Finding God alongside trials: Catholicism and resilience among queer Filipino emerging adults.

Abstract

In the Philippines, queer individuals face adversities related to their sexual orientation and gender identity and expression (SOGIE), with the country's strong Catholicism perceived as a source of adversity for these individuals. Despite this, studies have found religious involvement and a religious community in certain contexts can be used to strengthen queer individuals' resilience, allowing them to overcome these adversities. The present study investigated queer Catholic emerging adults' experiences of resilience through faith in a Southeast Asian context. Queer Filipino Catholic emerging adults aged between 18 and 25 were interviewed, and their life experiences explored using the narrative approach. Results show and validate queer emerging adults go through various forms of adversities, many of which are related to the religious culture in the country. A hypothesized framework culled from the data depicts how participants were able to overcome these adversities by engaging with a supportive Catholic community, renewing their understanding of faith teachings, and having a sense of providence. A major contribution of the paper is how collectivist behaviors and social responsibility resulting in building communities of resilience can be beneficial in progressing individual queer resilience within the bounds of faith and sexuality. Public Significance StatementThe Catholic faith, despite its current move to become more inclusive, is still perceived as a source of difficulty for Philippines queer individuals with regards to their sexual orientation and gender identity and expression given the faith's power and influence on its populace. Its firm stronghold on traditional paradigms prevents acceptance of various forms of gender identity and expression. However, past studies have found that Catholicism can serve to boost the resilience of queer individuals to overcome the challenges they face since it provides the tableau for individuals to see their connection to the divine and empower them to see the values of their identities. This difference in perspectives created our interest to investigate the life experiences of these queer Filipinos, and through a qualitative approach, formed a narrative of the difficulties they faced as queer individuals, their relationship with their faith, and how they were able to utilize their faith to their advantage as fount of resilience. The 14 young adolescents we interviewed emphasized the need for social responsibility and building communities of resilience in progressing queer resilience. In this way, we can understand that gender resiliency, most especially during the formative years, operates within the intersection of sexuality and faith, and that these 2 are not conflicting but in essence collaborating.

Growing Up with Same-Sex Parents: An Exploration on Filipino Teenagers with Having Same-Sex Couples as Parents

“…"Sa akin po kasi ano nag-grow up po kasi ako sa isang Catholic school so I think that isa po sa mga naging effects ng pagiging part ng isang Catholic school is that very ano po talaga very ano po uhh very weird di naman sa taboo pero parang ganun na nga po sa kanila yung pagkakaroon ng same-sex parents and I think doon lang po ako nagkaroon ng konting problems…" (So for me I grew up in a Catholic school so I think one of the effects of being in a Catholic school is that it"s very weird uhh not really taboo, but I think it's like that for them the concept of having same-sex parents and I think it"s where I had some problems… ) (P1) Despite the challenges, the participant's viewpoint reflects resilience and self-worth, as they emphasize not needing others' approval to feel worthy of love and affection, an attitude that was most likely influenced by their parents' openness and acceptance. Chiongbian et al (2023) asserts that living in a profoundly religious country can have significant consequences for LGBTQ+ people with strong religious ties, including discrimination, exclusion, and prejudice. These people deal with cultural norms, family dynamics, and religious communities, which shape their experiences and acceptance in society.…”

Exploring Understandings of Sexuality Among “Gay” Migrant Filipinos Living in New Zealand

“…Catholicism was noted as source of adversity by some participants. Further, religious involvement and religious community association was not discussed as a way of strengthening individual resilience and helping overcome adversity, as has been reported elsewhere (Chiongbian et al, 2021). In a couple of instances participants used the distance created by migration as a buffer that enabled them to tell family.…”