Intersectional identities and spaces: Queer T’boli and Maranao narratives

Abstract

This thesis contributes to our understanding of queer lived experiences by exploring identity constraints influence on the creation and maintenance of safe and brave spaces of queer Indigenous Filipinos. The study investigates their complex relationship with ambivalence towards and their survivance with the spaces they create within themselves, their familial, Indigenous community, cultural and religious spaces. Utilizing Filipino – based research methods -pakikipagkwentuhan and ginabayang talakayan- empirical data was collected from thirteen participants with diverse queer identities. These methods facilitated a safe and brave space to share and narrate their past and present life stories, as well as their hope for a queer inclusive space in the future.

The findings are presented as interconnected narratives of their emic identities, while navigating the macho spaces of familial, cultural, religious, and societal spaces. Additionally, the study examines nuanced relationship with education, class, and their community development efforts. Despite encountering various forms of identity constraints, many participants have adopted survival strategies of negotiation, that involve working within the system that marginalizes them. This approach serves as both self-protection and a means to seek visibility, acceptance, and safety within their Indigenous communities. By the end of this research, queer T’boli and Maranao are seen as chameleons – adapting, reforming, and reworking their sense of self and the spaces they inhabit through ambivalence and relationality.