Chapter-1-to-5.docx

General De Jesus College San Isidro, Nueva Ecija

Effects of Discrimination Among selected LGBT Senior High School Students of General de Jesus College, Academic Year 2018-2019 Members: Nicole Angelique Pangilinan Frans Angeline Yakit Regine Cullado Akina Giron Rhea Flores Mark Anthony Lagdamin Emmanuel Punzalan Kenjie Tecson

General De Jesus College San Isidro, Nueva Ecija

CHAPTER 1 The Problem and its Background INTRODUCTION "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." - Thomas Jefferson Outside the home, schools are the primary vehicles for educating, socializing, developing and providing services to the youth. According to Human Rights Watch (2016), schools can be difficult environments for students, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, but they are often unwelcoming

especially

for

lesbian,

gay,

bisexual

and

transgender (LGBT) youth. They also added that, lack of policies and practices that affirm and support LGBT youth and failure to implement protections that do exist, means that LGBT students nationwide continue to suffer from discrimination in schools. According

to

American

Psychological

Association(2017),

sexual orientation refers to an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic and/or sexual attractions to men, women or both sexes.

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One’s sexuality orientations depends on whether he or she is attracted towards: his or her own sex, the opposite sex, the same & opposite sex. Among these various sexual orientations, a community called LGBT community is formulated. The acronym LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. Heartland Alliance(2012)defined these 4 words as the term lesbian is used to describe a woman whose enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction to other women. Gay is a word that is used to describe a man who has a physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction to other men. Bisexual describes an individual who is physically, romantically, and/or emotionally attracted to both men and women. And transgender is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. Over the years, many people came out and showed their real sexual orientation. Therefore, discrimination among these people arose. According to Attorney Sachi Barreiro (2019),sexual orientation discrimination is the unequal treatment of the community because of one's sexual orientation. It includes being harassed and treated differently because of his/her real or perceived sexual orientation.

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Nowadays, schools are primary places where most LGBTQ youth spend most of their time. Yet, schools present a major dilemma for youth who traverse them each day.Ryan Thoreson (2017) stated that schools should be safe places for everyone, but nowadays,

students

transgender

(LGBT)

who

are

lesbian,

too

often

find

gay,

that

bisexual,

their

and

schooling

experience is full of bullying, discrimination,and in some cases, physical or sexual assault. These abuses can cause deep and lasting harm to these students. According to Darrel Higa(2014),LGBT youth experience verbal or physical harassment at school because of being identified as LGBTQ. Youth described verbal harassment such as being called names, hearing derogatory labels or phrases, while physical harassment includes being pushed, bullied and beaten up. J. Cole (2013) mentions that there is a higher rate of abuse, neglect, and discrimination against LGBT youths than straight youths. He also added that the word “faggot” is often used by anti-gay peers to terrorize LGBT youths. Discrimination and harassment faced by these LGBT youth greatly impacts their mental health and emotional health. According to Russel and Fish (2016), perceptions and how other people see and treat them as an individual is a great factor

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on their health.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services, as cited in "Today's Gay Youths", suicide is the leading cause of death among gay and lesbian youths. Gay and lesbian youths are 2 to 6 times more likely to attempt suicide than heterosexual youth. And over 30% of all reported teen suicides each year are committed by gay and lesbian. Namely, schools are a setting in which LGBTQ youth both remain at risk for experiencing adversity, but at the same time they are also one in which LGBTQ youth could receive critical support and resources from their peers and adults. According to Ryan Huebner (2009),family and peer acceptance of LGBT adolescents is associated with positive young adult mental and physical health. With these circumstances, it is true that the problem does not lie with the LGBT individuals, but with the attitudes and behavior of the society around them. True to this, sexual orientation discrimination is one of those important matters we should focus our attentions to. Awareness and acceptance to this matter is greatly needed to reduce harm to LGBT youth members. This research is conducted to enhance and promote shared understanding of equality and the state of LGBT youth on school

