[THEO 12] OT: Summative Assessment 2

ELEMENTS

Characters:

John-theprotagonistofthestoryandamemberoftheLGBTQIA+ community

Rafael - John’s father who was unaccepting of his son’s sexual orientation

Priscilla-John’smotherwhoacceptshersonwholeheartedly Priest - the priest from the church John formerly visited who threwdiscriminatingremarkstowardLGBTQIA+people

Bullies-thestudentswhomadefunofJohnandridiculedhim Ash-PresidentoftheLGBTQIAorganizationandJohn’sfriend Rev. Jerome - the kind pastor who promotes inclusivity for LGBTQIApeople

Synopsis

ThisisanunfoldingandmovingstoryofanLGBTQIA+memberashe bravelybattledtheconstantandvariousformsofdiscriminationthat wenthisway—fromhisownhome,school,church,andworkplace.

Johnisabrightandambitiousyoung man,buthisdreamsofpursuinghigher educationwereshatteredwhenhecame outtohisfatherasgay.

Hisfather,adevoutlyreligiousman,refusedtoacceptJohn's sexualorientationandcutoffhisallowanceandsupportfor hiseducation.

“You’readisgrace!Simula ngayon,bahalakasabuhaymo. Walakangmakukuhang allowanceatpang-aralsaamin ngMamamo!”

“Ohsiyaanak,mag-iingat kahaat‘wagmagpa-gutom. Itoangbaonm--”

“Rafael,maawakasaanak mo.Hindipwedengtitigilna lamangsiyasapag-aaralat ‘dikakainbuongmaghapon saeskwelahan.Bakitbaang tigas-tigasngpusomo?”

“Sinongmaysabing bigyanmo‘yanngpera?”

“Hangga’thindinagiging matigasangpusoniyang anakmobilanglalaki,hindi magbabagoangdesisyonko!

‘Wagmongkinukunsinti ‘yanganakmongmagaling.”

“Salamat,Ma.”

Priscillia,John'smotherwasmoreunderstanding, butshewasoftencaughtinthe middleofthetenserelationshipbetweenherhusbandandson.

OneSunday,thefamilyattendedchurch,andthepriest mentionedtheOT:Genesis1:27

“SoGodcreated “SoGodcreated humankindinhis humankindinhis iimage,intheimage mage,intheimage ofGodhecreated ofGodhecreated tthem;maleand hem;maleand ffemalehecreated emalehecreated tthem.” hem.”

Heusedthistodiscriminate againsttheLGBTQIAcommunity, statingthatGodonlycreatedtwo genders,maleandfemale,andthat anyothergenderidentitiesor expressionswerenotinalignment withGod'sdesign.Asthepriest spoke,theRafaellookedstraightat hisson,signifyinghisagreement withthesermon.

Johnfelt helplessashe leftthechurch thatday.

Itwasfromthe universityhehad appliedtoawhile back,informing himthathehad beenawardeda scholarshipthat wouldcoverhis tuitionfeesand otherschool expenses.

Hewasanxious abouthowhewould beabletoafford collegewithouthis father'ssupport, andhewashurtby hisfather'slackof acceptance.

Butthen,ashewasscrolling throughhisemaillaterthat day,hesawamessagethat madehisheartleapwithhope.

May3,2022

DearJohn,

Congratulations!Wearepleasedtoinformyou of your acceptance to the Hope University.

Along with this, you have been awarded a full scholarshipgrantbytheschoolcommittee.

To confirm your admission, please follow the instructions stated in the attached document below.

John couldn't believe his luck. He showed the email to his mother, who was overjoyed for him. She promised to supporthiminanywayshecould,includingprovidingthe allowancethathisfatherhadcutoff.

John felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He was grateful for his mother's support and for the scholarship that would allow him to pursue his dreams despite his father's constantrejection.

Priscilla hugged and peppered her son’s face with kisses afterward.

Congratulations, Anak! Proud na proud si Mama sa iyo. ‘Wag kang mag-alala at susuportahan kita sa lahat ng kakailanganin mo. Hindi ko hahayaang manaig ang galit at maling mga kondisyon ng iyong tatay. Lagi mong tatandaan, mahal namahalkita.

However,John'sstruggledidnotendthere.Hefacedgender discrimination in his school. His classmates would often make fun of him for being gay, and they would use homophobicslurstobelittlehim.

Thesehappeningsmadehimfeelmoreisolatedand alone,likehedidn'tbelong.Sadly,theteachers wouldturnablindeyetothebullying,claimingthat theydidn'twanttogetinvolved.Johnwas disappointedandfrustratedthattheadultsand authorityinthecampusdidnottaketheissue seriously...

