Bakla 'yan

Bakla 'yan.

These two words, even just the first, never fail to grab our feeble attention. There are always different ways of perceiving those two words, and they always boil down to how positive or negative your views are. But often times, it's the bad things associated with being gay we see or think of. 

I remember last night when my family and I were watching a local primetime news program, my grandma blatantly said those two words to a fashion guru designing fine Barong Tagalog for the most powerful man in the country. She said it in the most regretful way possible. My aunt stood up for the designer upon hearing, saying how skillful the designer is and elegant his creations are. Maybe because she already have had her share of my reaction toward such explicit disgust for gays.

A few months back, my aunt told me why my nephew was not enrolled in any dance workshops - his grandpa, my uncle, feared of him being gay. I know. What's dancing got to do with it? And the more irritating thing, what's wrong with being gay?

Some people have been living blindly. Or I've just been living with my eyes and mind open - open enough to understand and see them for who they are, for who I am. 

I'm currently taking up a gender course, and I'm happy to learn more about gender and sexuality issues not only in the local setting but also in different cultures. Through this, I hope to understand better society's complexities toward us, and to broaden my perception of it. To those who haven't had any gender course yet, enroll in one. My friend who underwent a gender workshop this week doesn't regret it. According to him, there are many things many of us need to learn. 

I agree, we need to learn. And I hope that everyone could learn it. I know we will always hear, some of us will even say, those two words and that's a sad reality. But I hope the next time you say it, do it proudly with an ascending tone not otherwise.

Try it. Bakla 'yan.