Hearing Cur Voices in Unity: Claiming Cur Rights, Contoling Our Lives To stert the discussion on identities, JJ asked the group to list IDENTITIES & SEHUAL eos :er c-sccszstc treo lesaan ihe gree e with the following PRACTICES sonics Facial ~ “poknat" (tagalog term for scar on the scalp) Documentation: Rhona + man trapped in a woman's body Parlicigaats: Geeta ely, ue, Des, Brel, Wan core, ‘ag, cw see lesbian feminist libse liberating sexvality ~ women of liquid fire ~ tied - thunderbird = “tot > "pars ~ ‘dre (chort for padre) ~ “lakbay-baket” (ilokano term) ~ bor lesbian, woman with a man’s heart howden pputot” (hort) magic + dyke - uno, dos, tres dS" (visayan) ~ “pars, mars” (from pare, mare) = tibo ~ women with a different femininity = butch, femme Banari 19Hearing Our Voices in Uniy: Claiming Our Rights, Contoting Our Lives - SPIRITUALITY Feclialion Jean Documentation. Beng Parliclpals: ema, ode, Chis, Lt, J, Pa Due to the lack of time, the discussion of sexual practices was limited to a short round of sharing. Each participant was asked to reveal their current sexual practice. The faclitator summarized this sharing by pointing out that most of the members of the group preferred what they called “two-way” (suggesting reciprocity) and allthe-way" (cuggesting penetration). Some were in the process of leaming “two-way” while others practice “one-way". When asked to describe their practice of “one way”, these particular participants explained that they only allow themselves to be “touched” from the waist up Jean as facilitator started the workshop by presenting the work shop guidelines and questions. She asked the participants to reflect ‘on how lesbians can affirm themselves in the context of spirituality given the sin theory on lesbianism. The participants were asked to Comment on the questions and a general discussion followed. Joy started the discussion by sharing that her relationship with .god/supreme beings important. Shewes bom and raised as a Catholic and even joined a charismatic movement, She could net reconcile herself with the notion that god is mele and as a female she should follow orders from a god who is male especially when she learned that she was a lesbian. Joy believes that Gad must have a mind large enough to understand the choices she has made because as she quoted from the bible “His ways are not your ways”. Her current church, MCC does not consider homosexuality a sin and believes that god has no gender and can be bath male/female. Lee responded to the questions posed by sharing that she joined a born-again group in her early teens. She had a personal relation. ship with god but after 2 while did not fee fulfilled and slowly lost god she slowly stopped going to church and praying. Her lesbian exist- tence started at this time when she had no god so there was no conflict for her. She said that later she developed the belief that there is good- ness in the world and it isnot a man with a beard nor is he a Christian. She believes that God is more than everything that has been written and that praying is not asking for forgiveness but a time to commune with god dean asked the group if being a lesbian is a sin, Gemma said that on her part, she feels no discomfort and will ultimately approach sod and ask for forgiveness when she nears death. While another participant, Rodskie, remarked that she prays but does not go to church and jgnores this claim, (Chris says that lesbianism isa sin according to the bible because it says that woman is created for man. She went on to share that she also had the same experience as Lee in joining a religious group like the Maranatha, She expresses herself freely and directly to God or Goddess and says that if loving a person of the same sex isa sin then she is willing to take the risk. But feels guilty in church, for example when taking communion. Maranatha does nat condemn but it also does not allow lesbians, fasTeeard 21