By Dennise Reign Dumas |
LGBTQ+ pride is the advocacy of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender/queer people as a social group's self-affirmation, equality, dignity, and enhanced visibility. Pride, rather than shame and societal stigma, is the dominating attitude that fuels most LGBTQ+ rights initiatives. It celebrates the lives and contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals to society by wearing the colors of the rainbow. Many Filipino scientists are openly and proudly gay, and there is no greater moment of pride than to honor their contributions and difficulties in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
Even if LGBTQ+ causes appear to have only recently come to light—presumably aided by social networks and pop culture—the community's members have long been active contributors to the Philippine economy and its progress. Just as the community is diverse in terms of sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression (SOGIE), so is it in terms of occupations and vocations. Uncredited minorities include members of the scientific and technology communities who are pushing social and scientific discoveries to new heights.
Putting colours to light
Professionals have spent the last few years meticulously guiding this community into the light. On July 5, 2018, the first annual International Day of LGBTQ+ in STEM was celebrated to highlight the works and identities of LGBTQ+ people in all STEM sectors. It has received a lot of attention and support since then, and it has helped bring attention to the problems that queer scientists across the world face.
Filipino transgender and non-gender conforming science workers have also made initiatives to improve LGBTQ+ rights in the country, including spearheading research and campaigning for anti-discrimination legislation. In addition, the Philippine Queer Studies Conference was conducted for the first time in October 2020 to provide an opportunity for policymakers, academics, researchers, and advocates to explore the situation of and respond to SOGIE-related human rights issues.
Here are some LGBTQ+ scientists that you should get to know:
Cristina Del Rosario – user experience researcher and designer
Cristina Del Rosario blended science and art after graduating from Georgia Tech University with a degree in Industrial Design and courses in cognitive and social psychology. She invented a medical device in college to make it easier to give immunizations in rural areas of the Philippines. She was a nominee for the International Design Excellence Awards, and her design was patented by a biomedical business. She collaborated with mechanical engineers on the conveyance of vaccines and health equipment for her undergraduate thesis, notably in remote Papua New Guinea. She worked two jobs when she returned to the Philippines: building land surveillance drones for the military and financial literacy smartphone apps for sari-sari store owners.
Del Rosario defines fulfillment as "empowering people through technology to use tools that would otherwise be inaccessible to them." SariLoad, the initial prototype of the financial literacy app, took respondents three hours to comprehend. Owners could ultimately figure out the software after 20 usability tests within eight minutes of initially touching a smartphone.
“Some of these are little things that many traditional couples take for granted. If LGBTQ scientists can’t get this security in the Philippines, we may look for it in other countries, and the Philippines may lose some of its brightest scientists," she stated.
Andrian Gajigan - gay biochemist and oceanographer
Andrian Gajigan is a gay biochemist and oceanographer who explores the wonders of the sea. He was astounded to hear that "molecules might determine the behavior, features, and physiology of all biological organisms." He is now a research assistant and doctoral student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, focusing on old friends: phytoplanktons.
Popo Ramos – chemist
Christian Paul "Popo" Ramos aspired to be a chemist and work in the cosmetics industry throughout his high school years. He fell in love with materials science when he started college. Ramos, who is now a certified chemist, is completing his master's degree while working as a University Research Associate 1 at The Natural Sciences Research Institute at the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD). His prior research on the separation of two types of medicinal medications was presented at conferences in Malaysia and Japan. Ramos is also preparing for an internship at Academia Sinica in Taiwan, where he expects to focus on his next big project: HIV-1 research. He claims that his internship professor has previously conducted research with an anti-HIV-1 agent obtained from a fungus.
Ramos was an active member of UP Babaylan. He advocates for the passing of the SOGIE Equality Bill and advises that colleges and other institutions survey LGBTQ personnel to determine whether their working environment is good for them. He also suggested that educational institutions collaborate with non-profit organizations to hold gender sensitivity training courses.
While Ramos claims that his community has accepted his identity, he laments that scientists in general are still forced to travel abroad due to lack of research and development funds.
"Unlike science, there is no perfect SOGIE formula," Ramos explained. "I want to be unusual and unique. I want to be unlimited, just like science."
Unfortunately, on April 15, 2021, the chemist Popo Ramos passed away after fighting against Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
Jason Tan Liwag - molecular biology
Jason Tan Liwag is a gay molecular biology doctoral student from UPD. For one of his study projects, Liwag is currently investigating the long-term consequences of environmental plastics.
Liwag is determined to create a safe space for queer scientists and with this, they created a visibility campaign on social media for queer scientists, especially younger queer scientists. This campaign is called Queer Scientists PH and it can be found on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. He aims to empower the younger queer scientists by giving them “the idea of what it means to contribute to science, and also what it meant…to be a queer in STEM.”
Krista Melgajero – marine molecular biologist
Krista Melgarejo is a master's student in Marine Science (major in Marine Biotechnology) at UP Diliman. Her postgraduate research focuses on the effects of environmental stress on marker genes in endangered gigantic clams. Her postgraduate path is a departure from her undergraduate degree in food technology from UP Mindanao. Her mentor introduced her to biotechnology, and she decided to pursue it since she had an "affinity and fascination for water."
Melgarejo, who is also a pseudo-instrumentation physicist, aspires to continue working on ocean projects. Hopefully, her team's findings will help shape future long-term experiments, particularly in climate change research.
The flag needs to be raised higher
However, in their work, these scientists encountered challenges that non-LGBTQ+ people would not normally experience. Some of these, such as microaggressions, may be more subtle than others, but they are nonetheless significant.
Filipino queer scientists' unequal challenges are intertwined with the rest of society. The stunted and backward state of science and technology that they have been subjected to puts the entire people in the same boat. Thus, the sciences can only be fully inclusive to all genders if they provide free and high-quality science and technology education, adequate research and development (R&D) funding, guaranteed job opportunities and security, safe working conditions, full salary and benefits, and easy access to basic social services.
As of 2015, the Philippines had 106 scientists in R&D per million Filipinos, considerably below the UNESCO-recommended number of 380. As a developing country, we have a high demand for more workers to propel our country forward, yet much work remains to be done. For years, requests to prioritize R&D and fundamental services have grown louder. More money must be committed to institutions and sectors that will lead us out of this crisis, especially in the midst of a pandemic. Strong government support and improved social services are clearly critical aspects in addressing the problems of both the LGBTQ+ and STEM communities.
Lastly, there is still a long way to go in terms of queer acceptance in the country, particularly in the scientific community. After all, the advancement of research and technology is hampered by our lack of support for scientists and the obstacles that queer scientists face. However, by continuing to shed a light on LGBTQ+ narratives, there is optimism that progress may be made toward a more inclusive and welcoming future for all.
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