BLNC Facets: Shevonne
- blncmag
- Jul 9
- 2 min read
BLNC Facets : Pride in Everyday
Shevonne
CEBU
What is everyday life like as a queer person on your side of the country?
SB: It’s a constant balancing act between different circles. Being queer in Cebu means navigating a world that isn’t always hostile, but rarely truly welcoming either.
You learn to read the room quickly. I am reminded of this every so often in public or even at work, where the majority are of the older generation. I’ve controlled the way I walk in front of my family. I do not cut my hair a certain length. I buy pink things, worn skirts, have male celebrity crushes and make it a point my family is well aware of these. At times, I even feel alienated from queer friends and the community that celebrates sex—I’ve felt compelled to be into it too. You learn what parts of yourself are allowed to surface and what’s safer left tucked away.
And when you want safe spaces to just be yourself, it isn’t impossible to find in the city, but it takes effort. The spaces exist, but they’re just fewer, more underground, and tight-knit. Still, I remain hopeful it is growing with the recent number of initiatives and events from both local groups and communities that aim to create and nurture such spaces.
What would you like Filipinos to know about the LGBTQIA+ community where you are?
S: In Cebu, the city and the province are not too far off from each other—and neither are their morals and beliefs. There’s a sense of in-betweenness. It’s not as conservative as the rural provinces but it’s also not as progressive as Manila in terms of visibility and some ordinances.
We can only hope for the day when we have equal rights and are recognized on a national level, beyond the current local anti-discrimination ordinances, which are helpful and a significant step forward but can only go so far.
You’d find that living queer in Cebu is often about finding your people amidst balancing your identity in spaces that may not fully affirm it yet. Many of us live in quiet resistance.
We walk carefully, love cautiously, and dream loudly in private, and hope that, soon, we wouldn’t have to fight so hard just to have safe spaces and to live openly.
Photographer: Wilmark Jolindon (https://www.instagram.com/thewilmark/)
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