SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

RESEARCH SUBJECT AREA

COMPLETION OF RESEARCH

A Phenomenological Study on the Lived Experiences of LGBTQIA+

Alumni Students of a Filipino Catholic All-Boys Junior High School

Justin Kyle O. Aquino, Chelsea Zhiel S. Chua, Courtney Mae G. Langit, Reuben
Matteo A. Letaba, Gabriel Lorenzo D. Mactal, Almia Georgette G. Tumaneng

Grade 11-Hurtado, Humanities and Social Sciences

Submitted to the Research Subject Area in partial fulfillment of the requirements in Practical
Research at the Ateneo de Manila Senior High School, Loyola Heights 1108, Quezon City,
Philippines

May 2022

The authors hereby grant ASHS permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly paper
and electronic copies of this research manuscript in whole or in part in any medium now
known or hereafter created.

Certified by: ________________________________________________________________

Kristine B. Santiago
Faculty, Research Subject Area
Research Adviser

Accepted by: ________________________________________________________________

Richard Deanne C. Sagun
Coordinator, Research Subject Area
A Phenomenological Study on the Lived Experiences of LGBTQIA+
Alumni Students of a Filipino Catholic All-Boys Junior High School
Justin Kyle O. Aquino, Chelsea Zhiel S. Chua, Courtney Mae G.
Langit, Reuben Matteo A. Letaba, Gabriel Lorenzo D. Mactal, Almia
Georgette G. Tumaneng

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to determine and describe the in-school experiences
of LGBTQIA+ students in a Filipino Catholic all-boys junior high school. It
primarily intends to provide a peek into their firsthand viewpoints and conditions,
which similar schools’ administrations could be able to refer to in order to
become familiarized on how queer students are treated and to make choices,
changes, and concrete steps moving towards inclusivity. Using the
phenomenological approach, the study was able to look into the lived experiences
of six queer students who graduated from a Filipino Catholic all-boys junior high
school through online interviews and thematic analysis. The participants'
responses highlighted prevalent themes, such as their understandings of the
disparity and inconsistencies of Catholic teachings regarding queerness, the
inadequacy of discussions, learnings, and activities regarding SOGIESC in and
out of the formal classroom setting, homophobia in the school setting,
widespread support towards queer students, and the recommendations of queer
students on the school's treatment towards the LGBTQIA+ community. The
findings from this study demonstrated the importance of the institution’s
structures of support, actions towards inclusivity, and perception among queer
people in shaping the environments they learn and grow up in–especially in their
formative years. These responses from LGBTQIA+ students concluded that
despite the many negative experiences and damage done towards queer students
inside the school setting, there is still space for concrete change in the future for
more compassionate school response, institutionalized support, and continuos
pursuit of learning to be LGBTQIA+ friendly institutions. Additionally, the
Catholic school leaders and administrators are called to be active in engaging
with LGBTQIA+ students and hopefully exert an effort in supporting them.
Therefore, this study could prove to be helpful to Catholic schools nationwide.
Due to the lack of local studies about LGBTQIA+ high school students in the
Philippines, this study offers research implications.
Key words: Queer; LGBTQIA+; Catholic all-boys school; inclusivity;
phenomenology; Filipino

Introduction

Background of the Study

In light of the 21st century, the world has been changing to be more accepting of the
LGBTQIA+ community — people everywhere, especially the youth, have been coming out
under the queer umbrella. Queer representation in the media is starting to gain mainstream
status and the topic of queerness has reached some sense of normality in a lot of spaces for
discourse everywhere (Ayoub, 2018). Aside from the legalization of same-sex marriage in 29
countries worldwide and the implementation of laws to protect the rights of LGBTQIA+
folk, in the Philippines, the fight for the implementation of the Sexual Orientation, Gender
Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill, aimed at protecting the rights of queer and
non-queer Filipinos alike from discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation, has been
an indication of the budding support for the queer community in the country (Enacting the
Anti-Discrimination Based on SOGIE Act, 2020).

