Panalo Nating Lahat [This is a Victory for us All]: Uncovering Constructs of Language and Nationalism in Social Media Reactions to Alex Eala’s Post-US Open Juniors Championship Interview
Article
Filipina tennis player Alex Eala won the US Open Juniors 2022 title, marking a first for the Philippines. She spoke in Filipino for much of her post-match interview, with no translators on hand, which is rare for international matches that broadcast to wide audiences. Online reactions to the event were of interest from the view of language and national identity. Bottom-Up Framing was used to inductively analyze social media comments on Eala’s speech. The researcher found that commenters constructed Eala’s post-match interview as a test of Filipino identity, and abstracted their sentiments to include other public appearances of other Filipino sports celebrities, such as Manny Pacquiao. English speakers were mocked for being awkward, while Filipino speakers were praised for being both humble and proud of their language. A performance of Filipinoness was equated with nationalism, and language became an object to be displayed rather than purveyor of meaning and culture. These findings have implications for studies of national identity in sports, and for how we understand the role of social media in facilitating discussions that construct and enforce the image of an authentic Filipino.
Defining the halata: The social construction of the “obvious gay” in the Filipino Facebook group Samahan ng mga Halata
Article
Othering within the queer dating scene has become prevalent in recent years (Labor, et al., 2023), encapsulated by the phrase “pass sa halata,” which indicates one’s rejection of someone who is “obviously” gay. Yet the very definition of halata [obviously gay], and by extension kabaklaan [gayness], within the Philippine context is ever-changing. Through a symbolic interactionist lens, this study elucidates how the concept of the halata is being conceived and (re)defined in the Facebook group Samahan ng mga Halata [Association of the Obvious Gays], an online community which features gender-based content. From a textual analysis of 257 photos and videos posted from January to June 2024, the study’s results outline the halata’s core characteristics. The findings also indicate that while the age-old gay stereotypes of flamboyant behavior and preference for traditional masculinity persist, these become enmeshed with new and emerging definitions of queerness in the digital age, including tech-facilitated promiscuity and political awareness, thereby producing a novel image of gayness that is suspended between past and present notions of kabaklaan and is thus characterized by contradictory behavior.
Engagements and entanglements in LGBTQ+ hashtag activism: The case of online Pride celebrations in the Philippines
Article
LGBTQ+ pride celebrations in social media are opportunities for collaboration and broader participation. This study interrogates LGBTQ+ activism in X (formerly Twitter) as a functional platform for the LGBTQ+ community to mainstream its advocacy and responses to issues its members face. This research asks the question: How did X users participate in the LGBTQ+ 2021 Pride Celebration using #SulongVaklash? Guided by concepts of hashtag activism and the transnational LGBTQ+ movement, we argue that Pride Month celebrations in online spaces commemorate the event as a transnational protest movement. Findings show that X users utilized #SulongVaklash to join the global call for action to end LGBTQ+ discrimination. Further, the content of the tweets nods to the meaningful local contexts of the online protest, such as the mainstreaming of LGBTQ+ rights advocacy. Online pride protests have also allowed individuals from across the spectrum and social categories to post against discrimination and oppression in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ movement. The study concludes that X has not just become a site for protest through the discursive political appropriation of LGBTQ+ concerns but also a cyber dwelling where LGBTQ+ members recognize the value of their involvement in the fight towards recognition, acceptance, and freedom.
