FILIPINO | "Jennifer"

Anak siya ng kanyang mga magulang. Kaibigan siya sa kanyang mga kabarkada at kakilala. Nais lamang niya makaraos nang may kakanin sa araw-araw. Marahil, minsan, sa kaibuturan ng kanyang kamulatan ay pinagsisihan niya ang mga kanyang piniling daan. Marahil, naghahanap rin siya ng kaunting pang-unawa at pagtanggap ng lipunan.

Subalit, hindi na mahalaga ang lahat ng ito ngayong patay ni si Jeffrey Laude, o “Jennifer”, sa mga nakakakilala sa kanya. Sa isang iglap, naglahong parang bula sa ating hinagap si Jennifer. Nawalan ng ulirat sa maruming tubig-inidorong sumulasok sa kanyang hininga dahil sa pagngudngod ni Joseph Scott Pemberton sa pagmumukha niya.

Ang tanging kasalanan niya: Dahil binabae siya

Ngunit hindi nagtatapos sa loob ng isang kubeta sa Lungsod ng Olongapo ang pagpatay kay Laude—ito ay isang krimen na patuloy na isinasagawa. Pagkat matapos siyang tanggalan ng buhay at puri sa kamay ng isang banyaga, heto’t tangan ng nakararami sa ating lipunan ang patalim, inuundayan ng saksak ang dangal at pagkatao ng isang namayapa.

Nakapandidiri. Nakasusuka. Ngunit di nakapagtataka. Pagkat hanggang ngayon, ang lipunang ito na ginupo ng kanser ay patuloy na sumisira sa kanyang sariling mga kababayan; humahawa, kumakalat, gaya ng walang lunas naEbola.

Sa isang lipunang nabubuhay sa tsismis, intriga, at kathang isip, asahan na ang pagkutya at panghuhusga sa biktima kaysa sa may-salà. Sa isang lipunang hibang sa banyagang impluwensiya, na mas pipilahan pa ang pagbubukas ng una’t bagong sangay ng H&M o ang pagrampa ng mga babaeng modelong tinaling parang aso, hindi nga naman katawag-tawag na kriminal ang isang puting Kano tulad ni Pemberton.

Si Pemberton ang kumakatawan nga naman sa ating kaligtasan laban sa ating mga kaaway, kaligtasang hatid ng EDCA at ng Amerika. Wala tayong kalaban-laban kapag sinalakay tayo ng Pulang Tsina at sakupin ang ating mgaisla.

Walang ring kalaban-laban si Laude nang i-ngudngod sa inidoro ng puting banyaga. Subalit sa nakararaming Pilipino, hindi naman na ito mahalaga.

Bakit nga naman natin pag-aaksayahan ng panahon ang isang binabaeng mababa ang lipad? Kinalakal niya ang sariling katawan sa mga kalalakihan nang lingid sa kaalaman ng kanyang Aleman na katipan. Isa siyang haliparot. Isa siyang kawatan. Isa siyang salawahan. Dapat lamang sa kanya’y kamatayan!

Kristiyanong sambayanan! Walang dungis o kapintasan! Sige’t ipukol niyo ang bato sa binabaeng mangangalunya!

Bayan kong may kanser, ganito tayo nabubuhay. Umiinog tayo sa nagpapatuloy na nakaraan. Oo’t wala nang mga prayle. Kayumanggi na ang simbahan at pamahalaan. Subalit nakagapos pa rin tayo sa mga dating mananakop at ang mga alipin ng kahapon ang siya namang mga mapang-alipusta ng kasalukuyan.

Ito ba ang tadhana natin? Ang ating tunay na sadlak? Mahigit isandaang taon ng kalayaan, sinayang pagkat walang bait sa sariling kapakanan.

Ngunit marahil, kumpara sa nakararaming Pilipino, mas mapalad pa rin si Laude, pagkat payapa na ang kalooban niya. Habang binubulabog pa rin ang galit at suklam ang puso ng mga kumukutya sa pagkatao at kasarian niya. Mahimbing ka Jennifer, pagkat sa langit ay di ramdam ang masidhing init ng impyernong lipunang ito.

Gaya ni Jennifer Laude, anak ka ng iyong mga magulang. Kaibigan ka ng iyong mga kabarkada at kakilala. Nais mo lamang na makaraos nang may kakanin sa araw-araw. Marahil, minsan sa kaibuturan ng iyong kamulatan ay naghahanap ka rin ng kaunting pang-unawa at pagtanggap ng lipunan—ng kaunting katarungan sa buhay.