However, despite the recent efforts, society is still shadowed by the already present
discrimination against the queer community (LGBTQ Discrimination| Gender-Equality-Law,
n.d.). In some schools, queer students are accepted by fellow students, teachers, and the
administration itself. Heedless of this, conservative schools have been known to be a
breeding ground of disrespect and humiliation (Thoreson, 2016). For instance, in some
schools in the Philippines, many professors and administrative employees still say or do
something disrespectful to LGBT students although the students have expressed their
dissatisfaction (Tang & Poudel, 2018).

Every school has different policies regarding matters of discrimination. The ideal is
that any form of bullying is not accepted in all schools in the Philippines. Any type of
discrimination against race, age, physical appearance, and mental or physical disorders
ideally should not be tolerated by the school (On Addressing Discrimination | Department of
Education, 2021). In spite of this, there are cases where schools enable homophobia and
transphobia, especially in conservative identifying institutions. LGBT students are not seen
as valid because of their sexual orientation and gender identity (Tang & Poudel, 2018). Some
conservative schools turn a blind eye to these issues and tend to actively silence those
oppressed, or have a lack of agency when dealing with these issues (Thoreson, 2016).

LGBTQIA+ students’ interactions with other students and administrators have greatly
influenced their experiences in school. The constructivist worldview was applied by looking
at the lived experiences of the queer students to determine how schools support and receive
LGBTQIA+ students. We hold assumptions that individuals develop subjective meanings of
their experiences. We look into how these experiences are similar to each other, as well as the
complexity of views and opinions from people. The intent is to interpret the meanings other
people have about their lived experiences as queer students in schools.
Research Problems

After a quick scan on studies that feature LGBTQIA+ and Catholicism, it was found
that only a few research papers have been published. Additionally, most papers done on the
topic are in the context of a foreign country. A quick scan of studies found talks about the
challenges, problems, and discrimination experienced by queer individuals in institutions.
With that, this study seeks to shed light on the individual narratives of Filipino queer
Catholic junior high school. By focusing on the personal experiences of these queer students,
it aims to present a nuanced look into their firsthand perspectives and circumstances which
the school’s administration may use to gain insight into the treatment of these students and
the state of inclusivity of the school.

Significance of the Study

The study emphasizes the reception of said junior high school on LGBTQIA+
students and acknowledges that the students in junior high schools are adolescents who are at
their peak emotional development, thus, making it all the more important to bring light into
this topic and provide a platform for queer students in the Philippines. Additionally, the
findings of the study will aid schools in enforcing already established inclusive policies or
start establishing inclusive policies to create a better environment for LGBTQIA+ students.

Scope and Limitations

This study focuses on the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ students in a Catholic

junior high school. The scope of this study was specified by several limitations. The study's
parameters were further reduced by the concentration on Catholic all-boys junior high
schools. The sample size is another delimitation. While the response rate of six (6)
participants is considered at par for a phenomenological investigation, it would be possible
that the sample does not fully reflect the experiences of LGBTQIA+ students across Catholic
Schools in the country. Because of the possibility of distortion, the sample size may be
viewed as a limitation of this study as the researchers were not able to gather many
participants from different Catholic schools but rather focused on one. Additionally, as all the
participants graduated from the same high school, their experiences may be different from
those of LGBTQIA+ students in other Catholic high schools.

Review of Related Literature

The issues that the LGBTQIA+ community face are one of the problems that
sectarian institutions such as Catholic schools may have trouble addressing (Hughes, 2008).
Although support for the LGBTQIA+ community is continuously growing, there are still
existing forces opposing them (Ayoub 2019; Keleher & Smith, 2012; Hadler & Symons,
2018). Queer students experience inclusion by being accepted by a few members of the
institution, but this co-exists with harsh experiences of harassment and discrimination
(Bradlow, Bartram, Guasp, & Jadva, 2017; Evangelista, Swingler, Lido, & Bohan, 2021). In
Catholic schools, the students' experiences can be even more complex as religious traditions
may be a factor that affects their acceptance (Parodi-Brown, 2019). This Literature Review
will discuss the different issues that queer students face in Catholic School settings, as well
as how different facets of the school community—such as interactions among the students
themselves and the school administration—affect the students’ lived experiences.
Catholic Doctrine on Homosexuality

