by Jelaine Macaraeg

Is art imitating life or life imitating art? I am not sure.

Filmmaking as an art is basically a form of self-expression wherein the artist shares personal views about love, life and the world in general. As for art's meaning, most often it would differ from one audience to another. This is because interpretation of a story is relative to personal experience and the artist's general perception on the theme per se.

However, filmmaking, as part of the fourth estate, takes on an agenda-setting function. This is especially apparent if the material is fresh, moreover controversial - and this is where certain prejudices come in.

We have watched various Philippine movies and television programs with homosexual themes and characters. When I was younger (I am an 80's kid, by the way) I remember how the label "lesbian" seemed to be totally unheard of and the word "tomboy" was used instead. Lesbians were portrayed as the stereotypical shorthaired, cap-wearing girl with the shirt tucked in the jeans and rubber shoes on her feet. In short, all lesbians then were presented as butches.

The genre of these films was more often than not romantic-comedy or action-comedy. In television, an episode about lesbians would also have to be a comedy.

The stereotyping of a Filipino lesbian in films and television facilitates the upholding of lesbian myths. For instance, in a lesbian relationship, only the butch is considered as a lesbian, while the femme is portrayed to be heterosexual or straight, who happens to be involved with a lesbian.

Also, the abused exploit of a plot in homosexual films comes out this way: Lesbian meets male het, falls in love with him and becomes straight.

Then and now, it has always been this way. One or two flicks have used another plot like a gay-and-lesbian tandem. But the story is mutually biased to changing both characters' sexual preference at the end of the day.

What is bothering about the conventional plot though is the conclusion that, as my peers say, "Para na rin nilang sinabi na all it takes is one guy para bumigay ang isang tibo. (Just one male het is needed to make a lesbian straight.)" Such plot is totally insulting, not to mention offensive, to women, especially those who identify as lesbians.

The lesbian character's sudden transformation from homosexual to heterosexual is, for starters, preposterous. In flicks, from being boyish and being such a lousy dresser, the lesbian undergoes a heavy session of makeover and swiftly transforms into a gorgeous babe and… tada! The straight men go gaga over her.

When it comes to how lesbians relate with heterosexual men, however, local movies and TV shows present this in two extreme scenarios. Either she is one of the boys, which would explain how the lesbian meets "the guy who would change her lesbian heart to heterosexual," or as a man-hater, which would explain why I received some condescending remarks when I came out such as "Eh 'di man-hater ka? (So, you're a man-hater?)"

Of all the lesbian myths in films and TV shows, there is the most negative and slighting dialogue used. About a decade ago, homophobes would warn women, "Pag pumatol ka sa tomboy, mahirap kumalas! (If you enter into a lesbian relationship, you will have difficulties breaking it off with your lesbian girlfriend!)"

In drama anthologies I have watched as a kid negative impressions about us. It is either the broken-hearted lesbian snaps and starts a violent attack against her soon-to-be-ex, or she threatens to torment her forever, or she begs her to stay otherwise she would commit suicide.

Presently, I am somehow relieved that Philippine movies and TV shows are gradually transcending the stereotyping and conventional presentation of homosexuals. At least, the lesbian character is not always a butch, and there are actually some stories that no longer change the lesbian's heart into that of a het.

It is also liberating that lesbian themes are now considered in serious movies and drama anthologies, wherein true love between two women is exposed (like how beautifully natural it is, or how irrationally selfless we could be - no more violent break-ups and a lot less on lesbian-versus-straight man plots).

Movies and TV programs with lesbian plots and characters may still be a taboo for many people, especially among conservatives, as they believe such flicks promote immorality and distort the value system of the Philippine society. However, if the local movie and TV industry keep on portraying negative imagery of homosexuals, the public would never understand the existence of diversity. Imagine how some of the myths I have aforementioned portrayed a decade ago or so still negatively affect our existence up to now.

Contrary to the ill comedy in lesbian stories, there is nothing hilarious about being a lesbian. Just think of all the harsh issues the lesbian community has to face virtually everyday and you would understand why I say so. Try writing about coming out issues and gay discrimination in the workplace - these are no laughing matters.

Lesbianism is not simply a phase in a heterosexual woman's life, which she tries either out of boredom or due to lack of exposure to men. Lesbianism is real. Lesbians are real people with real lives. And if our society would depend on flicks that make homosexuals as comic relief, then real-life gay discrimination and oppression would not stop.