Episode 2: Interview with Rey Valmores-Salinas

[Music] Magandang Arau and welcome to the second episode of Chicas, Gantala Press's podcast where we hope to discuss literature, feminism, and culture. I am fecura of Gantala Press. For this episode, I and Ray Rival interviewed Ray Valmorez Salinas, spokesperson of Bahagari, the National Democratic Organization of Militant and Makabayang, lesbians, gays, bisexual persons, and transgender Filipinos. This episode is released in celebration of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia, which commemorates the day when homosexuality was removed from the international classification of diseases of the World Health Organization. That was on May 17, 1990. We discussed many relevant issues such as coming out and collective action, science, and activism, the danger of identity politics, and trans stories that need to be documented, and we're so happy and proud to share this interview with you. Gantala Press stands in solidarity with Bahagari and the LGBTQI+ sector in calling for emancipation in the Philippine economy, politics, and culture. As feminists, we march with our LGBTQI+ siblings in pushing back against the intersectional issues that affect individuals and communities. Because we believe that we are more feminist if we recognize ourselves because we recognize others. So Ray, can you introduce us to our members? Yes, I am Ray Valmorez Salinas. I am a trans woman, a molecular biologist, and an organizer. I am a spokesperson of Bahagari. Bahagari is the most remote country in the Philippines. We are members of the LGBTQI+ community, and we are also members of the urban poor community and workplaces. So our goal is to help the members of the LGBT community to fight for their rights, not only for our community, but also for the whole of the world. Because we believe that the LGBT community will not be separated from the fight that the Philippines is facing. Can you introduce yourself to the pandemic after Pride 20? Since Pride 20, how have you been? Of course, we have lost our way and our actions have been ruined. But we are still not stopping. Of course, we still feel the constant fear and fear that maybe in the future, there will be a raid that will happen. For example, in our office, we stayed at the National Office of Gabriela and we partnered for projects like Community Kitchen. But of course, in the midst of the pandemic, our organizations and our vision for a Filipino who is truly rich is still there. This is an episode on International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia. Just as we can see in Jennifer Laude's case, who has long since been a member of Bahagari and Gabriela, he would be fatal. We know that because of homophobia, there is no education or education for this issue. What is the importance of IDAHOTS? Maybe we can go back to the history of IDAHOTS. IDAHOTS are called different, but it is essentially International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia. The history of IDAHOTS is designed to return and commemorate the decision of the World Health Organization in 1990. Before that, it was considered as a mental disorder that became homosexual. In 1990, the World Health Organization declared that it was not a mental disorder. As of today, it is a way to raise awareness that it is completely normal to become a lesbian, to become a member of the LGBT community. It is not normal, it is not abnormal. It is a natural part of a human being, a natural phenomenon. The same goes for IDAHOTS, International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia, to expose what is the role of LGBT today, what we are looking for, and what we can do to change it. We need to raise awareness of the campaign, of the establishment of legislatures, of the establishment of communities, to elevate our conversation, for us to use genuine equality. Agree. So, how many venues are there in the coming out story? So, one of the stories is the lack of power, particularly because you are a child of a conservative and political family. What is your message to the children who are struggling, or maybe pressured to come out? I personally believe that when we have a family of two or nine, we do not need anyone who will come out as a member of the LGBT community. We are now at the point where our culture is very close. I experienced this, I experienced this with a lot of people before me, and I still experience this with a lot of children. That is why I saw the importance of coming out today. But at the same time, I also understand that this is not a requirement. It does not mean that you are not valid because you did not come out. You do not need to have a big process that you will tell the whole world how to validate who you really are. So, that is my message. We should take that to our own pace. Aside from the conversation of coming out, it is very intimate and important. But at the same time, it lands itself to just the view of oneself. I am coming out, and it is like one person is being detached from the conversation of collective action. So, it is important for us to explore ourselves. But we also ask ourselves why this is happening. It is not just me, but a lot of people like me. What can we do to change this? So, we will also elevate the discourse of coming out, the conversation of collective struggle, and to the one person who feels the need to come out in this group. Thank you. Thank you for your advice. I am sure that the children will be inspired if they do not even remember, because we have a lot of knowledge that it is also difficult to come out. So, you are a molecular scientist, a biologist. Can you tell us about how you can balance your interest or field? Have you practiced science? How do you balance your work in science and as an activist? That is one question. The other question is, how did you start your career? I will answer both at once. When I was a kid, when we asked each other, what was your hope? Most of us didn't really have an idea. I just noticed back then, because my grandmother was sick. I just answered, I just wanted to help them out. So, at first, I became a doctor. When I was in high school and in the bandang college, I found out that all these years, that's why I didn't have a brother. Because my mother was sick, she had chronic inflammation and potentially malignancies. So, I also had a shift when I was in high school. Instead of becoming a medical doctor, I wanted to conduct research, particularly in cancer. So, that was my dream. I