The Catholic View on Homosexuality has always been a topic of controversy, with the
Vatican describing it as “intrinsically disordered,” and that it should never be approved of; the
reasons being scriptures from the Bible, specifically Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13, I Cor
6:9, and Romans 1:18-32 (Bovone, 1986). This is reflected in the statements of the Catholic
Bishops' Conference of the Philippines as they continue to refer to homosexuality as a “trial”
given that they believe that it is unnatural, sins gravely against chastity, and echoes that it is
“objectively disordered” (CBCP 2015). Scholars also stated that conservative religious
beliefs are against homosexuality, and research suggested that individuality theology allows
evangelicals to combine their conservative beliefs with an opposition to socially
redistributive policies.

Homophobia from Other Students, Faculty, and Administration

Many LGBTQIA+ students have different experiences in Catholic Schools due to the
lack of legal protection, discrimination, and bullying among others. In a survey conducted by
Tang and Poudel (2018), a student was dragged by their classmate from the first floor of the
building to the fourth floor and some were even punched or slapped because of being gay.
Some students also experienced discrimination from the academic staff of the school.
Although students hold professors and administrative personnel in great respect, many of
them would still say or do anything offensive to queer students, notwithstanding the students'
stated discontent (Thoreson, 2016). Once, a professor refused to use the appropriate pronoun
for a transgender woman when she asked the professor to refer to her by she/her pronouns
(Tang & Poudel, 2018). This shows that bullying, such as verbal and physical violence
treatment, as well as discrimination against queer students, are evident and even enabled by
authority figures in schools. Analyzing the experiences of LGBTQIA+ students will help the
researchers identify what specific aspects affect the experiences of queer students in the
context of their Filipino Catholic all-boys junior high school.

Conservative Catholic School Policies on Queerness

Moreover, schools also enforce rigorous gender norms on students in a number of

ways: gendered uniforms or clothing standards, hair length requirements, gendered toilets,
classes and activities for boys and girls, and careful monitoring of same-sex friendships and
interactions (Thoreson & Lee, 2017). These restrictions affect the students, especially queer
students, who are often treated according to their biological sex rather than their gender
identity. That being said, schools associated with individualist religious traditions are not that
inclusive for the LGBTQIA+ community (Coley 2016). Following this, it is difficult for
Catholic schools to be inclusive because of the challenge to balance supporting their students
and maintaining their Catholic identity (Hughes 2008).

LGBTQIA+ Affirming Responses by School Administrations

Some high schools have already begun to act on the goal of making their school
environments a safe and validating space for LGBTQIA+ students. Since the success of
students is heavily influenced by their learning environment, many school administrators
have made it a point to provide an atmosphere of acceptance and compassion towards
students who would otherwise be discriminated against for their LGBTQIA+ identities.
Schools that promote LGBTQIA+-inclusive and supportive learning environments have
fewer student absences and higher academic achievement across grade levels according to
research (GLSEN, 2021).

These queer affirming responses include putting up signages and posters that display
support and security towards LGBTQIA+ students to let the student body know that the
school publicly protects and celebrates queer people (Bariles, n.d.). Moreover, publicly
implementing a vision and mission statement that cements and guides the school to be
accepting and compassionate towards LGBTQIA+ students sets concrete ideals that the
school administrators, teachers, and students will aim to uphold.

The presence of LGBTQIA+ organizations aimed to be a source of mutual support for

queer students also proves to have an impact on the school culture surrounding queer issues.
These organizations would be figureheads in the battle against homophobia by proactively
evaluating the student body and the school’s efforts as a whole.