Uy si John! Este Johanna pala

Nako!‘Wagkayong lumapitkayJohn,baka mahawakayo.”

Oneday,whilebrowsingthroughtheschoolbulletinboard,John noticedaflyerforanLGBTQIAorganizationoncampus.

WeStandWithPride WeStandWithPride WeStandWithPride

Comeonandjoinus!

Whenhearrived,hewasgreetedwithwarmthandacceptance. Hewasrelievedtofindpeoplewhosharedsimilarexperiences andstruggles.Throughtheorganization,hefoundasupport systemthatheneverhadbefore.

A week after joining the LGBTQIA organization, John's friend Ash, who was the president of the organization, invited him to attendchurchonSundaytogetherwithotherorgmembers.

“SoGodcreated “SoGodcreated humankindinhisimage, humankindinhisimage, iintheimageofGodhe ntheimageofGodhe createdthem;maleand createdthem;maleand ffemalehecreatedthem.” emalehecreatedthem.”

Promise,masayabumisitasa churchnaiyunlalonakapag nakilalamosiRev.Jerome. Napakaramingmatututunan sakaniyaatnapakabait!

Kasokunghindika makakasamaJohn, maaarikobang malamanbakit?

The memory distressed him so much that he shared it withhisfriend.

I’msorry,Ashpero mukhanghindiako makakasama. Ehkasi..

John!Samakasa aminmag-simba ngayongdarating naSunday!

ToJohn'ssurprise,hisfriendwasawareofthepriestand told him that the priest had used his sermon to endorse a political candidate who is anti-LGBTQIA. In other words, the priest used his position to further a political agenda thatdiscriminatedagainstacommunityofpeople.

Ash assured John that they would not be attending that churchbutadifferentonethatsupportsandwelcomesthe LGBTQIA community. A safe space. John was hesitant at first,buthisfriendconvincedhimtogiveitachance.

Okay,sigesasama naako.

Yes! Don’t worry John, the people in that church are accepting at safe space para saatinglahat.Seeyou!

OnSunday,Johnandhisfriendarrivedatthenewchurch, and he was pleasantly surprised by the welcoming atmosphere. The sermon of the pastor was way different thanthetraumatizingoneheencountered.

Toallmybrothersandsisters,a readingfromthegospelofthebook of Genesis, chapter two, verse eighteen:ThentheLORDGodsaid, “Itisnotgoodthatthemanshould bealone;Iwillmakehimahelper fitforhim

This expression, "helper fit for him," has often been interpreted as suggesting that women are inferior to men and exist solely to serve men. However, the pastor explains that this interpretation is not accurate. The pastor gave a sermon that focused on love, acceptance, and inclusivity. It was a stark contrast to the discriminatorysermonhehadheardathispreviouschurch.

"Helper fit for him" expresses equalitybetweenmanandwoman.It canmean“infrontofhim,”“whocan stand before him,” “similar to him,” or “equal to him.” This emphasizes the importance of community, partnership, and mutual support, rather than promoting specific genderrolesorexpectations.

John felt comfortable and safe in this new environment, surrounded by people who accepted him for who he was. Leavingthechurchthatday,Johnfeltasenseofhopethat hehadneverfeltbefore.

As the presidential election drew closer, John became increasingly worried. He knew that the candidate who was anti-LGBTQIA was gainingmomentum,andhefearedwhatwouldhappenifthatcandidate won. When the election results came in and it was announced that the anti-LGBTQIA candidate had won the presidential race, John's heart sank. He knew that the next four years would be challenging for him and for his community. His fears were not unfounded, as the new administrationbegantorollbackprotectionsforLGBTQIAindividuals and make it harder for them to live their lives freely and without discrimination.

John had always been a hardworking student, and his dedicationpaidoffwhenhegraduatedwithhonorsfromcollege.

However, he soon realized that findingajobinhisfieldwasgoing to be harder than he thought. Despitehisqualifications,hewas often turned down for positions, and he suspected that his sexual orientation played a role in the rejections.

Yes, you may have the qualifications and some experience but we have found a better applicant forthisjob.

The discrimination he faced wasnotonlyfromindividual employers but it was also exacerbated by the current administration,whichhada record of enacting antiLGBTQIA policies. It was dishearteningtoseethatthe progress made toward LGBTQIA rights in recent yearswasbeingundone.

Apologies, John. I’m afraid you arenotfitforthisposition.

John decided to visit the church of the pastor who had been promoting inclusivity for LGBTQIA people. He had been hearing good things about the pastor's sermons and teachings,andhefeltthatitwasasafeandwelcomingplaceto askhisburningquestion.

Pastor, if we are all equal in the eyes of God, may I ask why gays and other LGBT people like me encounter unequalopportunities?

