Maging sino ka man: the lived experiences of men with same-sex relationship./ Nikko J. Malazarte, Deseree A. Banta, Joatham D. Hofilena, & Christina Ruth S. Siron -- ParanÌaque City: Olivarez College, Olivarez College, 2017.
Undergraduate thesis.
Throughout the 20th century, the phenomenon of same-sex relationships has no longer been a taboo as the years passed by. This current study sought the lived experiences of men with same-sex relationships, particularly in Metro Manila, which served as an instrument to explore the realities of the experiences that were gathered through the process of research regarding this matter. Central Question: What are the lived experiences of the co-researchers on their man-to-man relationships? Corollary Questions: 1. How does each co-researcher describe his experiences? 2. What themes emerged from the testimonies or narratives given by the co-researchers? 3. What reflections can be drawn from the themes? This qualitative study has a phenomenological approach. Using the purposive sampling technique, five same-sex couples were selected as informants for this study. The researcher-made, psychologist-, grammarian-, and LGBT community leader-validated research instrument such as semi-structured interview was used for data gathering. Summary of Syntheses * All five couples who are informants of the study shared similarities and differences in their lived experiences as men with same-sex relationship. * The 10 informants came from different walks of life, different ages, and varying gender and sexualities. * Men with same-sex relationships described their experiences without shyness and restraint and are factual at first and were able to express fully the realities of their experiences. * Certain themes such as Displaced Family Attachment, Distorted Concepts of Gender, Presence of Feminine and Masculine Roles, Economic Stability, Presence of Filipino Values, Components of Love as How Relationship is Defined, Relationship Legitimacy and Marriage as Secular Perspective, and Discrimination as Cause of Changed Behavior emerged in this study that depicted their experiences. * Family attachment is primarily affecting the individuals in their longing for a relationship as with the Theory Attachment of Bowlby and the Intimacy vs Isolation from the psychosocial development theory of Erik Erikson. * Concepts of gender and sexuality have been pertinent to the study. * The informants who consider themselves bisexuals describe their experiences as either partners or husband and wife but are idealistic in a relationship with a woman. * In every same-sex relationship, there comes the role of a feminine and masculine in all relationship aspects. * The relationships of the informants, even the youngest ones, are all economically stable. The men can support each others needs as much as they can, corroborating the Generativity vs Stagnation stage from the psychosocial development theory of Erik Erikson. * The components of love, such as intimacy, passion, and commitment, defined which type of love men with same-sex relationship have according to Sternbergs theory. * One couple among the informants is assertive to have legal marriage in order to share the rights of living with regards to economic matters of the relationship. * The informants were greatly affected almost in all aspects, mainly the discrimination as means of changed behavior but were still sought emotional and behavioral well-being driven by their love from their family and friends, and the desire to carry on the faith in God. * All of the informants are resilient enough to carry on in life despite the stigma that society puts in their relationship experience. Summary of Future Directions * Informants are recommended that through sharing their existence as males in same-sex relationships at the latter part of the interview, they still asserted for social recognition. Its undertaking is to inspire others to make a choice to take a chance in order to change for the better in bringing to society the torch of light that will show them the reality of their relationships. * The family is the basic unit of society. It is where the foundations of personality are laid and reinforced. The families of the men with same-sex relationships are recommended to continuously support their family members because they only need understanding. The family should be the first to accept these individuals as they are the means of attachment of them to other people. * The community is recommended to work for progress in the advocacy of revealing the reality of this kind of relationship and reject the stigma that affects the LGBT community because they occupy a large part of our population. * The future researchers should take this study seriously and make further study to reveal the lived experiences of men with same-sex relationships as well as the people who consider themselves as LGBT. Conclusion The study was able to showcase the lived experiences of men with same-sex relationships. Results of the study elicited certain themes which emerged from the gathered data from the interview with the informants. This study showed the essence of the reality about this kind of relationship in furthering and increasing greater awareness and recognition of society with this people who belong to our population. By making the people and the government aware of this phenomenon, they can reject the stigma and make further laws for the protection and considerations of the rights of these individuals as to how they become our family members, friends, coworkers, classmates, etc. The lived experiences of men with same-sex relationships can be a means of total acceptance of their unheard voices and unexplored experiences not only for personal benefits of the informants and the LGBT community but also with the social significance it brings forth to.