Conclusion

As most studies focus on Catholic schools/universities’ policies and teachings

concerning queer students and issues, little research has been extensively done on queer
students’ lived experiences in these institutions (Bovone, 1986; Jonathan, 2007; Catholic
Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, 2015). The limited research that has been conducted
that is similar to this study has either been conducted with college students or has taken place
in foreign schools (Thoreson & Lee, 2017; Tang & Poudel, 2018, Parodi-Brown, 2019). With
this in mind, this study aims to focus on Filipino LGBTQIA+ students’ lived experiences in
their high school and how it has affected their lives. The study is designed to take place in
this environment as it tackles a more localized context toward the topic and aims to give
insight into how young queer adolescents, who are in their key mental and emotional
developmental stages, have been treated in this respective school (Morin, 2021). The study’s
localized aspect and focus on young adolescents’ lived experiences distinguishes it from
previous studies revolving around the topic and hopes to be able to provide an exclusive and
extensive look into these students’ experiences and stories. Because of the student body and
administration’s response to the LGBTQIA+ related issues in their school, this study aims to
spread awareness on the situation of students who are members of the LGBTQIA+
community in Catholic schools. This paper also aims to promote gender equality and protect
queer students from harassment in these schools.
Bronfenbrenner Theoretical Framework

Figure 1. Factors Affecting Queer Students in a Filipino Catholic All-Boys Junior High
School

Given that there are school policies that the students need to abide by, the school has a
direct influence on how their students are being treated. Depending on the school
administration’s decision, these policies may be inclusive or non-inclusive to the LGBTQIA+
community within their institution. Moreover, the teachings in Catholic schools about gender
identity and other similar topics may also affect how students are treated, as the school
decides whether to teach about homosexuality being a “sin” in accordance with their Catholic
identity.

Catholic schools frame their school policies on religious teachings (Philippe,

Hernandez-Melis, Fenning, Sears, McDonough, Lawrence, Boyle, 2017). One of the basic
guides in these religious teachings is the Bible, with people often referring to the scriptures
when it comes to the topic of morals. Catholic Social Teachings (CSTs) are also a guide for
such. Depending on how certain people interpret and/or understand the scriptures and CSTs,
they may either be supportive or against homosexuality; this is the same for Catholic schools.
Since this study intends to contribute to the Filipino perspective, the researchers decided to
include the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) as they are the ones who
give statements on certain issues; and are one of the most influential figures in the Philippines
when it comes to religion. Since Catholic schools frame their policies on religious teachings,
statements made by the CBCP are bound to influence the school’s decisions.

Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory was used as it tackles how social

environments influence human development which corresponds with the goal of this paper.
Research Methods

Profile of the Participants

The profile of the participants in the study were as follows: they are 18 years of age or
above, graduated from a Catholic all-boys high school, and identify as queer or identified as
queer when they were in high school. The study aims to focus on the lived experiences of
students in a Catholic all-boys high school, however, because of ethical reasons and the
sensitivity of the issue the paper is revolving around, the participants are required to be of age
(18+). Moreover, since the study is centered on the LGBTQIA+ community, the participants
as mentioned either have to identify as queer or have identified as queer when they were still
in high school. The researchers recognize that gender and sexuality is fluid and not constant,
so the participants were still qualified to participate if they were queer in high school but not
at present. The researchers found their participants through purposive and snowball sampling.

Location of the Study

The study is conducted in the Philippines during the second semester. Because of the
pandemic, the researchers had to consider the health and safety of the participants, therefore,
Google Meet was used as a platform to perform the data collection. The Google Meet
meeting was pre-scheduled and was sent to the participants a week before the actual date of
the interview.

Research Instruments

The phenomenological approach to this research paper stands as the most effective
framework to analyze connections between the shared experiences of the participants. It was
carried out through interviews concerning being a queer student in a Catholic all-boys school.
This method falls in line with the group’s research question of how LGBTQIA+ students are
received in the environment of said high school. In the interpretation of the lived experiences
of the participants, the researchers were able to begin understanding the themes of this
phenomenon.

The main topics that the researchers explored are the relationships and experiences of
the participants with their fellow students and their relationship with the administration.

