Ihab Salloum[ad_1]
In every society, community, or tribe, there exists a unique identity. A complex web of factors shapes the structure and inner workings of a community, including norms, morals, culture, history, economy, hegemony, and the people themselves. Men and women alike exert influence on one another, shaping the volatile norms, morals, culture, and hegemony that both emancipate and incarcerate society.
Resisting or breaking free from these norms often results in ostracism and name-calling. Those who challenge the status quo become victims of a tyrannical culture, trapped in a bipolar society that both nurtures and inflicts pain. One may find themselves subserviently conforming to fit in, while others agonizingly fight against the oppressive culture, experiencing what Helen Cixous refers to as “castration or decapitation” for not supporting the dominant culture.
Human identity is one of the most loathsome social constructions that exist. Across the world, people are divided, labeled, judged, and expected to conform based on their anatomy, sex, and societal norms. The pervasive issue of male versus female perpetuates harmful stereotypes. Males are expected to exhibit qualities such as strength, rationality, intelligence, and dominance, while females are seen as weak, irrational, emotional, and even subjected to abuse and objectification in media and literature.
But what happens when a person does not fit into the binary categories of male or female? What if someone opposes the expected roles and identities dictated by society? The consequences can be severe. Society rushes to harshly judge and label individuals as evil, abnormal, odd, impure, immoral, or “queer”. It is within this context that the writer delves into the colorful and introverted life of Edith Tiempo’s controversial character, Tio Teban, in her short story “The Chambers of the Sea”.
Queerness is often defined as anything that deviates from or questions the norms and behaviors of the dominant culture. In the Philippines, being queer is associated with notions of weakness, difference, and strangeness, often leading to immediate assumptions of homosexuality or being gay.
Scholars argue that society’s understanding of sex is deeply ingrained, perpetuated by institutions such as schools, churches, and families. Queer theory challenges these entrenched social constructions, seeking to understand and accept sexual and gender identities that defy the misconceptions and categorizations society imposes.
In the Philippines, the family, school, and church actively contribute to the creation, categorization, and enforcement of gender and sexuality norms. Simple choices, like the colors of children’s clothes, are tied to societal expectations. Blue is for boys, pink is for girls. Anything that deviates from these norms is interpreted maliciously, leading to labels such as gay or lesbian. From a young age, children are taught that certain toys and behaviors are appropriate for their gender. Boys are told not to cry, perpetuating the notion that only girls show emotion. These ideas are passed down from generation to generation, resulting in rigid categorizations filled with rules and restrictions for boys and girls, based on social expectations, sexuality, and performativity. Those who fail to uphold these expectations, who deviate from the norm, soon find themselves labeled as gay or homosexual, receiving derogatory names like bakla, bading, badaf, shoke, and Darna.
Edith Tiempo’s story, “The Chambers of the Sea,” delicately portrays the life of Tio Teban, a man who is scrutinized and suspected of being gay, homosexual, or queer. His existence is engulfed by strong binary opposites, where characters are expected to conform to performativity and heteronormativity. Tio Teban’s family from Bangan, with their vast lands, represents the left force, while his newfound family in Dumaguete embodies a softer, more nurturing environment. His father and brother-in-law, strong male figures, condemn Tio Teban for his “womanish behavior”. His sister, Quirina, pressures him to carry on their father’s legacy. Tio Teban’s family has high expectations of him, based on societal standards of male performance and heterosexuality.
In Dumaguete, surrounded by the boundless sea, Tio Teban finds solace in a more forgiving environment. His cousin, Amalia, fits the role of a typical housewife, conforming to social expectations associated with her gender. Tio Teban often takes on her responsibilities, running errands and performing tasks typically associated with being a mother. Amalia’s boisterous children criticize Tio Teban’s different behavior, much like his immediate family in Bangan harshly condemns his queerness. They perceive him as weak, strange, and abnormal for not conforming to traditional male roles. These judgments take a toll on him mentally, violating and exposing him. However, even in the face of such scrutiny, Tio Teban does not fight back against his family’s condemnation. Instead, he chooses a quiet but resolute path, leaving them behind to pursue his graduate studies in Dumaguete. Through his intellectual pursuits, he creates a barrier that separates him from his family’s judgement, allowing him to soar intellectually where they cannot reach. Content in his own identity, Tio Teban disregards the societal expectations placed upon him. His happiness is unaffected by the popular notion of an identity crisis. The notion of Tio Teban’s actions in Dumaguete becomes a personal reflection on economic circumstances. With a Master’s degree, Tio Teban remains docile in his cousin’s house, pressured by society to work according to his heterosexual identity. Ultimately, the choice is his to make.
Tio Teban’s struggle with his identity and his personal choices in the face of societal suspicion exemplify the central theme of Edith Tiempo’s story. Through the lens of queer theory and analysis, Tio Teban becomes a role model of positivist existentialism, finding happiness amidst society’s relentless interrogation of his identity. He lives life on his own terms, confident in his choices, and unfazed by the judgments of others. Tio Teban’s steadfastness challenges the rigid gender roles and stereotypes imposed on individuals like him, disrupting the socially constructed criticisms that surround not-so-typical males.
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