Social and Psychological Factors Influencing HIV Sexual Risk Behaviors among Young Adult Filipino Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in Metro Manila

From the bathroom to a national discussion of LGBTQ+ rights: a case of discrimination in the Philippines

Despite the Philippines' progress in gender equality, contemporary evidence suggests that Filipinos continue to possess negative attitudes toward lesbian and gay individuals. Likewise, discrimination and violence toward bisexual, transgender, and queer Filipinos have been documented. Despite cases of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression (SOGIE) based discrimination, national-level anti-discrimination legislation remains unpassed in the Senate. This study explores the national discussions on the SOGIE Equality Bill triggered by a bathroom discrimination experienced by a Filipino transgender woman in 2019. Taking cues from Richardson's sexual citizenship framework, we investigate the diverse rights discourses among sectoral groups, such as local lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other individuals of marginalized sexualities and genders (LGBTQ+) organizations and their allies, high-ranking Filipino politicians, and religious organizations. Analysis of local discourses showed that those supporting the SOGIE Equality Bill leverage identity-based rights discourses, while those opposed primarily navigate these debates using conduct-based rights discourses. Future policy and advocacy work must leverage the insights from these public proceedings to foster LGBTQ + solidarity in their campaigns for LGBTQ + rights in the country. Particularly, future work must (1) locate the middle ground between the LGBTQ + community and opposed legislators; (2) highlight essential values and common issues shared by all Filipinos; (3) surface how privilege can preclude and advance solidarity within the LGBTQ + community; (4) campaign for the passage of local anti-discrimination ordinances; (5) improve the SOGIE-related competencies of policy implementers; and (6) engage in research that explores public discourses and meanings assigned to sexual rights among Filipinos.

Gender in mental health: Comparing the rate and social factors of depression, anxiety, and stress among young heterosexual and sexual minority women in the Philippines

Young sexual minority Filipinos have been found to have a higher level of mental health problems compared to peers. It was also reported that Filipino sexual minority women had twice the odds of ill mental health such as depression compared to sexual minority men. Thus, this study compared the rates and social factors of depression, anxiety, and stress among young adult Filipino heterosexual and sexual minority women. Particularly, this quantitative study utilized a cross-sectional survey design. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21), Daily Discrimination Subscale of the Perceived Discrimination Scale, and sociodemographic questionnaire were completed by 622 heterosexual and 177 sexual minority women. Afterward, descriptive statistics, chi-square, and logistic regression were done. Depression, anxiety, and stress rates were higher among sexual minority women compared to their peers. The possible risk factor for these mental health issues among heterosexual women was discrimination, while a possible protective factor was living with peers (p <.05). Among sexual minority women, it was found that discrimination is a risk factor, albeit with higher effects compared to their heterosexual counterparts. These may be explained by the reported high level of negative attitudes and discrimination that sexual minorities in the Philippines face daily in their social environment. Thus, anti-discrimination policies, gender-responsive healthcare for sexual minorities, and gender mainstreaming must be instituted and strengthened.