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campuses. This paper also aims to elaborate impacts of different discrimination to LGBT youth and to explore various actions that can and should be taken by students to help these youths live a normal and happy life. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK: This study is based on Stephen Russel and Jessica Fish’s concept about the Mental Health in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth (2016), where they stated that today’s LGBT youth members come out at younger ages and that public support for LGBT issues has dramatically increased but still LGBT youth continue to be at a high risk for compromised mental health and discrimination. According to them, it is normal for youth to develop an understanding of sexual orientation and identity. Today’s youth come out at younger ages compared before. Some came out as adults and young adults, often after they were financially and legally independent, and when they were fully matured and experienced in life. Coming out is associated with positive adjustment for adults, yet

for

youth,

coming

out

is

often

a

risk

factor

for

discrimination and victimization. Russel and Fish also mentioned that perceptions and how other people see them as an individual

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is a great factor on how they see themselves and on their mental and emotional health. It was really stressful for LGBT youth to come out because of the fear to be judged and discriminated. Russel and fish also stated that, the role of adults is to support youth to think carefully about how they come out. Rather than come out through social media or to many people at once. They should begin with people they trust, they can build a network of support, which can be help them develop better mental health towards their sexual orientation. According Darrel Higa, Marilyn J. Hoppe, and Sarah Mountz in their concept, Negative and Positive Factors Associated with the Well-being of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Youth (2014), they experience verbal or physical harassment at school because of being identified as LGBTQ. Youth described verbal harassment such as being called names, hearing derogatory labels or phrases such as “faggot” or “that's so gay,” being sworn at, and being told one is going to hell for being LGBTQ. Youth also reported experiencing, hearing about or witnessing physical harassment such as being pushed, bullied, beaten up, or having food thrown at them when they were identified as LGBTQ.

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General De Jesus College San Isidro, Nueva Ecija

INPUT:  Profile of the selected LGBT Senior High School students Experiences of the respondents

PROCESS: Survey Questionnaires Live Interviews Audio Recordings

OUTPUT: Determining the effects of discrimination to LGBT students A blog/website showing awareness to the situation of LGBT youth and persuade them to accept the LGBT community.

Figure 1. Paradigm

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STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Nowadays, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community has overcome great problems and obstacles in its fight for acceptance and equality. The newest challenge has become the

poor

mental

health

of

the

LGBT

youth

because

of

discrimination. The objective of this study is to determine the effects of discrimination to selected Grade 11 and 12 students of General de Jesus College. Specifically, this study is conducted in order to provide relevant answers to the following questions:

1. How may the profile of the respondents be described in terms of: 1.1 Age, and; 1.2 Sexual Orientation? 2. How did the respondents come out to people around them, specifically in the following: 2.1 Family, and; 2.2 Friends?

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3. How did coming out of the respondent are affected in terms of: 3.1 Stress, and; 3.2 Fear to be judged and discriminated? 4. What are the motivations of the respondents in coming out? 5. How may the experiences of the respondents be described

in

terms of: 5.1 Verbal harassment, 5.2 Physical harassment, 5.3 Cyberbullying, 6.4 Graffiti / Vandalism and; 5.5 Sexual Assault? 6. How may the mental and emotional climate of the respondents be described in terms of: 6.1 Home, 6.2 School, and; 6.3 Community? 7. How may the effects of discrimination in LGBT youth be described in terms of:

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7.1 Mental health, and; 7.2 Emotional distress 7.2.1 Self harm, and; 7.2.2 Suicidal ideations? 8. How did the people around the respondents, specifically their families,

help

them

develop

their

emotional

and

mental

well-being despite their sexuality? 9. How did the perceptions of other people affect how the respondents view themselves?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY LGBT Community - Discrimination among them is greatly known in all countries. Through this study, the members of the LGBT community will relate to each others experience and will know how they feel. This research will help them grasp that it is not only themselves who suffer from this kind of treatment. They get to see a wider picture of the occurrence of harassment and discrimination of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders. Students - It is not a mystery in the minds of these students that there is a discrimination happening among members LGBT

