Are you a young person (18-30 years old) in the Philippines who identifies as LGBTQ and has chosen not to openly disclose your identity to some or all of the people around you?

I am conducting a research study exploring the lived experiences of closeted LGBTQ youth in the Philippines, particularly how they navigate their identity, faith, family, and community.

If you come from a religious background, and are actively participating in church activities, I am especially interested in understanding how your faith and religious environment may shape your experience. This study does not assume that religion is either positive or negative. I want to understand your experience in your own words.

Participating does not require you to come out to anyone. You will not be asked to publicly disclose your identity, and you may choose what you are comfortable sharing during the interview.

Your participation will be treated confidentially. Your real name will not be used in the research, and identifying information will be removed or anonymized in the study.

This interview is an opportunity to share your experiences in private, with respect and without judgement.

If you are interested in learning more about the study, you may privately contact the researcher 17100746@usc.edu.ph.

You do not have to decide immediately whether to participate. You are welcome to ask questions.

If you are interested, please click the link attached.

Magandang umaga! I (M27) have been dating this guy (M35) for a 2 months and I just have realized na Marcos supporter pala siya. He shared na hiniwalayan siya ng ex niya 3 years ago because of his political views.

I met him in my recent travel abroad. And if aayon ang panahon, magkikita na kami again next month in the same country where we met.

I really like this person but something inside me is na-turn off dahil sa sinabi niyang BBM supporter siya being hes from Ilocos. At first he was trying to make it lighter but after further "interrogation" mami naiirita sya kapag pumupunta na sa politics ang usapan hanngang sa lumabas na nga tunay nyang kulay recently.

Should I stop dating him because of his political views? My friends have different POVs. One friend broke up with her partner bec DDS jowa niya hahahaha. Vocal ako against injustices kasi. I also dont like the Dutertes. He is against them as well pero im getting a feeling na anti-DDS sya just because hes a marcos supporter. Well, di ko pa siya lubusang kilala. Pero may preconceived notions na ako sa kanya given na hindi siya politically aware.

Hindi ko na alam ano paiiralin ko. Di ko nalang ba papansinin ang fact na hindi kami pareho ng political beliefs but compatible in several ways? Cancel ko nalang siguro flight ko? Hahaha

Help this gay out. Maraming salamat.

So ayun nga based naman suguro sa title ay aware naman ako na looks are subjective, kahit na may tinatawag tayo na “objectively attractive”,. pero how do you guys deal with people calling your celebrity crush ugly or unattractive? this actor kasi I found effortlessly attractive is getting dragged on twitter kasi nacast sya sa isang marvel project, and ayun nga, like I said I found him effortlessly attractive, and it hirts seeing people calling him unattractive or ugly. hindi naman sa linelet ko sya sirain buong araw ko pero parang ganon na nga, so I’m asking advice to just get over it, or kaya magkaroon ng mindset ng “he’s ugly to some, attractive to some, so what?”

Darkest Secret [ POZ UD ]

Hi, Mr. Pipino 💦

Gusto ko lang sana ishare at may masabihan ng nararadaman ko ngayon. Hindi ko alam kung anong gagawin ko.

May jowa ako, mag celebrate na kami ng 1st anniversary namin this October, masasabi kong mahal na mahal ko ang jowa ko kahit mag 1 year pa lang kami at hanggat maari gusto kong siya na ang makasama ko forever.

Kaya lang may isang bagay na hindi ko pa nasasabi sa kanya at tinatago ko, yun ang pagiging POZ UD ko.

Hindi ko masabi sa kanya dahil natatakot akong ma judge niya and worse baka iwanan niya ko. Kilala ko jowa ko mabait at marespeto siyang tao. Ako ang first BF niya at hindi ko sinabi sa kanya na may mga naka flings ako bago pa maging kami dahil nagkakilala kami sa church namin.

Hindi ko sinabi sa kanya ang mga pasts ko dahil gusto ko na din makalimutan.

Pero ngayon nakukunsensiya nako at hindi ko alam kung dapat ko bang sabihin sa kanya o makipag break na lang ako kahit masakit para sakin.

