Reconciling the lgbtqia+ Community through the Filipino Indigenous Concepts of Loob and Kapwa

The Philippines lgbtqia + community has a long way to go towards acceptance and recognition. They face gender discrimination and exclusion due to laws and policies lacking moral grip, and, in response, hide their true identity out of fear of stigmatization in the public sphere and workplace. This research aims to shed light on the complicated moral issues surrounding the lgbtqia + community, namely, that these “otherly oriented/gendered” persons are people of faith discriminated against by those with common beliefs. It explores the concepts loob (self) and kapwa (other) as they relate to the Filipino understanding of a person, wherein the former is a will directed towards the latter. The loob is not only the center of one’s personhood but how this personhood acts and manifests itself towards the kapwa. Thus, reiterating and understanding loob and kapwa as an inner self shared with others may provide a bridge for the lgbtqia + community.