Bakla

Baklâ
Pronunciation[bɐkˈlaʔ]
MeaningGender non-conforming male, effeminate gay man, third gender
DefinitionQueer AMAB
ClassificationUmbrella term
Other terms
SynonymsBayot, agi, bayogin
Demographics
CultureFilipino
Regions with significant populations
Philippines
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In the Philippines, a baklâ (Tagalog and Cebuano) (pronounced [bɐkˈlaʔ]), bayot (Cebuano) or agî (Hiligaynon) is a person who was assigned male at birth and has adopted a gender expression that is feminine.[1] They are often considered a third gender.[2] Many bakla are exclusively attracted to men[3] and some identify as women.[4] The polar opposite of the term in Philippine culture is tomboy (natively the lakin-on or binalaki), which refers to women with a masculine gender expression (usually, but not always, lesbian).[5] The term is commonly incorrectly applied to trans women.[6]

Bakla are socially and economically integrated into Filipino society, having been accepted by society prior to Western colonization, many of which were held in high regard and performed the role of spiritual leaders known as babaylan, katalonan, and other shamans in the indigenous Philippine folk religions. In modern times, a minority group of Filipinos disapprove or reject the baklas, usually on religious grounds allegedly from Christian or Muslim beliefs. The stereotype of a baklâ is a parlorista—a flamboyant, camp cross-dresser who works in a beauty salon; in reality, the bakla thrives in numerous sectors of society, from the lower to the upper levels.[7][8][9]

  1. ^ Tan, Michael L. (2001). "Survival Through Pluralism: Emerging Gay Communities in the Philippines". Journal of Homosexuality. 40 (3/4): 117–42. doi:10.1300/j082v40n03_07. PMID 11386330. S2CID 43819477.
  2. ^ Aggleton, Peter (1999). Men who sell sex: international perspectives on male prostitution and HIV/AIDS. Temple University Press. p. 246. ISBN 1-56639-669-7. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
  3. ^ Diaz, Robert (2015). "The Limits of Bakla and Gay: Feminist Readings of My Husband's Lover, Vice Ganda, and Charice Pempengco". Signs. 40 (3): 721–745. doi:10.1086/679526. S2CID 147230469.
  4. ^ Gonzalo, Ally (October 2, 2019). "'There's no shame in being who you are': Photographer explores Filipino 'bakla' culture". CBC. Retrieved March 1, 2023. The term includes individuals who identify as trans, non-binary, bisexual, etc. While most bakla are attracted to men, collectively referring to them as "gay" would be inaccurate as some self-identify as women.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ceperiano was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Tamayo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Benedicto, Bobby (2008). "The Haunting of Gay Manila: Global Space-Time and the specter of Kabaklaan". GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies. 14 (2–3): 317–338. doi:10.1215/10642684-2007-035. S2CID 143735570.
  8. ^ Poushter, Jacob; Kent, Nicholas (June 25, 2020). "The Global Divide on Homosexuality Persists". Pew Research Center. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  9. ^ Patiag, Vonne (March 3, 2019). "In the Philippines they think about gender differently. We could too". The Guardian. Retrieved October 30, 2020.