discovered a cure for cancer. It was a very typical dream. I'm sure many of us have had that. But that was the thing that I was able to handle when I was still a kid. I had a lot of experience in nursing, from grade school to high school. That was the reason why I was able to pursue it. And when I came to college, when I was in fourth year, I was able to represent my undergraduate research in different conferences. But over time, I also saw and asked myself, "What if I have discovered a cure or a drug for cancer?" I thought, "Is it possible to use it? Who has access to it?" Because definitely, this is not something that the majority of the people who are in a hard time are not able to eat with their family three times a day and think about buying for a loved one. So, around that time, I also saw systemic barriers faced by women, LGBT. Even in Shenzhen, we always say that science is objective. And in one country, it's true. But even here, even in science, it's not immune to the backward culture that we have. So, even in science, if you notice, the vast majority of the people who won the Nobel Prize, the men, it's not an accident. Because in the long term, the contributions of women scientists are also being dismissed and the talk of LGBT scientists is completely erased. And those are the factors that lead me to the talk of activism. So, at first, my only goal is to learn and contribute in some way to activism. That's why I joined Bahag Hari. But over time, my political consciousness also evolved. And I saw the need that scientists have. Not only in labs, not only in clinics, but also in Shenzhen. In the places that lead us to change, to the places that we contribute to, to whatever happens. And that was the reason for my decision to take my science out of the lab and into the streets. And now, I'm a two-year full-time organizer for Bahag Hari. When it comes to balancing work, actually, before I started in Bahag Hari, I worked as a research associate in Ateneo. Every time I have a free time, I go to the office to help. But now, I decided to devote my whole time to organizing members of the LGBT community. So, actually, that's related to the next question. What is an important lesson that you learned from your work in Bahag Hari? Do you feel that you can make progress? One of the important lessons that I learned from Bahag Hari is the rise beyond the individual. And that's a big trend in any identity-based movement. This has happened, for example, in women's movement. It's an option for those with disabilities, the idea of a girl boss. That's why I sometimes glorify, for example, war criminals because they are women, right? That's also part of the LGBT community. Theoretically, there can be a strong political LGBT. And she will use that to pinkwash all the crimes she is doing. That is exactly what is going on right now in the U.S. The administration of Joseph Biden, from the get-go, they say that they are very much in support of LGBT rights. They are appointing members of the LGBT community in different sectors of the government, even in the military. And yet, the exploitation continues in countries like the Philippines. There is no justice for the members of the LGBT like Jennifer Laude. The bombings continue in many countries so that they can drink water, and that's how it is. And who is in charge here? The hard-working women, the hard-working children, the hard-working members of the LGBT community, who are left behind in these countries that are exposed to the spread of the U.S. So it's very shallow, it's so-called identity politics. And that's one of the things that I learned when I was a child. The main thing is that this is individualism rather than collectivism. And I'm very thankful that this is back for me early. And I hope that this will teach a lot of people that identity politics isn't just about representation. This is not a meaningful emancipation for us. And that's one of the important lessons that I learned in my childhood. Thank you, Ray. How can we help women who are left behind, so that they can have homophobia and all of the oppression of the LGBT community? So now, there is a view that the LGBT movement is divided into movements. And in a band, there are really particularities in every sector. But if we're really going to say it, it's not different from what the LGBT community is looking for. Discrimination is the most important thing because of who you are. Whether it's physical, economic, or sexual, the legalized sexual is very rampant both for women and for the LGBT community. And in fact, the community is one of our communities, which is the patriarchy. When you say patriarchy, of course, it's about the women who are left behind. But it's not that simple. Because in the patriarchy, you also normalize women and men. And women and men are the ones who are allowed to fight. Women and men are the ones who are allowed to have unions. And automatically, all the white people in the gender norms that have been added, in the patriarchal gender norms that have been added, are considered abominations. So the members of the LGBT community are there. So, actually, we shouldn't think that we should separate or even separate the movements of women and LGBT. Of course, it's important to articulate for each sector, for women and for the LGBT community. But we need to see that the fight that we're going to wage is the same. And in fact, it's the same for all the other sectors, for our partners, for our leaders. The fight that we're going to fight is going to end. So, the genuine struggle of the women and the LGBT community, and the struggle of the women, of the women who are allowed to fight, and of the other children in the Philippines. Thank you. Lastly, questions for Ray. What is the common misconception about trans women that you would like to correct? Common misconception about trans women. Maybe we should lay out first that trans women are women. Let's make that clear. So, that means that women are not allowed in any genitals to have a single person. That is not the essence of being a woman. And because of that idea, we also need to hammer that being a trans woman, it does not entail looking a certain way. It does not mean that you need to quote and quote a lot of women to be an actual woman. Because that is still the case today. That if a trans woman has masculine features, it can also be a different kind of treatment for her. It can also be subject to violence and to worst hate crimes compared to trans women who are called to