The researchers credit the dissertation in practice of Joseph A. Parodi-Brown, “Being

LGBT in a Catholic School: Understanding Students’ Lived Experience to Influence School
Leadership Practice'' for their interview questions which were also utilized and inspired in the
consequent interviews of this study. Their fourteen (14) interview questions explored themes
of support in the school for LGBTQIA+ students, homophobia or transphobia, their responses
to oppression, and the discussion of gender and sexuality in the classroom setting which were
similar to the themes we wanted to further study.

Implementation and Data Collection

The researchers scouted and recruited participants through purposive and snowball
sampling. After sending formal invitations to the prospective participants’ respective emails,
they went through screening which was done through Google Forms. When they fully qualify
to be a participant in the study, the Informed Consent Forms were disseminated among them
along with the interview questions a month before the interview proper. Then, when they
confirmed their participation by sending back to the researchers their Informed Consent
Forms, they were asked to pick a day within the researchers’ Data Collection week
(tentatively scheduled on March 28, 2022 – April 1, 2022) for their interview schedule. They
were sent a Google Meet invitation through Google Calendar. The researchers conducted
online interviews and these were recorded with the consent of the participants. Only one
interview session per participant was done, with each one lasting no longer than 50 minutes.
The data collected from the interviews was transcribed and stored in a restricted Google Docs
and Google Drive folder, only accessible to the researchers themselves.

Figure 2. Data Collection Process

Data Analysis

The study of meaning patterns is known as thematic analysis. Braun and Clarke’s
analysis states that it is about examining the data set's themes to find interpretation. It is best
when studying subjective information of a participant, such as their experiences, opinions,
and ideas using the data obtained from interviews and surveys. Transcribing, reading and
familiarization, coding, looking for themes, studying themes, identifying and labeling themes,
and concluding the analysis are the seven processes of this approach. This type of analysis
allowed the researchers to find recognized patterns and relationships to answer their study's
research question. Thematic analysis was utilized in this study as it is best suited for
analyzing most types of qualitative data. It entails searching among a data set, pinpointing,
examining, and recording its patterns. It helped the researchers determine and study the
similarities in the lived experiences of their interviewees. In this way, the researchers were
able to analyze the data collected accurately and answer their study's research question.

Ethical Considerations

The participants were given Informed Consent Forms one month before the actual
interview. In the consent form, the risks and benefits of participating in the study were listed.
Participation in this study was voluntary and the participants were allowed to withdraw at any
time. They were also allowed to skip any question that might have made them feel
uncomfortable. The interview was to be stopped immediately should the participants
experience extreme distress. They were also to be referred to Mr. Marlon Buena or anyone
from the Ateneo Senior High School guidance team for consultation and counseling.
Moreover, the study was approved by the Research Subject Area in ethical considerations
through the AdMUREC 13 and AdMUREC 12.5 and received a clearance to continue the
study.

The researchers are not to reveal their participants’ identities—their names, ages, and
all other information that was gathered during the interview. These were only used for
research purposes, not for personal gain. The said information was kept confidential in
Google Drive files that only the researchers have access to. After conducting the study, the
research data is to be immediately destroyed.

Results and Discussion

Research Question and Major Findings

This study poses the question: In a Filipino Catholic all-boys junior high school, what
are the lived realities and perspectives of LGBTQIA+ students? The researchers identified
five themes reflecting the lived experiences of their respondents through their respective
interviews; these themes tackle the role that the Catholic religion plays in education regarding
gender and sexuality, queer issues, homophobia in the school system, the support that the
school’s queer community receives, and recommendations of these queer graduate students
on how to create a more inclusive institution. Although positive experiences were identified
by some of the participants throughout their stay in the institution, a great majority shared
negative experiences that were related to their own experiences in queerness and the issues
that stem from LGBTQIA+ identities in the environment. Findings of this study suggest that
most lived experiences of the queer community have a common denominator of
noninclusion. It appears that Catholic schools still have room for improvement in their
systems regarding queer inclusivity.

