The case for gay literature
Back in the day, gay literature mainly celebrated what’s physical—the body, the sexual act in all its passion.
But times have changed. And so did stories about the LGBTQIA+. They have expanded to embrace not just the physical, but all aspects of life. They have kept up with the growing acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community as productive members of society. They have emphasized why being queer not a cause of shame, but a reason to be happy.
Well-known poet-writer Jerry Gracio, himself part of the LGBTQIA+ community, says gay literature has evolved. Focus has shifted from the physical to something deeper.
“You realize being gay, lesbian, transsexual and others is just one part of your personality. The core of the story is not on gayness, but on love and its struggles. Sometimes, being gay is just incidental.”
Andyleen Feje’s Magsimula Tayo sa Panghalip under Vibal’s Paraluman imprint, for instance, is a collection of short stories that not only tackle sexual awakening, but empowerment, self-love, mental health, spirituality and others.
The series how much a strong spirituality is not the sole purview of the clergy and other religious. Gracio states that the collection depicts this quality exists among gays and lesbians.
Another example is Harold John Fiesta’s Panunumbalik sa Gomorrah, a collection of poems that celebrates, as Gracio says, the kind of love that persists, even when it remains unrequited. Gracio adds that the book, another one from the Paraluman imprint book, also shows that the LGBTQIA+community has not turned its back on Christianity, despite beatings from years back. In fact, it taps the image of the biblical Sodom and Gomorrah to drive home a point.
Since these and other gay literature tackle the universal theme of love and its struggles, the audience has given it a thumbs up. The BL (Boy’s Love) genre, for instance, enjoys a sizable following from straight girls and boys who identify with the characters’ struggles with love and all things that go with it.
Straights remain curious about love, be it between male and female, or people of the same sex. So they watch the series with the same gusto as the LGBTQIA+community does.
The openness of popular public figures like the late Pope Francis, Lea Salonga, senator Risa Hontiveros and actor Ian Veneracion to gays, also give gay literature a shot in the arm. Gays are no longer depicted as clowns and outcasts. They are treated with respect.
Still, even in these enlightened times when one whole month—June—is devoted to the LGBTQIA+community, more eyes must be opened, more myths shattered.
Gracio would like readers to know that HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), which leads to AIDS, no longer leads necessarily to death. As editor-at-large of Paraluman publishing, he welcomes stories on the experiences of HIV-positive persons and those who have seen its effects up close. These will advance the cause for AIDS and HIV awareness even more.
The award-winning writer is just as open to coming-out stories (fiction or non-fiction) that will make it easier for parents and their LGBTQIA+ children to embrace each other’s situation. Yes, he observes, parents have a gut feel about their child’s gender preference. But an anthology about coming-out experiences will help ease the burden of revealing one’s true self, and accepting this identity, within families and the community.
This push towards raising awareness about the gay community’s life and times musn’t come from the LGBTQIA+ community, or concerned artists alone. It badly needs support from a larger sector. Gracio stresses the need for more libraries and online books. Physical books, he laments, are still costly.
Thus, despite the inroads, challenges remain, not just for gay literature, but for the print medium in general.
Writing talent abounds in the LGBTQIA+ community, but they need financial support from institutions to endure.
Meanwhile, gay literature continues to bloom, thanks to a growing number who embrace the LGBTQIA+ community with the love and understanding it deserves.