pass. So if you quote and quote a lot of women, I hate having to say the word. But that is my reality today. And I hope that we will be able to back that up. It is also a misconception that being a trans woman is completely frivolous. If you notice the representation that we see for trans women, it is clear that they are too much for makeup, too much for good and expensive dresses or anything. We do not need that to be a valid trans gender woman. And in fact, a trans woman, a trans gender woman, has the ability to express herself in different ways in our language. And that trans gender is not just talking about a member of the LGBT who is well-off, who has the ability to buy makeup and all. We are still close to our stereotypes. Because in fact, there are a lot of trans women who are doing makeup. For example, in corporations that until now do not have regularization for their makeup. Those are also stories of trans gender women. And I'm sure now, in the past, there are a lot of members of our community there. Because the background of the culture is very deep, they can feel that they are suffering. And those stories, we need to surface that. We should not only focus on a question of a trans gender woman who is caused by stereotypes. Because in reality, being a trans gender woman does not describe any particular stereotype, supposedly. So that's the goal we need to achieve for the future. We will show that trans gender women are everywhere. Thank you again. What are the stories of trans women who are looking for a document or read in books? Does this mean that I have heard stories or that I want to hear stories that I will document? Both. Yes. Okay, so one more question. Because in the context of the question, our books are very limited. [Spanish] Alright, if we can notice that in all of our stories, we have seen stories of trans women, for example. If there is a victim of hate crime, a victim who is struggling in the dark, you need to be a part of sex trade. In essence, we are a victim of gloomy and dark. We are already killed in real life, even in our imagination, in our experiences, we are still killed. So for me, I want to see stories, I want all of them to surface, the stories of members of the LGBT community, of trans gender women who are still stuck in the stereotypes that we put for ourselves. So what does this mean? Why don't we look at the stories of trans-gender women who are taking advantage of the workers' union for their company? Why don't we look at the stories of trans-gender women who are taking advantage, taking up space and being asserted by themselves? Why don't we look at the stories of trans-gender women who took advantage of the workers' union and being asserted by themselves? We don't look at the stories of trans-gender women who are taking advantage of the workers' union and being asserted by themselves. These are the stories that we don't look at uniting with the trans-gender women and the LGBT community at large. We hope that we will be able to surface this and see that we are more than just the stereotypes that society has imposed upon us. Your question is really related to what you are reading now. The book that I am reading now, it is like I am reading a book that I am reading now. Anything you want to share, anything you want to share to our listeners about Bahag Hari or if you want to invite some future projects of Bahag Hari or even any message, especially to those who are currently in lockdown, etc. An important message that I want to convey to our listeners, members of organizations or those who are just listening to their stories. Let's go back to the story that the role of the people of the decision that has been made is very big and in reality, even if we are talented, and I am sure that we are all talented, even if we are a strong hope of a better nation, we will not be able to commit to uniting with each other. The most important thing in this time is to be organized. We will join the mass organizations such as Bahag Hari for the members of the LGBT community. Our place is in Pakeki Baka. That's all. This is the last request of our members, trans women. What is your message to the LGBTQ community and trans people? In the Philippines, we are faced with cases of abuse. In many instances, we are still being accused of victim blaming, even in the case of Jennifer Laude. A lot of people say that she is just crazy because Joseph Scott Bemberton deserves to die. We can see that this change is very important. My message to the members of the LGBT community, our backgrounds, like what I mentioned earlier, is that we are able to unite with other oppressed women. The sector we are in is for the children, the workers, the professionals, the scientists. We are able to unite and organize together in the same way. We can change the culture and the environment. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you to all of you who are here today. It's very appreciative and grateful. We are fans of the LGBT community and we are always in solidarity with you guys and women. Guys and girls. Thank you again. Thank you so much. We hope you enjoy that interview as much as we did. We would like to thank Carla of Bahag Hari for facilitating this interview. Of course, our gratitude and love go to Reval Morez Salinas. Mabuhay ka isa mapag palayang pandeyig digang araw laban sa homophobia, transphobia, and biphobia. Hello to our listeners. This is Clark Liness from Guntala Press. I'm a non-binary lesbian who likes to write poetry from time to time. In celebration of the international day against homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia, I will be reading one of my poems from my latest poetry collection entitled Recollections. The entire collection centers around my personal experience of dealing with heartbreak while also attempting to critique particular institutions, in this case religion, that still hinders us LGBT individuals in being able to be our true selves with each other. The poem I will be reading is entitled Revelation and I hope you enjoy. Revelation. Bless me, Father, for I have Father seal me shut with the penance. Carry what you have and return her back to him. I conceal into prayer and leave a space between my palms to whisper I have loved you. I seal it shut with the penance to sin no more. Revelation. Bless me, Father, for I have Father seal me shut with the penance. Carry what you have and return her back to him. I seal it shut with the penance. Carry what you have and return her back to him.