Major Findings and Its Importance

The Disparity and Inconsistencies of Catholic Teachings Regarding Queerness

It is stated and echoed in Catholic dogma, teachings, and documents such as the
Catholic Church’s Catechism that homosexual acts are seen as “intrinsically immoral and
contrary to the natural law,” as well as describing homosexual propensity as “objectively
disordered” (Bovone, 1986). These ideas and institutional teachings have implications on the
experiences of Catholic school students, much like the participants of this study. Echoing
these values, participants share what they retained from their Catholic upbringing with
statements such as, "Gay is completely natural, but acting on your impulses as a gay person
was told to be wrong." Another participant stipulated the understanding that "When you act
on your homosexual tendencies and your homosexual needs, you are not being a chaste
person, and not practicing chastity was something that was frowned upon." Therefore,
disparities arose regarding the notion of natural and unnatural queerness and the
condemnation of homosexual acts separate from the homosexual person. Due to these
contradicting ideas about how God perceives LGBTQIA+ people and especially Catholics,
the theme of how the Christian God loves people conditionally is perpetuated by how the
people of the Catholic church treat, speak, and perceive queer people.

Inadequate Discussions and Engagements Regarding Queer Issues and SOGIESC in and out
of the Formal Classroom Setting
 In essence, there was a severe lack of extensive and effective teachings regarding
SOGIESC in the formal classroom setting and in extracurricular activities and organizations
within the school. According to the participants’ testimonies, there would be “barely'' any
coverage of the topic in the academic, guidance, and extracurricular curriculum; “if not
barely, none at all.” In the minimal learnings that they would undergo regarding topics that
related to SOGIESC, the style and content of the school’s teachings regarding these matters
were considered “outdated and inaccurate” due to the coverage being limited only to
heteronormative and binary standards. Most of these teachings would be non-inclusive of
LGBTQIA+ individuals, with some participants even considering the teachings encountered
to be “out-of-line and uncalled for” as there would be topics of discussion invalidating or
downplaying students’ personal experiences with their sexuality.

Overall, the participants evaluated the pedagogy concerning SOGIESC to be

drastically lacking in exposure, inclusivity, conciseness, and respect towards the LGBTQIA+
community. It was commonly accepted that there was a serious deficiency in the formal and
informal outlets of learning in the school when it came to sexuality and queer issues as a
whole.

Homophobia in the School Setting

Due to the absence of teachings regarding sexual orientation inside formal classroom
settings, oppression against students who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community in Catholic
schools is prevalent. Cisgender heterosexual students often show prejudice against queer
students by verbally abusing them, for instance, calling them “bading” in a negative way,
ridiculing them behind their back, or throwing around derogatory terms directed towards
them. The abuse, unfortunately, does not stop there, as students would go as far to assault gay
students physically—wherein one participant shared their experience on how rocks were
thrown at them and their friend just because they are gay, that it has reached the point where
it caused bleeding. Not only do the students engage in homophobic activity, but the teachers,
too, join in the culture of homophobia as they tolerate this kind of behavior. Alongside the
toleration of homophobia, educators have had their own share of oppression—as a participant
mentioned that one of their teachers picked on queer students and would judge their SOGIE
in front of the entire class.