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community in their school. Therefore, this study aims to awaken these students on how much suffering these lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders are going through. This study aims to open the eyes of the students to stop discriminating and if not, promote the elimination of such actions. Teachers- Awareness of their students' emotions and mental health is a must for professional teachers. One must not only look at a student's physical health but most important, their feelings and mental well-being. This study will make the teachers understand the discrimination happening among lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders better. By this,it will be easier for the teachers to think of a way on how to approach their students and to be a helping hand to them as well. Researchers– The researchers will be the ones who will truly benefit from this study. As for them, they will acquire full knowledge and understanding about how discrimination among lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders has overspread in their school. Because they conducted this research, they gained apprehension on what these LGBT community members feel and be able to put themselves in their shoes to lead in stopping the progression of these actions.

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Future researchers - This will not just benefit the students, teachers, researchers and LGBT community members but also the future researchers. This will act as a great help for the future generation researchers, since it will serve as a guide for them. They will be provided with proficient knowledge about the history of discrimination among these pupils which are present in the researchers’

generation,

therefore

comparing

the

discrimination of lesbian, gays, bisexual and transgenders experienced in their generation.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION Out of all the Senior High School students of General de Jesus College, nine (9) selected pupils were used in conducting the interview. These students are selected according to their sexual orientations. Three of them are gays, three are lesbians and three are bisexuals. This study however focuses on some selected members of the LGBT community members, specifically gays, lesbians and bisexuals. Since transgenders are not present in the campus due to their young ages which makes them unable to undergo

such

surgeries

yet.

These

pupils

are

chosen

to

participate in this study due to the fact that they are the most reliable persons to know the experience of discrimination and

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General De Jesus College San Isidro, Nueva Ecija

harassment. This study is centered on some selected students which are handful to give the true reflection of their suffering. The interview is conducted inside the campus of General de Jesus College. The focus of the study is to determine how much discrimination and harassment these LGBT youth experience. Each respondent was asked the questions that the researches have prepared

in

a

private

conservation

to

ensure

the

confidentiality of the information.

DEFINITION OF TERMS 

Bisexual- a person who is sexually attracted not exclusively to people of one particular gender; attracted to both men and women.



Depression- a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act.



Derogatory-showing a critical or disrespectful attitude.



Discrimination- treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction towards, a person based on the group, class, or category to which the person is perceived to belong. These include age, colour, criminal record, height, disability,

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General De Jesus College San Isidro, Nueva Ecija

ethnicity, family status, gender identity, generation, genetic characteristics, marital status, nationality, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation. 

Faggot- often shortened to fag, is a pejorative term used chiefly in North America primarily to refer to a gay male.



Gay- a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual



Gender- the range of characteristics pertaining to, and differentiating between, masculinity and femininity.



Harassment- covers a wide range of behaviors of an offensive nature. It is commonly understood as behavior that demeans, humiliates

or

embarrasses

a

person,

and

it

is

characteristically identified by its unlikelihood in terms of social and moral reasonableness. 

Homophobia- encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT).



Lesbian- a woman who is attracted to another woman; this attraction can be physical, emotional or sexual.

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

LGBT- is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender



Mental health- includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act.



Queer- denoting or relating to a sexual or gender identity that does not correspond to established ideas of sexuality and gender, especially heterosexual norms.



Sexual orientation- it is about who you’re attracted to and want to have relationships with. It includes gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual, and asexual.



Sexuality- a person's sexual orientation or preference.



