Rey, Marie Margarette C.

Grade 12-Our Lady of Manaoag (ABM)

Open Up Your Eyes; See the Beauty of the Different Colors

Living a life as a part of the LGBTQIA++ community is also living a life full
of challenges and hardships. Hence, society must treat all genders equally, for all
human beings feel that they are all valid in all aspects. Every person must love
their love neighbors whole-heartedly, with no bit of hate or disgust. Free and
equal in dignity and rights, a concept that must be kept in the mind of the society
itself. Ergo, we must have the right to live our lives as we want to, and most
importantly, the right to be loved and to love people we want regardless of
gender.

In a universe composed of vulnerable individuals who sought

unconditional love, warmth, and intimacy, one is strongly distinguished by the
heart's desire to longing, no matter how unfamiliar it seems to be in the society.
Just as cooking a high-value food, balancing the taste perfectly, people have
varying preferences when it comes to love. The lesbian-themed short story
written by Bernadette Neri is entitled ‘Pamamanhikan,’ which portrays the vague
feelings of a Kapampangan mother towards her youngest daughter. Before, the
mother cooks the favorite food of her daughter, which is a flavorful and savory
adobo, with excitement as she will welcome her daughter in their home every end
of the month. However, as Maria Celeste revealed about her sexuality and her
relationship with the same gender as her, she suddenly realized that her
brightest daughter above all-stars is slowly losing its shine.

Maria Celeste is her daughter’s name, which means a bright star that was
gifted by heaven; a star that will be admired and respected by many. Before the
revelation, she sees Ces as a good housewife. A good housewife that keeps the
house clean, makes well-rounded meals, feeds her children, and most
importantly, maintains a happy relationship with his husband. On the other
hand, after the said revelation, she was left unmoved, and she was unclear with
her feelings regarding the surprising fact declared by her daughter. The only
word left is, “why does it have to be Anne?”. Also, at that moment, her husband
knows that Ces would be the talk of the town, and that would be a disgrace to
their family. Unbelievingly, she defended her daughter’s choice and being.

The harsh reality is that when you are a part of the LGBTQIA++
community, your feelings and your choices are all invalid in society. Thus, Ces
felt worthless as she revealed her true identity to her parents since her parents
were dismayed with her being. With that said, the reaction of Ces’ parents will be
different if she was not part of the said community. Conceivably, both of them
will be happy if Cess would bring home a man that she will introduce as his
partner. Regardless of their wishes, hopes, and dreams for Maria Celeste, she
found love to a person who has the same gender as her. But then, as the time has
come where she brought her only love into their home, her parents warmly
welcomed them. The act of her mother preparing her favorite food, the
Kapampangan-style adobo, which has flavorful cuts with a slightly sweet and
spicy taste brought by cardava bananas and bits of chili peppers, justifies the
warm welcome they received from her parents.

“Pamamanhikan” is a lesbian-themed short story that portrays the

invalidation of society regarding the different colors in the spectrum. Having a
life of being a part of the colorful community is not that easy as it seems, for
there are a lot of discriminations, social exclusions, and of course, abuse. As soon
as they wake up in the morning, they knew that that day is another greatest
challenge that they must overcome in their lives. For there are a lot of people that
are not giving them any worth, and there are a lot of people that find them
disgusting even if they are not. Still, they are loud and proud of who they are and
what they are. Ergo, every day is a battle, and every day, they come prepared to
fight for their rights and worth.