Decolonization is a journey of personal and collective unlearning that must be undertaken by any organization that is hoping to be more racially equitable. It is work we all need to do, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, racialized and non-racialized, to be able to work together equitably. In this episode of the Unlearning Channel, jaqs gallos aquines and Mel Vee speak to Dr. EJR David about the colonial mentality in the Filipino diaspora, decolonization, and his book, Brown Skin, White Minds, as well as his book, The Psychology of Oppression, released October 28, 2017, co-written with Annie O. Derthick.
Navigating Tension of Queer FilipinX Allyship: Talking About Palestine with Loved Ones
The event at Argo Bookshop, August 16, 2024 was small & intimate with generative conversations & vulnerable shares that were deeply appreciated, with amazing food from Cuisine de Manille.
Organizing the event was a challenge, as almost every one of the organizers, including our hosts, addressed resistance from our own comfort & from those close to us. The event shifted from how to talk about Palestine to centering the tension of talking about Palestine with our loved ones.
We understand that human life is sacred & intentional terror, annihilation of a people is abhorrent & should be stopped. We understand that the violence did not begin on October 7, even before the Nakba in 1948. We understand that Palestinians continue to live in the largest open air prison in what the ICJ has ruled as an unlawful occupation for over 75 years. We understand that they are imprisoned with no just cause & are being genocided, subjected to horrors of dehumanization by the IDF.
Although we understand these facts, that does not make us experts. Focusing the conversation on the tension & hesitation of standing up for protecting the sacredness of human life, allowed for honest introspection.
Much of the tension lies in a culture of silence reinforced by the model minority myth, immigration in precarious work & capitalist values hard to unlearn, contradictory to the Indigenous core value of kapwa.
Moving through that tension takes holding space, discussion, self-reflection on positionality, privilege. We must challenge white supremacy, capitalism, settler colonialism, patriarchy & how we benefit & what we give up with silence. Upholding a cognitive dissonance between our values & practices can challenge being present. It takes action to move through that tension.
Zev Saltiel from Voix Juives Indépendantes Montréal shared a hopeful insight, the Yiddish term, Doikayt, which means “hereness, nowness” in reference to how home is in the body, home is where you are. As Zev said, “to connect with creating a home within myself. To learn to sit & be present & take ownership of my body.”
We pray that Palestine will be free & that Palestinians can safely return home. Inshallah.
Clearly Queer Mythology of the Philippines
Understanding our Filipino mythology & history speaks not only to our deeply inherent reverence for the Creator of nature we worshipped, pre-colonially, as giver of life, agriculture & safety but also reveals how accepting and reverent we were of trans women & homosexuality in our gods.
With mythology that is clearly queer it is easy to understand why religion that was delivered to the Philippines by the West would want to shift how we see our own gods and, ultimately, ourselves. In the article Queer Mythology in the Philippines, Hariette Chan mentions a myth story about Libulan and his husband where “Some LGBT Filipinos today use Libulan as a symbol and refer to him as the patron god of homosexuality.” The more we learn about our mythology and Creation stories the easier it is to reconcile our own Trans & Queer Pride.
See you at the march during Calgary Pride, September 1, to bring honour & celebration for our Babaylan ancestors who have survived erasure through our very own existence, and remembrance. We’ll be marching with and behind @yycvoices – Calgary’s Coalition of Two-Spirit & Racialized lgbtqia+
Fiesta Filipino will also be marching for the first time, behind Voices: Calgary’s Coalition of Two-Spirit & Racialized LGBTQIA+ honouring our queer mythology to awaken and remind us that our culture was historically accepting of our LGBTQ2IA+ community.
And if you cannot make it, meet Bahaghari at other community events we will host.
We’re here,
Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, Trans & Queer, Two-Spirit, Intersex, Asexual ++
PilipinX
And very queer, in politics, and mythology ✊🏾🏳️🌈
Content warning:
<<<This article contains mentions of colonization, transphobia, and murder. >>
#pilipinx #filipinx #lgbtq2sia #decolonize #learnyourhistory #pride #equity #education #loveyourself #queerpilipinx #transpinay #queer #philippines #libulan