Suicide-he act of killing yourself intentionally



Transgender- a term used to describe people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

General De Jesus College San Isidro, Nueva Ecija

CHAPTER 2 Review of Related Literature and Studies This chapter presents the related literature and studies after

the

thorough

and

in-depth

search

done

by

the

researchers.The literature is divided in to two types, the foreign and local literature. Foreign Literature Equal Opportunities Commission(2017)defined discrimination as the treatment to a person unfairly because of who they are or because they possess certain characteristics. One’s sexual orientation is enough for a person to experience discrimination. According to Attorney Sachi Barreiro(2019),sexual orientation discrimination is the unequal treatment of the community because of one's sexual orientation. It includes being harassed and treated differently because of his/her real or perceived sexual orientation. Discrimination is a part of the school experiences of many students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. But the experience can be more difficult for LGBT students, who often struggle to make sense of their identities, lack support from family and friends, and encounter negative messaging about LGBT people at school(Human Rights Watch,2016).

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General De Jesus College San Isidro, Nueva Ecija

According to Mental Health in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth (2016) by Stephen Russel and Jessica Fish, LGBT youth members come out at younger ages and that public support for LGBT issues has dramatically increased but still LGBT youth continue to be at a high risk for compromised mental health and discrimination.Family and peer acceptance of LGBT adolescents results to positive young adult mental and physical health. Interventions that promote mental parental acceptance of LGBT are needed to reduce health disparties(Rosario et al.,2009). Based on “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth Talk about

Experiencing

and

Coping

with

School

Violence:

A

Qualitative Study” (Grossman et al., 2009), most members of the LGBT community disclosed and hid their sexual orientation for years.It took this long for them to accept themselves and to disclose it to other people because they know that not all people are open minded to this topic.In schools, people were aware of the happenings and still continued to ignore the problem, which made it harder for the members of the LGBT Community to cope up with their feelings. All members of LGBT’s subgroups are subjected to similar prejudices rooted in

beliefs and traditions about sexuality and

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General De Jesus College San Isidro, Nueva Ecija

gender.

They

are

more

likely

to

experience

intolerance,

discrimination and harassment(Chatterjee Subharajit,2014). According to Darrel Higa et al.,(2014), LGBT youth experiences verbal

and

physical

harassment,

youth

described

verbal

harassment such as being called names, hearing derogatory labels or phrases, while physical harassment includes being pushed, bullied, beaten up, or having food thrown at them. According to Blackman (2016) many people are guilty of discrimination against LGBT youths, whether consciously or unconsciously.These discrimination affect the LGBT youths in ways which can lead them to depression, their downfall and their death. Discrimination is accounted to the increase depressive symptomatology among LGBT males or females,and accounted for an

elevated

risk

of

self-harm

and

suicidal

ideations.

Discrimination like this is likely a contributor to emotional distress among LGBT youth(Almedia et al.,2008). Local Literature The LGBT or Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender in the Philippines are known for having a distinctive, influential culture however they are bounded to discrimination(San Beda College,2017).Throughout

Philippine

history,

homosexual

behavior has already existed and people are discriminated for

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loving a person in the opposite sex. Homosexuality can be traced back in the ancient Greece. During those times, however, homosexuality has been seen as a sin and has been widely condemned. Judaism and Christianity view homosexuality as a sin. During the Spanish era, homosexuality was seen as a sin and during the Americans; it is regarded as an illness (Revadulla,2011). According to the research made by Human Rights Watch(2017) in the Philippines, whether it takes physical, verbal, in person or on social media, bullying endangers the safety, health, and education of LGBT youth. It is stated in this study that among young LGBT people, “low self-esteem and poor self acceptance, combined with discrimination was also linked to destructive coping behaviors such as isolation and depression.” The most common form of bullying that LGBT students reported in interviews with Human Rights Watch was verbal harassment. This included chants of “ bakla , bakla ,” “ bayot , bayot ,” “tomboy,” or “ tibo ,” using local terms for gay, lesbian, or transgender students in a mocking fashion.According to Ginolos (2017), members of the LGBT Community have become uncomfortable of who they are and some are shutting themselves from society due to verbal abuse.He also stated that this is the most common form of harassment (discrimination) LGBT encounters.

