pagdating ko dito sa Bangkok, my perception about sexuality is freedom. Freedom in a sense that yes you can do whatever you want. Freedom in a sense that you are free to express your actions, yung malalambot na actions. You are free to express your thoughts. You are free to express what you want to do. Pwede kang ma inlove sa kapwa mo lalaki. Para akong isang flower na nagbobloom dito sa Bangkok.
(I see myself as a discreet gay man when I was in the Philippines. I had to hide my sexuality because gays like me are not accepted. I had to look masculine and maintain my masculinity. My perception of sexuality is a man and a woman. I do not see myself as gay and I am hesitant to present my sexuality. But when I came to Bangkok, my perception of sexuality is freedom. This is because I am free to express myself and do whatever I want. In Bangkok, I could fall in love and build a relationship with the same sex. I m like a flower blooming in Bangkok).
Like Ram, Pen also described himself as a discreet gay man. Although his parents knew that he was gay, he still had to be discreet because he was surrounded with people who may not be comfortable with him as a gay man.
Sa Pinas, super tago kaayo ko, though kabalo ako parents about sa ako sexuality.
I am surrounded with people nga mga religious. We are church children. My parents are church people. We are born again Christian. My cousins are also working in the militar . That s h nga maka ingon jud ko nga coming to Thailand is like freedom for me. It is like I am living on my own away from the eyes of my parents and the people in my community in the Philippines. Sa Pinas limited kaayo ako movement didto, patago pajud kung muadto sa saunas, dili pajud frequent.
(Although my parents know about my identity and sexuality, I was also a discreet gay man when I was in the Philippines. I was surrounded by religious people. My parents are religious because we are born again Christian. Also, my cousins are working in the military. This is the reason why coming to Bangkok is like freedom for me. It is like I am living on my own, away from the eyes of my parents and the people in my community in the Philippines. When I was still in the Philippines, I had to discreetly go to saunas).
Pen further mentioned that coming to Bangkok changed his perspectives about his sexuality. He realized that he was wild, adventurous, and daring when it comes to sex, things that he could not do in the Philippines.
Daku kaayo ang impact sa ako sa Bangkok og sa ako mga experiences. I experience the best and the worst. Na change akong perceptions and I realize nga ana diay ko ka wild, ana diay ko ka adventurous, og ka daring. I can say nga na explore jud nako ang akong sexuality in Bangkok.
(Bangkok has impacted the way I see myself based on the experiences I have here. I realized that I am really that wild, adventurous, and daring when it comes to sex. I could say that I was able to explore more of my sexuality here in Bangkok).
He revealed that he had this funny experience with one Thai guy in the bar, where it reflected how adventurous he was.
I have a funny experience dili jud nko malimtan. I was in a bar tapos naay usa ka Thai gay man nga sige nko ka eye to eye contact. Cguro we were very drunk na. I went to the CR and he followed me. Nag ihi ihi mi kunuhay peru we were looking at each other s dick. We ended up going inside the cubicle and kissed torridly. To my surprise, naa diay iya boyfriend sad didto, kauban sila. So iya uyab gisundan si a sa cr, then I don t kno nganu ala na lock ang door, so nakita mi n a.
Gipagawas ko sa iya uyab and I don t know unsa nahitabo sa ila after. Mibalik nko sa table with my friends. Naa ra mi didto japun awkward kaau peru wala raman sad siya nag eskandalo sa bar jud. Tapad ra baya sad mi og table.
(I had a funny experience that I could not forget. One time, we were in the bar and there was this Thai gay man who always looked at me. We always had an eye-to-eye contact maybe because we were so drunk already. I went to the toilet and I did know he followed me there. While we were peeing, we looked at each he penis. We ended up going inside in one of the cubicles and kissed
idl . T m i e, hi b f ie d ba ged i a d he a ki i g. I did k ha hi boyfriend was there, following him to the toilet. I did know also that we did not lock the door. I went out from the cubicle and returned to the table, where my friends were. The situation was awkward as we were just sitting next to them. Luckily, his boyfriend did not make any commotion).
From his bar experience, Pen could not believe that he could do such a thing. It excited him because he never experienced those in the Philippines. Meanwhile, Jed also shared the same experience with Ram and Pen in that he described himself as a free bird in Bangkok. He also compared his experience, reiterating how accepted and open are the gays in Bangkok than in the Philippines. He realized that there were still a lot of things that he did not know about his sexuality that he only experienced in Bangkok.
Gay community sa Bangkok no, kay dili jud ing ani sa Pilipinas. Ako, I m not like this. So, kung baga diri jud ko nilupad. Diri jud ko ningbuka akong pakpak. Kay sa Pilipinas, very negative, tapos naga discriminate sila sa mga ing ani. Pero diri kung baga madala nimu imung pagka ikaw. Kay dili sila judgemental, dili sila naga discriminate, and this is the place nga makakita jud kug kanang mag holding hands na puro lalaki, maglamutakay ang mga puro lalaki. Kanang makita jud gani nimu with your own naked eye. Ma ka amaze lang. Unya there are places here nga naay mga outdoor na activities, mga sexcapades areas, very exciting siya. Diri sa Thailand mas gi doble naku akong exploration. Kung baga na enhance lang siya, na well developed. Bitaw kay sa Pinas student pa ko grabi ko ka explorer. Kung baga diri najud ko na enhance ug pa ayu kay tanan-tanan nalang lugar akong eexplore. Mga gay apps lang ang katapat. Mostly apps, pero kung naa ko sa actual na place kung baga pakiramdaman. Titig, pag tumitig akin ka! Kanang mag tambay-tambay lang sa kilid kanang simple lang ba di gud papansin kanang tambay-tambay lang naa dayon muduol, kana lang. Bangkok is very open jud when it comes to us, gays. Yung sex dito parang available 24 hours 7 days a week.
I experienced outdoor fun many times. Sa Lumpini park. Sa likod sa stadium sa Rangsit. Very open jud sila kay naa sa toilet, ing ana gud. Actually, there are times nga muadto lang kog Silom for sex. To be honest, diri rajud ko sa Bangkok naka experience ani tanan.
(The gay community in Bangkok is not the same as in the Philippines. For me, I m not like this. In other words, here in Bangkok, I was able to spread my wings and fly. In the Philippines, people there have a negative perception of gay people, and they discriminate against gay people. Here, you can be whoever you want because Thai people do not discriminate against and judge gay people. In Bangkok, you will see two men holding each other's hands, kissing, and making out in public. You will just be amazed. There are also places here where you can do outdoor sex. I have become more sexually explorative and adventurous here in Thailand. When I was still in the Philippines, I already experienced some of those, but it was only here in Bangkok that I became more bold and daring. I was able to explore my wild side, having sex and making out in many places in Bangkok. Whenever I want sex, I usually open gay applications to find someone. If I am there on the street or in public spaces, one way to invite sex is to stare at someone. When that someone stares back at you, it means he also likes you. I could truly say that Bangkok is very open