WRITTEN BY FRANCESA JANA MILLENNA D. SANTIAGO

For the longest time, most of the LGBTQ+ media in the Philippines has always been marketed in the genre of comedy. Flamboyant gay characters are such a hit with the locals that they grew to be over-used. In fact, it soon became harmful as it boxed the members of its community into a mould: shallow entertainment, and through only that were they ever accepted by the straigh cis-gender Filipinos. But for the new batch of Filipino filmmakers, representation is already due. And so with the help of an international platform like Netflix, more authentic stories about the Philippines’ LGBTQ+ folk are now accessible.

Gay characters in mainstream film and TV usually come in the form of the “comic relief”. But for the likes of Isabel Sandoval, gay characters are also capable of being challenged by life. Her 2019 social drama Lingua Franca which she wrote, directed and stars as the lead in, narrates the story of Olivia, an undocumented Filipino trans woman who works as a caregiver and is in pursuit of a green card. This is one of the first pieces of content that represents Transgender Filipinos using a non-exaggerated and more dimensional character than what audiences are used to.

Filipino queers aren’t only limited to one genre though, as proven by model-turned-actor Elena Hueze, who you’ll see leading the 2022 action short film Heart Shot, created under Netflix’s Emerging Filmmakers Initiative! The movie follows teenage lovers Nikki and Sam as they plan a future together, only to be disrupted when Nikki’s past starts to haunt her. Being mixed and queer may have caused Elena to struggle during various audition processes but they weren’t enough to completely stop her.

There is still a a handful of LGBTQ+ content being produced for comedic purposes, however, this is simply a call to uphold more diversity in our queer stories. With LGBTQ+ Filipino-Americans doing their part in breaking barriers in Hollywood (you can see who here!), Netflix’s lineup of Philippine-based gay stories are also establishing a subgenre on its own. Gameboys and Hello, Stranger presents wholesome depictions of male-to-male relationships in contrast to the affair tropes found commonly in telenovelas.

Tales like these are absolutely necessary to today’s progressing society because it represents different individuals in the limelight for more people to see. It helps them be seen and heard, not to mention it brings light to the issues they are facing by being who they are. Take this as a reminder to support this kind of creators as you are not only providing them more opportunities but you are also contributing to more visibility for stories that matter. For more Filipino-centered content in relation to history, art and more, check out One Down’s official YouTube channel!