In response to the homophobic cases stated, the school tolerated such acts by being
indifferent and failing to make any concrete actions against queerphobia, which was
worsened by the fact that the institution practiced victim-blaming, with a participant stating
“for victim blaming kunwari may issue and then they would turn it against the queer student
who was like victimized, and be like parang… maybe if you didn’t act that femininely
ganon” so much so that it even went to the extent of giving sanctions to students not fitting
the gender norm: “The teacher got mad at them because they were not supposed to be fanning
themselves. It was like a hidden sort of agenda na ‘It’s not hot why are you fanning
yourself?’ It was more like ‘That’s very feminine of you, please stop that,’``''They got
sanctioned for acting feminine and like bringing a fan.” As said by the participants, the
teachers contributed to the tolerated homophobia by being openly homophobic and making it
clear that they will not help the queer student: “We could not report any of these incidents
because our cluster coordinator was also not so very supportive. He would not take this in for
us, he would not help us,” “If anything, the teachers enforced that kind of talk. Nakikisali sila
e. They’d tell them ‘Oh sir, ganito si [REDACTED].’ and stuff like that and chichikahan nila
yung iba.” Additionally, the student body had—what Participant #4 referred to as—a “culture
of silence” which essentially meant that students do not talk about the homophobia
cultivating in their school, and so, student leaders lacked the initiative to do anything about
queerphobia-related issues: “Nobody really talked about it, so I can’t say that there were any
initiative from class leaders or student leaders who addressed queer issues.” The bad
reception the school community and the school’s institution had for their queer students
created the notion that no one would help the LGBTQIA+ students against homophobia
which caused the queer students to opt not to report homophobic acts done to them: “Because
of this victim blaming thing, 'yung mga ibang incidents, hindi na nare-report because of the
fear of being blamed as a victim,” “We literally could not report any of these so I just had to
confine myself to the other person,” “I never brought it to officials because I didn’t—I was
also conditioned into thinking that it was something that was not that important.”

Support towards Queer Students

Amidst all of the instances of homophobia that the queer community faces in the
institution, they received some support from the school community—from their peers and
teachers. "Teachers were very welcoming," "People in my batch would watch out for each
other," the participants stated. Additionally, participants also claimed that there was solidarity
among the queer community, as "Queer students uplifted each other—as it was an experience
only they could understand." The support that queer students received from the school
community shaped a positive experience for them as it made them feel accepted and
comforted—"Mostly, we’re connected in one way or another. We’re not shunning other
people, we’re not discriminating against queer people or nonqueer people."

However, participants claimed that there were a lack of extracurricular activities and
institutionalized support for the queer community. The participants stated that while it is
important that the school community supports their queer brothers and sisters, it is equally
important to point out that the institution, too, shall exert the same amount of effort in
supporting their queer students.

Recommendations of Queer Students on the School's Treatment towards the LGBTQIA+

Community

Across all of the interviews, the most universal experience was the school’s treatment
towards the LGBTQIA+ community in the school. The participants shared their opinions on
the school’s inclusivity towards the queer community. This tackles their viewpoint and
recommendation towards the institution’s approach, inclusivity, response, and regulations for
queer students. All participants unanimously responded that schools must take a more active
effort to create a more inclusive environment towards queer people and added that
institutions must become more open and accepting of them—"There should’ve been
initiatives to make those queer people in the school feel safe.” "Work on creating a safer
space for queer people in junior high school,” one participant stated.

Furthermore, they also shared their experience about the institution’s response to
queer concerns. Most of them answered that they experienced a negative response from the
school which led to homophobic tendencies. In addition to this, for instances of issues, the
institutions would turn it against the queer student who was a victim of the incident. Hence,
some incidents went quiet and unreported due to the fear of being victim-blamed. Lastly, the
policies made for the haircut of the students resulted in a restriction of expression and showed
how the school failed to be inclusive for queer students as they fail to allow their students to
express themselves the way they want to.

Relationship of Findings with Other Studies

Parodi-Brown’s study entitled “Being LGBT in a Catholic School: Understanding

Students’ lived experience to influence School Leadership Practice'' suggests that the
individual members of their school were supportive, and overall, their participants recall their
time at the school to be pleasant. However, they unanimously agreed that the school as a
whole should have implemented more support. Rather than reacting, Catholic school
administrators must be active in engaging with LGBTQIA+ students, and the results and
recommendations in their study provide a framework for doing so (Parodi-Brown, 2019).
However, this study also found that the majority of the participants mentioned that they did
not have a welcoming experience in the school’s environment, which at times was explicitly
hostile or discriminatory towards them, and that just a few members of the institution were
supportive. Likewise, this study supports this finding because most participants stated that the
institution moving forward must put acceptance and inclusivity at the forefront.