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Ever since then, people have always discriminated the LGBT community just because they are different from us. It is a harsh treatment for like anyone else—they are also just humans and should be treated equally. Being a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender should not be something to be ashamed of because that is who they are and that is what they are. People should not just handpick the people that they want to respect—everyone deserves to be respected and the LGBT community is no different. To have peace, one must accept one another and love one another. The world would remain cruel and ruthless if people in this world would not change for the better(Ginolos et al.,2017). Related Studies Even though there is an increasing acceptance of LGBTI people in society and greater visibility in the media and public life, many LGBTI people still experience discrimination, harassment and violence at work, school and in social situations.(Beyond Blue Support Service,2017). According to DoSomething Organization (2014), 42% of people who are LGBT report living in an unwelcoming environment. 80% of gay and lesbian youth report severe social isolation.

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6 in 10 LGBT students report feeling unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation. While non-LGBT students struggle most with school classes, exams, and work, their LGBT peers say the biggest problem they face is unaccepting families. The Victorian Gay & Lesbian Rights Lobby (2008)stated that 390 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender found that there are one out of seven reported living in fear of homophobic violence.And based on The Guardian (2014), 34% of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the UK choose not to disclose their sexuality. They hide their private lives from colleagues and clients for fear of homophobia.According to Human Rights Campaign’s report (2016),4 in 10 LGBT youth (42%) say the community in which they live is not accepting of LGBT people. LGBT youth are twice as likely as their peers to say they have been physically assaulted, kicked or shoved at. LGBT youth come out to their family are more likely to report being happy than who are not out. LGBT youth are the target of much discrimination, both in school and online. 35% of them have received threats online, 58% say something bad is said to them or about them online, 33% report sexual harassment online, and 20% report receiving harassing text messages from other students. These numbers are

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General De Jesus College San Isidro, Nueva Ecija

about

three

to

four

times

higher

than

other

student’s

experiences(GLSEN Organization, 2014). According to data from the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey(2015), of surveyed LGB students: 10% were threatened or injured with a weapon on school property,34% were bullied on school property and 28% were bullied electronically. And around 60% had suffered verbal abuse because of their sexuality, 18% suffered physical assault and 69% suffered other forms of homophobia such as rumours and graffiti (Australian Human Rights Commission,2010). Human

Rights

Watch

(2015)

reported

the

conduction

of

interviews and group discussions in 10 cities on the major islands of the Philippines. It examines three broad areas in which

LGBT

students

encounter

bullying,harassment

and

discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.It came out that verbal bullying appeared to be the most prevalent problem that LGBT students faced and that physical bullying and harassment were also worryingly common—and while students were most often the culprits, teachers ignored or participated in bullying as well. The effects of this bullying were devastating to the youth who were targeted.

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Based on the studies carried out in the United States by the World Economic Forum (2016) ,between half and two thirds of LGBT students are regularly bullied at school and up to a third skip school to escape harassment. Many LGBT youth, bullied at school and rejected at home, end up homeless.This study found that gay and lesbian young people are four times more likely to contemplate or attempt suicide, compared with the general population – while trans youth are ten times more likely to do so. RaRE research (2015) also added that more than two in five trans young people have attempted to take their own life, as have one in five lesbian, gay, and bisexual students who aren’t transgenders According to Beyond Blue Support Service (2017), experiences with discrimination and stigmatization of LGBT can lead to a higher likelihood of emotional distress, depression and anxiety. People can often feel pressured to fit in with society's conventional ideas of being male or female. Those who don't fit the mould can be subjected to ridicule, intimidation and even physical abuse. According to Stonewall’s school report (2010). Nearly 45% of LGBT pupils are bullied for being LGBT in Britain’s schools. This is down from 55% of lesbian, gay and bisexual who experienced

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bullying because of their sexual orientation. Nacosa (2015) also stated that homophobia, stigmatization and discrimination against LGBTI students led to lower levels of educational attainment and affected their access to health resources. A latest study conducted by Metcalf (2016), provides some evidences of discrimination that LGBT is experiencing in schools. Incidence of bullying was tackled in their study and it revealed that it is widespread in schools. Synthesis To sum it all up, discrimination in the LGBT youth do exist and almost all of the discrimination started in schools, based on the related studies and literature. The researchers on the related literature presents that discrimination among LGBT students affects them,even if its physical, verbal or any type of harassment. And their mental and emotional health are affected mostly because of lack of support of peers and family that may lead to depression and suicidal ideations.

