The publication of Ladlad: An Anthology of Philippine Gay Writing in 1994 broke grounds and closets in Philippine culture and LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer and others) history.

With the number of gay people and writers I know coming from the Visayas, particularly Western Visayas, which consists of the provinces of Iloilo, Antique, Capiz, Aklan, Guimaras and Negros Occidental, there should have been a rich trove of gay writing. But of course, such literature could have been regarded taboo and trashy, a shameful expression that should be hidden and better destroyed, until the coming out of Ladlad.

The publication of Ladlad: An Anthology of Philippine Gay Writing in 1994 broke grounds and closets in Philippine culture and LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer and others) history. Edited by J. Neil Garcia and Danton Remoto, Ladlad contains poems, stories, essays and plays on gay experiences in the Philippines. It brought out and legitimized LGBTQ+ voices and experiences, long disregarded, discriminated against and erased, and it enriched Philippine literature further. The seminal book proved to be so popular that it led to Ladlad two in 1996 and Ladlad three in 2007.

Now, new collections gather the best of gay writings from Western Visayas and made evident that indeed gay literature from this region is thriving and a powerful force. The three chapbooks, collectively called Agitoy, were put together and edited by a young teacher, writer, critic and editor Noel Galon de Leon, and is published by the Iloilo City-based and independent Kasingkasing Press, which De Leon founded. They were aptly launched in June, the LGBTQ+ Pride 3Month, 2019.

Kasingkasing Press has been promoting Western Visayan literature and languages and thus Agitoy contains works in the region’s main languages — Hiligaynon, Aklanon or Akeanon and Kinaray-a — as well as Filipino and English, languages many writers in the region also use.

“In the Dark” by Glenn Sevilla Mas is one of the most significant contributions of the writer in exposing the fear experienced by a young gay child in the province.

A word used to degrade gay people and put them down is now reclaimed as a badge of pride.

“Agitoy used to be a derogatory term to me, a tease used to describe the agî — bakla, gay, effeminate homosexual in Hiligaynon. Now, I take it as a term of endearment,” said Ken Lerona whose poem, “Interruptus,” is included in the poetry volume.

“The term has a connotation in the culture of West Visayas. If one calls you ‘agitoy,’ it is an insult that means you appear to be a weak gay person in the eyes of other people. This connotation has been adapted to the mainstream culture and I want to change it. Instead of weakness, the collection offers the exact opposite: Voices of fearless writers from West Visayas writing in Hiligaynon, Kinaray-a, Filipino and English,” explained De Leon. “The role of literature is important in molding the consciousness of a person in terms of social discussions, and as editor, I chose to change the perception of the majority into seeing us as gay people that continuously fight for our rights as citizens of this country.”

The poetry volume of “Agitoy: West Visayan Gay Literature Sampler.”

Agitoy: West Visayan Gay Literature Sampler, Short Stories contains “Agi, Agi, May Putay sa Dahi” (Kinaray-a) by Alex C. delos Santos; “Darna is a Man” (English) by Kevin Pison Piamonte; “Ang Santo Nino na Walang Ulo” (Filipino) by John Iremil E. Teodoro and “Sa Pagtunod Sang Adlaw” (Hiligaynon) by Felino S. Garcia Jr.

“Included in this collection are some of the best Western Visayan writers. The four stories that can be read in this chapbook may be considered as the writers’ significant contribution not only to the field of regional literature but also to the ongoing discussion in understanding the issues of identity and gender in the community,” De Leon wrote in its introductory note. “This chapbook does not attempt to prescribe what is right or wrong with regard to the said issues. Instead, it mirrors and describes the lives of agi in and out and in as well as the space of Western Visayas — the agi who continue to communicate their own experiences to the public in the most creative way of writing.”

De Leon introduces Agitoy: West Visayan Gay Literature Sampler, Poetry thus: “Here are some of the most fearless voices among West Visayan writers. The poems mirror not only the writers’ craftsmanship in language, but also their awakened sensibilities in tackling social issues such as kaagian. May the voices and the poems in this collection serve as guide to understanding ourselves, the others and our nation. May these poems make way for the literature from the region to continue to thrive, while at the same time recognize and respect gender and identity.”

The collection features “Pagpatubo ka Gugma” by Norman T. Darap; “Tinukod-Pulong” by Jesus C. Insilada; “Sa Lugar nga Wala Pagsidlang kag Pagtunod” by Bryan Mari Argos; “Sa Mga Maulanon nga Gab-i” by Winston C. Gallo; “Para sa Gwapo nga Tupad ko sa Bus” by Michael Caesar Tubal; “Ngaran” by Alex C. de los Santos; “Sa Pagbënëk Kang Uran” by Elsed Togonon; “Singkwenta” by Macky Torrechilla; “Sapay Kang Gugma” by Julbert Paloma; “Foodfest by Reyson Peralta Samulde; “Lupa, Lalaki” by John Iremil E. Teodoro; “Pare Ko” by Jan Rae Aguilos; “Kambal na Bahaghari” by O Pomar Sabido; “To a Stranded Sailor” by Pietros Val R. Patricio; “Musings on the MRT” by Rei Hontanar; “Interrputus” by Ken Lerona; “2 Boys, Similar Experience” by Marvin Monfort and “You’ll Never Know When He’s Going to Die” by Gaga Range.

The third volume is the play In the Dark by Glenn Sevilla Mas.

