Contesting Unfreedom: To be Queer and Christian in the Philippines

Abstract

Queer Filipinos continue to experience different modes of discrimination, abuse, and coercion, mainly because of conservative religious worldviews. They encounter these experiences in their households, schools, workplaces, and churches, which we refer to as spaces of unfreedom. How do queer Filipinos navigate these spaces of unfreedom? We answer this based on interviews with queer young adult men who grew up Christian in various denominations. We argue that they are in an ongoing process of contesting unfreedom through moral, theological, and aspirational reasoning. We conclude by making a case for robust religious freedom for LGBTQ+ persons—one which goes beyond the legal discourse and recognizes their spaces of unfreedom.

Keywords:

• Religious freedom
• queer
• Christianity
• young adults
• Philippines

Additional information

Funding

This study is part of the Ethnographies of Philippines Auditory and Popular Cultures (EPAPC), funded by the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

Notes on contributors

Jayeel Cornelio

Jayeel Cornelio is Associate Professor of the Development Studies Program and incoming Associate Dean for Research and Creative Work at the Ateneo de Manila University, where he also holds the Oscar R Ledesma Professorial Chair. He is also associate editor of the journal Social Sciences & Missions. His writings on youth, religion, and politics in the Philippines have appeared in a number of journals, including Social Compass, Politics, Religion & Ideology, and Religion, State & Society.

Robbin Dagle

Robbin Dagle teaches at the Department of Communication of the Ateneo de Manila University. He is also a Research Associate for the Queer Christianity Project, funded by the Philippine Commission on Higher Education and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Aside from doing research on religion and gender, the media, and human rights, he is also a freelance journalist covering religion, the environment, and local issues.