“Tomboys” and “baklas”: Experiences of lesbian and gay Filipino Americans.

Abstract

In the Philippines, the terms “tomboy” and “bakla” describe lesbian women and gay men, and are often used synonymously to label transgender people. Although there is some literature that describes the experiences of gay men in the Philippines, there is a dearth of psychological research that examines experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Filipino Americans in the U.S. The current exploratory study utilized focus groups (N 24) with lesbian and gay Filipino Americans on both the East and West coasts of the United States. Five domains emerged: (1) Religious influence on sexual and gender identity, (2) Family influence on gender and sexual identity, (3) Experiences with race, (4) Process of negotiating multiple identities, and (5) Variant experiences between Filipino subgroups. Findings indicate that religion, culture, and family expectations influenced one’s ability to accept one’s sexuality and that lesbian and gay Filipino Americans experience several psychological stressors as a result of balancing their multiple identities. Participants described the types of racism they experience in the LGBT community, as well as the heterosexism they face in their families and in their ethnic communities. Implications for Asian American psychology and clinical practice are discussed.