We are Souls

In the pre colonized Philippines, there is no issue about genders. There is no Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,Transgender, Intesex, Queers and so on.  It is because the term LGBTIQ+ is a modern term to describe Homosexuality in this modern world. But as time past by, homosexuality as grown into LGBTIQ+ and now people of these group are fighting for their individual rights to exist as a Citizen of this world. Indeed that these People are still humans that have rights. And they have the right to be identified of who they are right now as everyone in this modern world are striving to be identified of who they want to be.

Long time ago before the time our Country has been colonized by Spain, being Homosexual is not an issue in the Community but instead the Homosexual people (or LGBTIQ+) are seen by the community with high respect and one example of this are the life of the Babaylan. Babaylan are male or female spiritual leaders that need to have both Feminine and Musculine energies in their life. In order to serve the people, a Babaylan must understand to meet the needs of its male and female members whether young or old. Our community before does not see people as people of Gender or Status. When people come to Babaylan, we welcome them and heal them as who they are. We do not see people as Male or Female. We do not see people as old or young. We do not see people as Rich or Poor. We do not see people in their colors, tribe, ethnicity, or nationality. What a Babaylan see in people are Souls.

Racial and Gender Identification began during the time of the Spanish Colonization in our Country. Spanish people love to put gender on everything as i remember a Spanish student of mine have told me that even spoon and fork that we use in the dining table has their gender such as the Spoon being female because it was called as “La Cuchara” and the Fork as male being called as “El Tinidor”. Such as we also call our selves as Filipino for male and Filipina for female. Notice the use of letter “o” for musculine gender and the letter “a” for feminine gender.

Gender identification and classification has been rampant during that era of our time. And this classification made them superior than the natives of our Country.  For them they are called them selves as Peninsulares because they were originally born in Spain that came to the Philippines. And the term Filipino is not really our identity but it was for the child of a Spanish Parents who gave birth to the Philippines. So technically a Filipino is a Child of a Spanish Mother and Father that been born in the Philippines during the time of Colonization. And for the natives we are called as Indio or Indegenta and we are seen by them as the lowest caste in our own mother land.

The Social Identification and classification in our Country is the greatest exploitation and oppression we are experiencing up to now. Modern Religion such as Christianity have tied the Free People of this land to bow down to their modern land and have forsaken the Native Gods of this land just to be exploited and oppressed.

Today in this modern times, we in Luntiang Aghama are rising up again to redeem our own Identity by resisting these powers that bind our people into confusion. We come here to heal and purge out the poison that the colonizers have feed unto our people, who is the Divine People of our Creator which is the May Ari!