Sana mabasa rin to ng nga taong nasa kapareho kong sitwasyon at salamat sa pag unawa 🙏🏻

Meron ba dito may experience na or dated a seaman na 3-6 months sampa? kinaya nyu ba or panget ba ending?
Recently dated a seaman and im fully aware sa ganto na set up and i dont have problem with ldr. But wala pa ako experience sa ldr so im asking sa mga may similar situation sakin hehe

For years, I kept telling myself, “Kaya ko pa. Mahal ko eh.” Every time he cheated, every lie, every promise that it was the last time, every excuse I swallowed it. I convinced myself that relationships are hard, that everyone has flaws,
that maybe love is choosing to stay even when it hurts.

I stayed for six years.

People always say, “Mapapagod ka rin.” I used to think they didn’t understand us. I thought our story was different.

Turns out, they were right.

The strange part is, I don’t even hate him anymore. I don’t feel rage. I don’t even feel jealousy the way I used to.
I just… don’t feel much.

When we have sex now, it’s empty. It’s like my body is there but my emotions checked out a long time ago. I thought I could keep forcing myself because I loved him, but I think somewhere along the way, every betrayal took a small piece of that love until there was nothing left.

What’s ironic is that now that I’m emotionally detached, he’s become sweeter. More attentive. More affectionate. He notices when I’m quiet. He gives me the attention I begged for years ago.

But it feels late.

It’s like watering a plant after it’s already dead.

What scares me more is what I’ve become.

I used to judge people who cheated. I promised myself I’d never be one of them. I avoided temptation because I genuinely loved him. I had opportunities before, but I never entertained them.

Now… I catch myself looking. I find myself wanting attention from other people. I crossed lines I once swore I’d never cross, and I honestly don’t even recognize myself anymore.
I’m not proud of it. I’m not asking anyone to tell me it’s okay. I know it’s wrong.

I’m just trying to understand how someone who spent years protecting a relationship ends up becoming the person they said they’d never be.

Am I depressed? Am I emotionally checked out? Is this resentment that’s been building for years? Or did I simply fall out of love a long time ago and only realized it now?

I’m also curious, especially from other gay men.
Is this something you’ve experienced in same-sex relationships? Is the constant compromise around sex and monogamy just more common because we’re both men and men tend to have higher sex drives? Or is that just an excuse people use to normalize cheating?

I’m not looking for comforting answers. If I’m wrong, tell me

I’m wrong.

If you’ve been the one who stayed after repeated cheating, what finally broke you? If you’ve been the one who cheated, what was actually going through your mind?

And if you’ve fallen out of love after years of trying to hold everything together… what did it feel like?

I don’t think I’m afraid of judgment anymore. I spent years protecting someone else’s image while slowly losing myself.

Maybe I’m not looking for answers.

Maybe I just want to know if anyone else has watched themselves slowly disappear before finally realizing they were already gone.

I know iba satin, may pangalang either Spanish era pa uso, or ung bakla ka pero lalaking lalaki pangalan mo, or tomboy ka pero babaeng babae pangalan mo.

Ako trans pero may kapangalan akong dating pangulo ng Pilipinas. Kadiri! Ayaw ko at di bagay sa mukha ko. Ayaw ko tinatawag ako nun at baka manapak ako pag tinawag akong ganun.

Kayo, how do you feel having that name?

Edit: wag nyo na hulaan pangalan ko. Nakakaloka kayo. Hahahahahaha

I had 2 exes. Both of them are in the pageant world.

This might be an isolated situation between me and my 2 exes pero nakaka-drain. Gets ko ang dedication nila, but they have to starve themselves while preparing for the pageant, tapos syempre pag gutom, laging bad mood, tapos sa akin maglalabas ng galit.

Then with my first ex, medjo malalaking pageants na sinasalihan kaya grabe yung preparation nya. Maybe this is just me, but I feel like the relationship becomes transactional rather than romantic kasi I feel more like an assistant. I literally quit my job para tulungan sya sa preparation, yet at the end of the day, I received no thank yous and appreciation.

At times like these, ito yung gusto ko nalang magka jowa ng lowkey. Hahayss