A faculty member at the University of the Philippines High School in Iloilo and a member of Hubon Manunulat: West Visayan Writers, De Leon is fast emerging as a cultural mover in the region, organizing literary and cultural events and publishing works, ground-breaking for the region. With Agitoy, he adds another cultural milestone in Western Visayas. Here, he shares his thoughts and experiences in developing the gay anthology.

Roel Hoang Manipon (RHM): What inspired you to come out with Agitoy?

Noel G. de Leon (NGD): It is important to hear out everyone, especially the voices that are usually marginalized in society for a long time now. This has been my inspiration to start the project, Agitoy: West Visayan Gay Literature Sampler, that paved way to get some of the bravest voices together in Western Visayan literature, from my most adored writers — Alex de los Santos, John Iremil Teodoro, Felino S. Garcia Jr., Kevin Piamonte, and Glenn Mas — to my fellow contemporary writers — Norman T. Darap, Jesus C. Insilada, Bryan Mari Argos, Winston C. Gallo, Michael Caesar Tubal, Elsed Togonon, Macky Torrechilla, Julbert Paloma, Reyson Peralta Samulde, Jan Rae Aguilos, O Pomar Sabido, Pietros Val R. Patricio, Rei Hontanar, Ken Lerona, Marvin Monfort and Gaga Range. I want these regional voices to be heard as they carry the narratives and struggles of a gay person. These narratives could contribute to the discussion and understanding of gender and sexuality in the present time.

We have a lot of promising and politically conscious writers from all over the country. So, I took the time to complete this project, to convey that more than just being regional writers, we have something to contribute to the discussions of acceptance and the recognition of our rights as individuals.

For example, the story “Agi, agi, May Putay sa Dahi” by de los Santos presents the terrible life of a young gay person in this country. From an early age, he (the character) was abused by his own uncle. This story has immense gravity but I chose to include it in the collection because for me, it is an important contribution to gay literature in the country that tackles a sensitive topic we try to avoid. For me, the symbolism of lipstick in the story used by the main character to draw a vagina in his forehead is liberating.

It is timely and relevant to discuss regional literature in the country. For me, it is in here that the core of Philippine literature exists — from the rich epics to the brave voices that could possibly create what we could call national literature in the future.

RHM: How did you go about collecting the works and what difficulties have you encountered?

NGD: Agitoy has three different chapbooks: One for short stories, one for poetry and one for play. For the short story collection, I made sure that the included writers still write stories on gay experiences. It was also clear that writers Alex de los Santos, John Iremil E. Teodoro, Felino S. Garcia Jr. and Kevin Piamonte have immense contributions to the enrichment of gay literature in the country in the past until today. The Ladlad series of Danton Remoto and J. Neil Garcia, where some of these short stories first appeared, were witnesses to their contributions.

In the poetry collection, I made sure that it is a combination of young writers inside and outside of the academe and Iloilo City. They must be active and fearless to write gay voices in whatever language they choose to write.

The play was written by Glenn S. Mas. It won second place at the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature in 2001. This is one of the most significant contributions of the writer in exposing the fear experienced by a young gay child in the province.

A lot of the contributors are my friends. Some I’ve been with in some literary events in Iloilo, and Gaga Rage was once my student when I was still teaching creative writing at the University of San Agustin. It had been easy for me to complete this project because of the writers’ trust in the projects’ advocacy. Majority of these writers in the project promptly sent their materials, and because most of them are award winning Western Visayan writers, I did very minimal editing.

If there’s one thing that I want to share in the process of completing this project, it is that we must trust our works, in whatever language or in whatever form they are. It is important to believe in the voices of our works in order to change the perceptions of the society towards us, as gays, as Filipinos and as individuals. May these chapbooks be an instrument to see ourselves participate in the initiated discussions.

RHM: What common themes do you observe in the stories?

NGD: That it’s hard to be gay in the Philippines. That there’s still discrimination in both open and secluded spaces and corners of the country. But despite the chaotic spaces where we exist, there’s still hope and the love for stories, poems and plays similar to those in the collection and that they would continue to exist. We are again given the chance to be hurt and be vulnerable, to rise again and never give up in finding love because, after all, we all deserve to be happy despite the struggles of living in this country.

The themes and the approaches in storytelling are very diverse in this collection — from unraveling the politics of space, self-examination, challenging the norm, to offering new perspectives in narrating personal experiences. Because of this collection, we can say that the country’s literature is very much alive especially in regions like Western Visayas.

RHM: Western Visayan literature is rich in terms of LGBTQ+ works and expressions. What do you think are the factors that contribute to this richness?

NGD: First, we have a lot of excellent writers in our languages (Hiligaynon, Kinaray-a and Akeanon). Second, we have a lot of fearless gay writers and that’s exactly what we need in this time and age: To be excellent writers and to be brave.

The literature of Western Visayas has become radical when it was resurrected by Leoncio P. Deriada, who he himself has written a story discussing the life of a gay. This can be read in Aura: The Gay Theme in Philippine Fiction in English, edited by J. Neil Garcia. This is one of the reasons I pointed out as to why our region has rich gay literature — because of this father-leader figure who was an excellent and fearless writer. This is one of his most precious legacies to us.

NGD: A lot. Readers of this collection will find it hard to pick just one. As a reader and editor, the works in this collection vary. Let me tell you something. The four short stories included in this collection were my favorite ones when I was in college. And yes, they helped mold me into the individual I am today, how I now see the world and my fellow individuals.

I believe in the power of stories and poems in this collection so I also wanted to let the young readers experience the power of these narratives just like how they influenced me when I first read them. They influenced me to be open to possibilities of acceptance, recognition and appreciation.