LGBT culture in the Philippines
The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people in the Philippines have a distinctive culture in society, and also have limited legal rights. Gays and lesbians are more tolerated than accepted in Filipino society. Despite recent events that have promoted the rights, general acceptance, and empowerment of the Filipino LGBT community, discrimination remains. Homosexuals in the Philippines are known as "bakla", though there are other terms to describe them. According to the 2002 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Survey, 11 percent of sexually active Filipinos between the ages of 15 and 24 have had sex with someone of the same sex. According to Filipino poet and critic Lilia Quindoza Santiago, Filipino culture may have a more flexible concept of gender. Kasarian (Tagalog for "gender") is defined in less binary terms than the English word; kasarian means "kind, species, or genus".
LGBT rights in the Philippines | |
|---|---|
Philippines | |
| Status | Legal |
| Military | Gays, lesbians and bisexuals allowed to serve openly since 2009 |
| Discrimination protections | None at the national level but many anti-discrimination ordinances exist at the local government level. |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships | None |
| Restrictions | The Family Code of the Philippines defines marriage as "a special contract of permanent union between a man and a woman". The Constitution of the Philippines does not prohibit same-sex marriage. |
| Adoption | Allowed for individuals but not allowed for same-sex couples. |