Exploring the Experiences of Gay Men in Dealing with Societal Discrimination

Despite the advances in LGBTQ+ persons rights, many gay men struggle to battle the steadfast societal discrimination that throws into question their identity, purpose, and acceptance. This study explored the following research questions: 1) What is the context of the gay men lived experience of societal discrimination? 2) How do gay men navigate and cope with societal discrimination? And 3) How do gay men view themselves in the future amid societal discrimination? Employing transcendental phenomenology as a research design, this study aimed to understand the experiences of gay men about societal discrimination. Data were collected, using 3-phased in-depth phenomenological interviews, from the four participants who are residents of a municipality in Lanao del Norte, Philippines. Collected data were transcribed and analyzed using the seven-step method of Colaizzi (1978). Significant statements were identified and analyzed for codes, categories, and themes using Hyper Research software. From the narratives of the participants, three themes emerged such as: navigating one’s identity, socio-personal resiliency and responsibility, and personal and collective transformation. The fundamental structure of their experience is toughness. Without toughness, this experience cannot be the experiences of these gay men against societal discrimination. In the face of societal discrimination, participants displayed amazing bravery by fighting discrimination and proving their value by drawing on their knowledge, inner strength, and family support. Future research may focus of the same topic using a quantitative approach.