{"id":78871,"date":"2024-06-22T14:40:17","date_gmt":"2024-06-22T14:40:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/22\/drag-goes-mainstream-in-the-philippines-a-bastion-of-christianity\/"},"modified":"2024-06-22T14:40:17","modified_gmt":"2024-06-22T14:40:17","slug":"drag-goes-mainstream-in-the-philippines-a-bastion-of-christianity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/22\/drag-goes-mainstream-in-the-philippines-a-bastion-of-christianity\/","title":{"rendered":"Drag Goes Mainstream in the Philippines, a Bastion of Christianity"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align:center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1050\" height=\"550\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/06\/10\/multimedia\/00philippines-drag-01-fwqc\/00philippines-drag-01-fwqc-facebookJumbo.jpg?fit=1050,550&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Drag Goes Mainstream in the Philippines, a Bastion of Christianity\" title=\"Drag Goes Mainstream in the Philippines, a Bastion of Christianity\" \/><\/div><p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Before he put on the glittery neon yellow tasseled jumpsuit, donned the yellow wig, and lip synced and danced onstage under colorful spotlights, Paul Hidacan went through his preshow routine in a busy dressing room. He pulled out a small white Bible from his bag, sat down and read a verse.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cI grew up in my church,\u201d said Mr. Hidacan, 21, who has attended service in cropped tops, skirts and boots, and started performing in drag last year. \u201cI know there are some who raise their brows when they see me, but the pastors accept me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In many places in the Philippines, drag is becoming more mainstream, and more popular. It is no longer confined to comedy bars, gay pageants and L.G.B.T.Q. spaces. New clubs devoted to drag are opening. Drag queens are on fashion magazine covers, and are pitching name-brand products like MAC Cosmetics, Shell gasoline, Durex condoms and Samsung phones. Students of at least one public university recently held a drag competition.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The new visibility of the art form has come largely because of changing mores around religion and gender, as well as the runaway success of the global TV franchise \u201cRuPaul\u2019s Drag Race.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">But for many performers, drag is not only a cultural phenomenon, but also a political statement promoting social justice and gay rights that they hope will transform Philippines society even more.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The Philippines is one of the <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/short-reads\/2019\/04\/01\/the-countries-with-the-10-largest-christian-populations-and-the-10-largest-muslim-populations\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">biggest majority-Christian nations in the world<\/a>. Roughly 80 percent of its population is Roman Catholic, and abortion is a crime. It is one of only two countries in the world where divorce remains illegal. Homosexuality is not illegal here, as it is in many other nations in the region, but there are few legal protections for gay Filipinos. Same-sex unions are not allowed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Yet, expressions of gay identity are more welcome in the Philippines than in many other Asian nations. And surveys show that support for the gay minority is rising.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cWhat we are seeing is a transformation of what it means to be Catholic or Christian for the youth, who are looking for authenticity,\u201d said Jayeel Cornelio, a sociologist of religion at the Ateneo de Manila University. \u201cSometimes they find this outside the institution or traditional practices.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Still, the church remains influential. More than two decades after a bill that would bar discrimination against L.G.B.T.Q. people was introduced, it remains stuck in the Philippines\u2019 Congress. There are laws protecting the rights of other groups, like women, children and Indigenous people.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Hidacan grew up in a religious family and was told to \u201ccontrol his gayness.\u201d But he defied these calls and pushed ahead into drag with a persona he calls Zymba Ding. The moniker is a play on Simba, the \u201cLion King\u201d character, and the Filipino word bading, which means gay.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cZymba is not my alter ego,\u201d Mr. Hidacan said. \u201cShe is an extension, a revelation of what Paul can do without religious restrictions,\u201d he added, referring to himself.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Hidacan is part of a new generation of drag artists. Like him, many of them are gay men in their teens or early 20s and are known as baby queens.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Timmy Flores, 19, started performing as Abigaile four years ago when he was a student at a Catholic high school. Like many artists working during the pandemic, he livestreamed his performances on Facebook, and the audience offered tips. Mr. Flores, who is gay, kept performing despite the opposition of his family members who wanted him to undergo conversion therapy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cDrag is not just entertainment,\u201d he said, while fixing another artist\u2019s long blonde wig before a show at the Rampa Drag Club in Quezon City. \u201cThe mere fact that a man dresses as a woman in public is already a form of defiance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">A few performers, like Samantha Palambiano, are straight women. \u201cDrag is an art form and a means of self-expression,\u201d said Ms. Palambiano, who performs as Kieffy Nicole. \u201cDrag is genderless.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">It is also a thriving business.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cThere\u2019s a really big market for drag now,\u201d said Loui Gene Cabel, an owner of the Rampa Drag Club, which opened in January. \u201cStraight females are now the main audience.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">He added: \u201cBefore, drag performances were just intermission numbers. Now people go to clubs for them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The rising popularity of drag has already helped changed some opinions. The siblings of the gay male artist who has performed as Arizona Brandy for a decade did not approve of drag. Her sister, at one point, gathered pastors to pray over her and convert her. But after Ms. Brandy reached the final round of the second season of \u201cDrag Race Philippines\u201d last year, her brother started supporting her.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cThe Philippines is slowly moving forward,\u201d said Ms. Brandy, whose legal name is Genesis Vijandre. \u201cDrag isn\u2019t limited by gender identity \u2014 both for performers and the audiences.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Many in the Philippines were enthralled by the run of Marina Summers, a prominent Filipino drag queen, in the second season of \u201cRuPaul\u2019s Drag Race: UK vs The World.\u201d Throngs of people queued outside the theater where she held a viewing party and show in March.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cDrag queens are excellent performers,\u201d said Imelda Del Carmen, 56, a fan of Ms. Summers. \u201cThey make people happy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Drag performers do face some risks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Amadeus Fernando Pagento, whose drag name is Pura Luka Vega, has been arrested twice and faces criminal charges of indecency and immorality for portraying Jesus Christ and performing a version of the Lord\u2019s Prayer in drag.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The case exposes the tension between the evolving views and entrenched legacies, said Athena Charanne Presto, who teaches sociology at the University of the Philippines.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cWhile more globally oriented younger generations may drive liberalization, the church\u2019s influence remains,\u201d Ms. Presto said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">But, she said, \u201cmany Filipinos find a way to reconcile faith and support for diverse identities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In Tago, a rural town in the southern province of Surigao del Sur, Leord Abaro, 16, recently discovered drag through YouTube. Soon after, he started buying makeup and learning how to tuck his genitals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">His first performance in drag, as Macchaia Ra, came in February, in the middle of his small school that lies in the middle of a valley. He donned a waist-length wig and lip synced to the Taylor Swift song \u201cBlank Space.\u201d In an interview a few weeks later, he said, \u201cIt\u2019s just the start for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/06\/22\/world\/asia\/drag-popular-philippines.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Before he put on the glittery neon yellow tasseled jumpsuit, donned the yellow wig, and lip synced and danced onstage under colorful spotlights, Paul Hidacan went through his preshow routine in a busy dressing room. He pulled out a small white Bible from his bag, sat down and read a verse. \u201cI grew up in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":78872,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/06\/10\/multimedia\/00philippines-drag-01-fwqc\/00philippines-drag-01-fwqc-facebookJumbo.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[70780,70781,20269,43636,412],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78871"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78871"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78871\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78873,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78871\/revisions\/78873"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78872"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78871"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78871"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78871"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}