Lecture Notes

Introduction

• Speaker: Grew up in southern Philippines in mid-1990s as an eight-year-old
• Setting: One-bedroom house, clusters of wooden houses with corrugated metal sheets, little privacy

Childhood Learning

• Family dynamics observed: Traditional (man, woman, children) and non-traditional
• Example: Lenie's family (transgender woman running a beauty salon)

Lenie's Influence

• Lenie: Transgender woman, well-respected in the community
• Lesson: Understanding that gender diversity isn't strange but unfamiliar

Gender Perceptions Worldwide

• Common view: Gender as a man-woman dichotomy
• Alternative view: Many cultures don't base gender on genitalia
• Examples: North America, Africa, Indian subcontinent, Pacific Islands, including Philippines

Precolonial Philippines

• Society: Mostly animists, believed in spiritual essence
• Gender roles: Egalitarian; women had rights (e.g., property, divorce, naming children)
• Babaylan: Female shamans, community healers, spiritual leaders

Male Babaylan and Gender Fluidity

• Male shamans: Cross-dressed, appeared effeminate
• Jesuit accounts: Men performed female roles (weaving, dancing)

Impact of Spanish Colonization

• Spanish rule: 1565-1898, spread Catholicism
• Spanish influence: Tried to impose two-gender model
• Colonial archives: Reports of male shamans marrying women or other men

Contemporary Gender Debate

• Growing recognition: Nonbinary options in legal documents in some countries
• Key point: Gender roles as social constructs can be reconstructed

Conclusion

• Importance: Learning and working through gender differences
• Legacy: Filipino history of gender equality and inclusivity
• Personal note: Grateful for pioneers like Lenie, message of acceptance and validation for diverse identities

Key Messages:

• Be yourself, it's revolutionary
• We have much to gain from understanding and respecting gender differences
• Historical context shows gender fluidity and inclusivity are not new
• Social constructs can be changed to reflect modern diversity