Nakikiisa ang The Social Scientist sa pambansang panawagan para makamit ni Jennifer Laude ang hustisya at kabuuang pagtanggap ng lipunang Pilipino sa mga LGBT. #JusticeforJenniferLaude

Photos courtesy of SocialAlerts.com and BeechwoodCross.blogspot.com

OPINION | Of ladies and gentlemen (chivalry must die!)

This story is so hot right now it’s like a jam-packed jeepney.

On Wednesday night, Top Gear Philippines posted on their Facebook page a photo of two female students piggybacking on a public utility jeepney (PUJ) in an unidentified street somewhere in Metro Manila. Top Gear Philippines captioned it as “Is Chivalry Dead?”

Upon its release, netizens were quick to pounce on the story, with most comments decrying the “death” of chivalry and the lack of “gentlemen” inside that jeep. Some have channeled traditional family values in the issue, by saying, “Would you let your mother, wife, or sister experience this?” Others have even resorted to homophobic remarks, calling the men inside the jeep, “gay”, or labeling male supporters of gender equality, as “more female the women.”

But there are those who saw empowerment in the photo. Several netizens cheered the subjects for doing what men can do. Some said it shouldn’t be uncommon to see scenes like this as we are living in the era of gender equality and women empowerment.

The uproar from the photo points to very obvious reasons.

The two subjects wore all-white uniforms composed of a blouse and skirt; one was wearing a pair of flats, the other, leather shoes. The fact that the photo exists obviously says that the driver had allowed the women to piggyback on the jeepney and that they willing did so. Since the two women were blocking the view from inside the jeepney, it cannot be said if there were other passengers in the jeep, whether men or women.

Being a conservative, traditional, quasi-patriarchal, quasi-matriarchal society, a large demographic of Filipinos would definitely decry this situation upon seeing even just the uniforms. Despite the possibility that these women have acted willingly, the initial response is that anyone wearing a skirt shouldn't be put through this kind of situation. For them, a woman should be innocent, prim, proper, elegant, poised, and demure—the archetypal Maria Clara.

Consequently, our society believes that men are like Crisostomo Ibarra: dashing, handsome, courteous, polite, respectful, and honorable—a chivalrous gentleman. As such, they must do all women a favor by giving up their seats inside public transportation, opening and holding doors for them, holding bags and umbrellas for them, among others, and be rewarded with “pogi points” for doing so.

With these rewards, it isn’t hard to see why this won’t be seen as sexism.

But it is sexism for the mere fact that being a gentleman ingratiates men to women, thereby, entitling themselves to a woman’s approval, desire, and love, while deducing that women cannot do such services for themselves. Perpetrating chivalry is to define women as needy, frail, incapable, and lacking in power.

With this reasoning, I do not see anything wrong with women piggybacking on jeepneys and men refusing to give up their seats to strong, equally capable women (if there were indeed men inside the jeepney).

In this era of gender equality and women empowerment, chivalry, as a male construct, must die. Men do not have a monopoly of strength and endurance, and therefore, do not have a monopoly of being courteous, polite, and respectful. And women do not have a monopoly of being at the receiving end of such noble actions. Chivalrous acts must be done by everyone to everyone, but most especially to the elderly, PWDs, pregnant women, children, and those suffering from physical pain, regardless of sex/gender.

In the end, what should be decried instead in this photo is the shabby state of public transportation in the Philippines. Nobody should be left to with just the choice of piggybacking on jeepneys, buses, and trains, whether men or women. We all deserve a safe, comfortable, and decent ride, which should have been Top Gear Philippines’ slant and caption.

Postscript: Top Gear Philippines responded to netizens with a comment, which says:

The catch here is: "We are 100 percent for gender equality, but we will definitely give up our seat for a lady. It's not being sexist. It's not implying that a woman is weak or that she needs to be helped at all times. It just feels right."

Talk about being selfless and self-serving at the same time! 

With that argument, if anyone from Top Gear Philippines, or even "chivalrous" men, were inside that jeep, these women wouldn't be hanging outside in the first place, which obviously proves that they chose to do it because they can. Such comments give us a glimpse of the understanding (and acceptance) Top Gear Philippines has of gender equality.

In a gender fair world, you need not offer your seat to a lady to feel right, nor feel guilty about not giving up your seat, because there is no harm done.