In 2018 we visited the Philippines for our honeymoon and fell in love with the country. From a tourist perspective, as a gay couple in the Philippines we had no problems at all. However, we are always interested to learn about what it is like to be LGBT in a country from a local perspective and not through a rose tinted tourist lens.
This is why we got in contact with Brix, a Filipino local to learn more about what it is like to be gay in the Philippines. Check out his interview below!
Hi Brix, please introduce yourself to our readers.
Thank for the opportunity to share a bit of my life experience and insights on LGBTQ travel in the Philippines and my hometown. My name is Ruel Perez, my friends call me Brix. I may look young but I am 30 years old. I used to work in tourism & hospitality and trading in different parts of the world. After traveling around 30 countries I came back to my town, built a farmhouse and became a gardener. I am currently running for town Mayor to fight against corruption and raise awareness for LGBTQ rights in the Philippines.
By Sion and Ben – Full Story at The Globetrotter Guys
Philippines Gay Travel Resources
My partner is Filipino. I met him there and one year we lived for three months in Pasay City which is a part of Greater Manila. I have been to dorthern parts of the Philippines as well as Palawa numerous times and have hung around with other gay natives. The mhe mahor thing I learned is that they feel free to walk around hand in hand without recrimination but they do not speak about being gay. There is not the negaticity one experiences in some areas of the USA but there is not much in the way of laws like Canada has to protect them so silence by mouth while living gay openly seems to be a norm.