Mychild,listen

Deuteronomy10:17said“Forthe Lord your God is God of gods andLordoflords,thegreatGod, mighty and awesome, who showsnopartialityandaccepts nobribes.”

As the conversation went on, the pastor emphasized the phrase “Who shows no partiality.” That means God has no favorites which meansHedoesnotfavoronegenderovertheother.Therefore,when it comes to access to opportunities and resources, God desires that allpeople,regardlessofgender,betreatedequallyandwithfairness. This scripture also tells us that in the eyes, heart, and mind of God, thereisnoroomforinequalityandinjustice.

According to Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and thebirdsinthesky,overthelivestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.

ThepastorpointsoutherethatALLMANKIND,whichreferstohumanityasa whole, are blessed and are considered sacred creations, regardless if there lies diversity in their identities and experiences. Moreover, it suggests that allhumansarecreatedequalandhaveasharedresponsibilitytocareforthe world and its resources. The reference to being made in God's image and likenessimpliesthatallhumanshaveinherentvalueandworth.Thismeans that all people, regardless of their gender, should have equal access to resourcesandopportunitiesinsociety.

John was overwhelmed by the pastor's kindness and support. He felt a renewed sense of hope and determination.

Johnthendeterminedlytriedagaintoapplyforajob.Despite John'sbestefforts,hecontinuallyfacedrejectionduetohis sexuality.

Oneday,hisfatherwitnessedthepainandfrustration thathissonwasgoingthroughanddecidedtogivehim onelastchancetobecomeastraightman...

"Iloveyou,anak,"his fathersaid."Pero kailanganmong magbago.Youneed tobecomestraight likeGodintended."

Hisfathershookhishead. "Hindikomatatanggap‘yan, John.Youneedtotryharder. Magdasalkaathuminging tawadsaDiyos.Eventhe churchheresaidthatthere areonlytwogenders!And it’sasintobegay!"

Johnwastakenaback.Hecouldn't believewhathewashearing.

"Dad,"hesaid."Ican'tchangewho Iam.Iwasbornthisway."

Thefatherhardlyhithissonintheface,ashe completelydisagreed.Johndecidedtofleewhile sheddingtears.

“AretheprieststherereallyinstrumentsofGodto spreadtheGospel,"Johnasked,"oraretheyusingGod asaninstrumentforpoliticalagenda?"

After1month,thefatherbegantoreflectonthe conversationshehadwithhisfriendsandworkmates whohadexpressedsimilarconcernsaboutthe church'spoliticalagenda.

Itwasthenherealizedthathehadbeenwrongin judginghissonandthatloveandacceptancewere moreimportantthanconformitytosocietalnorms.

Withanewfoundunderstandingandacceptance,the fatherofferedhissonajobasthemanageroftheir familybusiness.

Johnwasoverjoyedattheopportunityandworked tirelessly,whicheventuallymadethebusinessa success.Heprovedhisworthandshowedhisfather thathissexualitydidnotdefinehim.

Overtime,thefatherandson'srelationshipgrew stronger,andtheybecameeachother'ssupport system.

Thefatherregrettedhispastbehaviorandwas gratefulthathehadasecondchancetomakethings right.

JohncontinuedtobeanactivememberoftheLGBTQIA community,andheusedhispositioninthebusiness andlearningsfromthechurchtopromoteinclusivity andacceptance.

Hehiredpeoplefromdiversebackgrounds,including membersoftheLGBTQIAcommunity,andensuredthat theyweretreatedwithrespectanddignity.

References

American Psychological Association. (2022, October 31). Discrimination: What it is, and how to cope. Apa org https://www apa org/topics/racism-bias-discrimination/types-stress

Open Table MCC - LGBT+ Church | An Inclusive Community (n d ) Open Table Metropolitan Community Church. https://opentablemcc.ph/

Kaiser, K. (2019, December 23). 7 Bible Verses That Celebrate Love, Feminism & Gender Equality. YourTango https://www yourtango com/2019329670/7-bible-verses-celebrate-love-gender-equalityfeminism

Racaza, Marnie. “Companionship with Creation.” Theology of the Catholic Social Vision. 2023. Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City Powerpoint Presentation

The Center (2018) Defining LGBTQ The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center https://gaycenter.org/about/lgbtq/

United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund. (2021, November). DEFINING SOCIAL NORMS AND RELATED CONCEPTS UNICEF https://www unicef org/media/111061/file/Social-normsdefinitions-2021 pdf

Williams, L E (2017, June 8) 10 Bible Passages That Teach a Christian Perspective on Homosexuality Sojourners; Sojourners https://sojo net/articles/10-bible-passages-teach-christian-perspectivehomosexuality