General De Jesus College San Isidro, Nueva Ecija

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY This chapter contains the research design used in conducting this study including the research locale, the sample and sampling procedures, description of the respondents, and the data gathering techniques used to collect the data and information for the research about the effects of discrimination in LGBT youths. Research Design This study investigated the discrimination happening among LGBT youths and how it affects them. A qualitative research was conducted in order to gather information from the LGBT members inside the school campus. This research used the qualitative type for the researchers to acquire knowledge about the topic through collecting data from the respondents. In Practical Research 1, Qualitative research was described as a process of naturalistic inquiry that seeks in-depth of understanding social phenomena within their natural setting. It focuses on the “why” rather than the “what” of social phenomena and relies on the direct experiences of human-beings as meaning-making agents in their everyday lives. Moreover, Qualitative data collection consists of gathering data through

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the use of forms with general, emerging questions to permit the participant to generate responses (Creswell, 2012). Furthermore, this involved collecting the data which were collected from the researchers’ questionnaires given to the respondents through interview. In this study, a case study, type of qualitative method, which is a type of qualitative research in which investigators explore a real-life, contemporary bounded system (a case) over time, through in-depth data collection(Creswell,2013),is used as the basis of this research paper to conduct a descriptive qualitative research on the LGBT community in General de Jesus College. It focuses on a specific group of individuals such as the LGBT community which is the subject of this Case Study. In summary, qualitative research and a case study complements each other in exploring the effects of discrimination to LGBT youth responses in this study. This method was chosen by the researchers in order to gather first hand data and information from the respondents that are important in formulating useful and accurate conclusions and recommendations.

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Research Locale The researchers conducted this research in General de Jesus College which is located at Vallarta St. San Isidro, 3106 Nueva Ecija, Philippines. It is a private non-secretarian school that was founded in 1946 and formerly known as General de Jesus Academy. After the World War II which ended in 1945, General de Jesus Academy was founded by prominent citizens of the town, namely Paz Policarpio-Mendez, Soledad Medina, Francisco Narcsisco, Teofilo Abello and Ricardo Odulio. The school was named after San Isidro’s hero General Simeon de Jesus who was executed by Japanese

in

Fort

Santiago,and

he

was

one

of

the

most

distinguished graduates of the Philippine Constabulary Academy, which is now known as Philippine Military Academy. The school opened in June 1946 in a rented building which was the former residence of the Moreno family. It started with seven teachers, including the principal, and 255 students from first to fourth year. From the year 1946 to 1977, the school operated only the academic secondary course. The first courses offered during the school year 1978-1979 was Liberal Arts. In 1992, the pre-school and the elementary departments were built with the goal to serve

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General De Jesus College San Isidro, Nueva Ecija

the community. General de Jesus Academy was converted into colllege when the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the change in status on August 28,1997 and the school from then has been known as General de Jesus College. In

the

DECS

list

of

300

Top Performing

Colleges

and

Universities in 1992 PBET (Professional Board Examination for Teachers) General de Jesus College obtained a national rank of 144 and a regional rank 24. It ranked second in Nueva Ecija, having Central Luzon State University on the first rank. Its high school department was chosen in 1996 as the Most Effective High School in the Division of Nueva Ecija. The core value of General de Jesus College are: Discipline, Integrity and Excellence. The school’s philosophy is: The development of a morally upright, civic-minded, and useful citizenry is the responsibility of any educational institution. The school’s vision is: General de Jesus College as a leading learning institution where every learner is transformed into a God-loving and

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highly productive citizen responsive to local, national and global needs. The school’s mission is: General de Jesus College is commited to produce graduates who are instilled with nationalistic, moral and spiritual values and who are equipped with life and career competencies.

