This is part of #KaraniwangLGBTQIA, which Outrage Magazine officially launched on July 26, 2015 to offer vignettes of LGBT people/living, particularly in the Philippines, to give so-called “everyday people” – in this case, the common LGBTQIA people – that chance to share their stories. As Outrage Magazine editor Michael David C. Tan says: “All our stories are valid – not just the stories of the ‘big shots’. And it’s high time we start telling all our stories.” Jela Jane, 22, was exposed to sex early. “Since Grade 4 pa, ga-sex na ko. Pa-BJ ra to (I have been e ..read more

Oo (Yes), the more HIV treatment hubs we have in the Philippines, then the more facilities Filipinos living with HIV can access. That’s the theory. That’s the dream. That’s the ideal. But – enough of the bullshit – when the hubs accredited by the Department of Health (DOH) do not have the capability and capacity to render the services needed by people living with HIV (PLHIV), they should NOT have been accredited in the first place. Otherwise, kung kailangan talaga sila i-accredit (Otherwise, if they really need to be accredited), then: The DOH should make sure they – eventually (and yeah, mak ..read more

Minority stress processes contribute to smoking health disparities in LGBTQIA populations. This is according to a study – “The Effect of Minority Stress Processes on Smoking for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Individuals: A Systematic Review” by Mirandy Li, Kelly Chau, Kaitlyn Calabresi, Yuzhi Wang, Jack Wang, Jackson Fritz, and Tung Sung Tseng – that appeared in LGBT Health. As it is, LGBTQIA individuals are already more likely to smoke than non-LGBTQIA individuals. “Smoking has been posited as a coping mechanism for LGBTQ individuals facing minority stress,” noted the researc ..read more

The last time me and Tar had a big partee-related fight was years ago, when – after yet another two-to-three-day drug-addled session with his meth/shabu-slamming addicted friends – he returned home and started over-analyzing everything. This over-analysis was grounded on his guilt. “I feel guilty.” “I am hurting you… and I don’t feel anything by doing this.” “It’s tiring to always say sorry.” “I can’t live like this.” His “solution” at that time was for us to break up… at least, he said, until he got better. But the break up would have allowed him to be sugapa (hopeless addict), though this ti ..read more

Disunited States of America? After the administration of US president Joe Biden released a regulation prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and gender identity in health programs and activities, the rightwing Republican governor of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, declared that the state will not comply with the anti-discrimination federal regulation. The Biden regulation clarifies Title IX, sex discrimination law originally passed in 1972 to address women’s rights and applied to schools and colleges that receive federal money. This regulations bars discrimination ..read more

 While increasingly visible among adults, polyamory also exists among adolescents… but so does the stigma that can come with it. This is according to a study – “Polyamorous and ambiamorous adolescents: a first empirical look at mental health in an LGBTQ+ sample” by Traci K. Gill – that was published in Psychology & Sexuality. For this study, which tapped 323 youth ages 12 to 17 at an LGBTQ+ summer camp, found that 54, or about 16.7%, identified as polyamorous or ambiamorous, meaning they were open to either monogamous or polyamorous relationships. These “poly” and “ambi” youth reporte ..read more

Anticipated stigma has been linked to communication difficulties between transgender women living with HIV and HIV-related service providers. This is according to a study – “Anticipated Stigma and Social Barriers to Communication Between Transgender Women Newly Diagnosed with HIV and Health Care Providers: A Mediation Analysis” by Isabella Chypriades Junqueira Amarante, Sheri A Lippman, Jae M. Sevelius, et al – that appeared in LGBT Health. This study particularly wanted to assess whether anticipated stigma (i.e. fear of public mistreatment due to gender identity) impacts communication between ..read more

Sexual minority men experience intimate partner violence (IPV) at disproportionately high rates, and IPV among sexual minority men can be influenced by social and sexual identity. This is according to a study – “How Intimate Partner Violence Is Influenced by Social Identity Among Sexual Minority Men” by Owen Jessup, Carrie L. Nacht, Marianna Amato, et al – that appeared in LGBT Health. For this study, 23 sexual minority male participants were recruited from online community settings and one LGBTQ+ organization in Los Angeles, with 10 providers recruited from LGBTQ+ organizations. After intervi ..read more

For many employees, balancing their professional and personal lives is an ongoing juggling act. Between caring for children, household duties, and succeeding at work, modern life can feel like a constant race against time. Thankfully, forward-thinking employers understand this struggle and are evolving their policies to empower staff with greater flexibility. Offering working parents and foster carers more agile options benefits everyone; staff feel supported, children receive dedicated care, and companies attract and retain talented people. Why Flexibility Matters Gone are the days when the s ..read more

Iraq’s parliament passed a bill that criminalizes same-sex relationships with jail terms from 10 and 15 years, and will also see transgender people or “men who intentionally act like women” be sentenced with up to three years in jail. The bill is actually amending the 1988 anti-prostitution law, a move being sold as needed to “help uphold religious values in the country.” Lesbian in an Arab world An earlier version of the bill was even more extreme, proposing capital punishment for those same-sex relationships. Other punishable acts in the bill include: minimum seven-year prison term for ..read more