Tang & Poudel’s study entitled, “Exploring challenges and problems faced by LGBT
students in Philippines: A qualitative study,” suggests that the environment their participants
were placed in was combative and averse towards queer students. In most of their
participants’ accounts, students experienced physical violence and verbal abuse from their
peers. In addition to this, they mentioned that they also generally experienced discrimination
from academic staff and formators. Likewise, their study found within the participants’
accounts that queer students were often victims of verbal insults that usually took the form of
jokes and jeers, and at times even experienced severe physical assault that caused injury and
bleeding. Teachers would also often downplay the verbal discrimination experienced by
queer students and would enforce heteronormative standards among them. In contrast, it was
also found in this study that, aside from other queer individuals, class moderators and
counselors would usually be the first responders of support for queer students and would
safeguard them from the discrimination found among the students’ peers.

Limitations of the Study

The study attempted to answer the question: What are the lived experiences of
LGBTQIA+ students in a Filipino Catholic all-boys junior high school? Although the
research question was answered, the study is lacking in terms of the variety of participants.
The researchers were only able to contact six (6) participants who happened to graduate from
the same junior high school in an urban area. Even though the chosen participants are alumni
of the same school, this had not become a major issue as each participant had a unique
experience from their alma mater. The researchers believe that the study would become more
fruitful if they have found participants from different schools in both rural and urban areas, as
it would also cover the lived experiences of queer students at other schools. Another
limitation could be the lack of variety of the participants with regards to how they identify on
the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. Out of six (6) participants, only one identified as a trans woman
while the rest defined themselves as cisgender. The researchers recognize that queerness is
ever fluid and can be unbound by societal expectations of the gender binary.
Future Studies

The study included only a small pool of six (6) participants, who all graduated from a
Catholic all-boys junior high school in the Philippines’ urban area, so the researchers find
that it is likely that including schools from rural areas would yield more relevant findings, as
having a larger pool of participants that come from varying schools in different locales may
aid in painting the national lived experience of queer students in the Philippines.
Furthermore, in future pursuit, it is suggested that participants also include people who
identify under the non-binary umbrella with the intention of creating a more diverse and
represented pool of lived experiences. The lack of education on gender identity as well as the
tolerated bad treatment on queer students are some of the significant themes that arose in the
study. Schools, in general, are where one may expect to learn about the important and
relevant aspects of life and Catholic high schools are where one may expect to learn values
and morals, therefore the researchers were prompted to ask “Why is there a lack of education
on gender identity? Why is queer-targeted discrimination and harassment tolerated? Does
Catholicism play a role in these? If so, how?” Focusing on these questions as well as
including quantitative data in future studies may offer insights that will further help in
illustrating the reality of queer students in the Philippines.

Conclusion

There are different understandings of the teachings of the Catholic Church with
regards to queerness, with most of these understandings being conservative and uninclusive
to the LGBTQIA+ community. Because of this, the majority of the lived experiences of
LGBTQIA+ students in a Filipino all-boys Catholic junior high school are negative.
Although there is support that stems from a more inclusive understanding of the Catholic
Church’s teachings—saying that God’s love is unconditional regardless of gender—it is the
minority, and it stands against queerphobia from the institution, queerphobia from the student
body in the form of verbal or physical bullying, and queerphobia from the teachers.
Evidently, there is still much that needs to be done to improve the reception towards
LGBTQIA+ students in a Filipino all-boys Catholic junior high school. In light of the
participants’ answers, the three main steps towards inclusivity are to abolish school
regulations that hinder gender expression, improve the curriculum on SOGIE, and create or
be a safe space for LGBTQIA+ students.

Acknowledgment

We would like to thank all those who supported us from the start to the end of this
research paper. Thank you to the Research Subject Area for the lectures which always
directed us to the right path throughout the whole process. To all of our participants, we are
extremely grateful for all of you. And to Ma’am Santiago, thank you for your guidance, your
suggestions, your consultations, and your encouragement and validations. You have been
with us in every step of the journey and helped us make the right step forward in times when
we were completely lost. Your patience and support have made this all possible. From the
bottom of our hearts, thank you.
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