BOTH/AND
LIVING IN THE INTERSECTION
BY DAVE MATTHEW GEROBIN
My Identity Social Gap
Some of my social identities offer me power or advantages — like being a masculine male, able-bodied, and a UP student. These grant me respect, access, and protection in ways I sometimes take for granted.
Misjudged.
“Ang galing talaga ni Teacher Dave! Laging on top of things.”
“Siguro wala siyang problema sa life.”
When I got into the student council and became a student-leader, some people would assume that I’m always thriving — always in control. But behind the smile and confident facade is someone battling burnout, stress, and the pressure to survive in an unequal system. Leadership and serving my community may give me visibility, but it doesn’t exempt me from the struggles of being a student coming from a working-class family. Sometimes, privilege can be misread.
UNSEEN BURDEN
no stable internet connection.
“These are not just my problems. These are the effects of the prevalent systemic inequality --rising cost of living, wage inequality, discrimination, underfunded social services, etc.”
Still I Lead
Nakakapagod. Pero hindi ako titigil.
Even when I am overwhelmed — mentally, financially, emotionally — I still choose to lead. Because to lead one’s life is not a role reserved for the privileged; it is, in itself, act of resistance.
I lead not because I have no struggles, but because I do. I carry the weight of expectations, of budgeting of the money I have daily just to survive campus life, of fighting for visibility as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.
And still — I serve.
As someone from a marginalized background, I refuse to be defined solely by suffering. I want to be known for my capacity to love, to rise, and to lead despite the systemic inequality prevalent in our very community, society.
Despite the struggles, I choose to speak up for those who remain unheard — for those who cannot yet stand.
My leadership is not born from privilege — it is shaped by struggle and strengthened through it.
This is how I reclaim power.
This is how I resist inequality. This is how I strive.
Both/And: Living in the Intersections is a zine I created that captures a glimpse into my lived experience as a Filipino male student-leader from UP Diliman, member of the LGBTIA+ community, and son of a working-class family navigating the complexities of social identity and inequality. Anchored in the by the sociological frameworks explored in the modules of our Social Science 1 class, this creative work is rooted in the concept of intersectionality — the idea that social categories like social class, gender, and sexuality do not exist separately from each other, but intersect to shape how we experience both privilege and oppression
I exist in multiple social categories not only how I see myself, but also how others perceive me. Coming from a low-income family, I grapple daily with financial stress, budgeting every peso in UP, and limited access to resources like healthcare and reliable internet. These struggles often remain unseen behind my roles in student-
leadership, where I’m assumed to be secure, capable, and even privileged. What people don’t always see is the exhaustion, the mental toll, the constant balancing act of surviving and serving.
As a bisexual man, I’ve also faced subtle forms of invalidation—comments that frame my identity as a “phase,” or expressions of support that come with silent discomfort. These moments, while quieter than overt discrimination, reveal how heteronormativity still runs deep in Filipino culture.
As C. Wright Mills explains, what feels like personal troubles are often connected to public issues. I realized that my family’s financial hardship is not just our own — it reflects a wider societal problem like wage inequality and the rising cost of living. Likewise, my mental health concerns are not isolated but tied to a lack of institutional support for students like me.
Yet, Yet within these intersections, I recognize certain privileges I hold which grants me access and visibility. This zine is a reflection and a resistance. A reminder that even in exhaustion, struggle, I choose to lead— not in spite of struggle, but because of it.
- Teacher Dave, 2025
INTEGRITY STATEMENT
I attest, on my honor, that I created and worked on this unessay in its entirety.
I collaborated with Jhay Martin L. Libria, who is my partner. He provided me with feedback, critiques, and suggestions that helped me improve the visual layout, graphics, and overall design of my creative output.
I did not use any AI to generate the content of this unessay. However, I utilized tools such as Grammarly and QuillBot solely for grammar and clarity checks.
04/21/2025
Signature and Date
SUBMITTED BY:
DAVE MATTHEW H. GEROBIN
SUBMITTED TO:
PROFESSOR CHARMAINE GALANO
SOCIAL SCIENCE 1 - THU
UNESSAY #02
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED APRIL 2025