Hermeneutical Phenomenology:

At present, to become openly gay still gives rise to issues such as: (1) the rejection of the family
members of gay individuals to them as to their preferences, (2) the discrimination these gays had to
endure in almost anywhere, (2) the bullying they were forced to deal with in school, and (3) the
opposition of the society to their preferences due to its long built-up standards. Despite these prevailing
issues, there still exists people who support and advocate not only for the gays but for the whole LGBT
(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community but there are also several who still find it difficult to
accept those who are different from them may it be in the race, sexuality, religion, etc. (ReachOut,
2018).

Hermeneutic Phenomenology, being an approach whose primary function is to be able to interpret and
to understand, will be useful and helpful for both the researchers and those to be researched. Given
that the participants of the research will come from the HUMSS who are Grade 12 students in UST-SHS,
hence, belonging to one strand, they, too, are of different experiences and contexts which must be
taken into consideration. Surely, these gay individuals have their own variety of stories as ‘closeted’ gays
and as openly gay individuals; the discrimination they have undergone, their families’ say about their
preference, etc. Thus, the different stories and experiences of the participants will not cause any conflict
in the research but rather, shall require different interpretations and a deeper understanding from the
researchers to pull off a pleasant conversation with the participants as the interview goes on. On the
other hand, for those to be researched, this approach will be useful. They will have different
interpretations of the questions to be asked depending on their contexts; whether their ‘coming out’
journey affected their lives as students positively or negatively, whether their ‘coming out’ journey had
improved or had worsen their social life, etc.

Evidence 1

Being part of the LGBTQ+ community, it has been a struggle for gays to fully show who they really are.
Older gays are freely accepted due to their understanding community but younger gay individuals were
having difficulties talking to other people because of the rapid growth of judgmental people in the
community. Based on the research, gay individuals who are 18-29 years old have experienced the
anxiety of talking to others because of what they experienced from other people who aren’t willing to
accept them (Kertzner et al., 2009) .

This is related to Hermeneutics phenomenology because of the experiences of some gay individuals thus
making them afraid and overthinking of the possibilities that they could encounter in the future. These
thoughts can lead to cases such as depression. Due to the judgmental society, they tend to endure the
judgements every day and make it as a part of their weaknesses

Evidence 2

Being part of the LGBTQ+ Community is common nowadays, but being accepted by people who
surrounds you is not. It is a mere social phenomenon that once you are a part of this community you are
more prone and vulnerable to the discrimination and violence by anyone. Yes, there is a law regarding
this protection from physical violence, but what if a blood-related to you is doing harm on you, would
you have the will to make them arrested? Our own family should be the first people who should accept
us for who we are but it is evident for LGBTQ+ Community youth members that they are experiencing
violence up until today by the people who surrounds them.
For an instance, Edmund Padilla, an openly gay Filipino teen, was scalded with a boiling water by his
own father. The father also confessed to the authorities that he did what he did when three of his
children came out as gay or part of the LGBT Community (Reyes, 2016). Another instance, the program I-
Witness (The GMA Documentaries) had one episode regarding gay boys who work as sex workers in
Cebu. One of them started in a young age of 10, after knowing that he was gay, his father violently
hitted him and put him in a sack. (David, 2010).

To protect themselves from neglect, abuse, exploitation, cruelty, or discrimination. This is one of the
main functions of our parents, but when it comes to the LGBT youth who opened themselves to their
parents they exactly endure all kinds of violence.