Figure 2. Map of San Isidro

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Sample and Sampling Procedure The researchers selected nine (9) students form Grade 11 and 12

from

Accounting

and

Science,Technology,Engineering

Business and

Management(ABM),

Mathematics(STEM)

and

Humanities and Social Sciences(HUMSS) strands of General de Jesus College enrolled during the academic year 2018-2019. This serves as the sample population of the study. This study used the purposive sampling technique to provide as much insight as possible about the study’s topic which is the effects of discrimination among selected LGBT senior high school students. The respondents were selected and asked before conducting the interview and giving them the questionnaires, so that the researchers can get their consent and have more precised answers. According to Crossman (2016), a purposive sample is a non-probability sample that is selected based on characteristics of a population and the objective of the study. This study is also known as judgemental, selective or subjective sampling.

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Table 1 Distribution of Respondents GRADE LEVEL

FREQUENCY

GRADE 11

STEM

2

GRDAE 11

ABM

3

GRADE 11

HUMSS

1

GRADE 12

STEM

0

GRADE 12

ABM

2

GRADE 12

HUMSS

1

TOTAL

9

Description of the Student-Respondents Nine

(9)

students

from

Grade

11

and

12

Science,

Technology,Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Accounting and Business Management (ABM), and Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) of General de Jesus College enrolled during school year 2018-2019 were involved in this study regarding the effects of discrimination to LGBT youth in schools. The researchers

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prepared a set of questions for these students. After the approval of the research adviser to the interview questions, the researchers proceeded to interview and record the answers of the respondents. Data Gathering Instruments The research instruments used in the study were structured interview

with

the

respondents,audio

recordings

and

documentation. 1.1 Structured Interview The structured interview was used in this study to validate the data gathered from the respondents. Structured Interview is an interview which is verbally conducted questionnaires in

which

a

list of

prepared

questions

is

asked.

The

researchers gave questionnaires to the respondents where thet can write their answers so there will be an exact copy of the transcript. Interviews like these are important to gather important and primary data from the respondents and to have more precise and effective interview. The

respondents

following questions.

were

asked

by

the

researchers

the

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▪

How did you come out to the people around you specifically to your family and friends?

▪

When did you decide to come out to your family and friends?

▪

How did your coming out affect your stress level and the fear to be judged?

▪

What are your motivations in coming out?

▪

After coming out, what are your experiences based on verbal harassment,

physical

harassment,

cyberbullying,

grafitti/vandalism and sexual assault? ▪

How are your mental and emotional climate whenever you are at your home,school and community?

▪

How does the discrimination coming from people affect your mental health and emotional distress(self harm and suicidal ideations)?

▪

How does the people around you, specifically your family help you develop your emotional and mental health despite your sexuality?

▪

How does other people’s perception affect the way you view yourself?

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1.2 Audio Recordings The researches decided to record the interview with the respondents so that the important details and information would not be excluded. Having these audio recordings will give the researchers an easy way to recheck and review the interviews by listening to it. It will also give them the chance to study and comprehend the exact and complete answer of the respondents. 1.3 Documention Documentations are one of the most significant and important part of data gathering procedures. The researchers will be able to give precise and accurate data by documenting the transcripts of all the respondents’ answers in structured interview and recordings. This will serve as an evidence to prove the validity of the study. 2 Administration of Data Gathering Instruments In order to record all the answers of the respondents, the researchers used audio recordings, structured interviews and documentations. The respondent was asked personally and through texts for their consent to conduct an interview. The interview was

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conducted in a time and place where the respondents are available. All the procedures involved in the interview were known by the respondents. The respondents were only those who agreed to conduct an interview without the need to threaten them in any way. The researchers listened and recorded each data carefully, in order for them to study and understand the answers of the respondents accordingly as it was needed for the success of the study.

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CHAPTER 4 PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA This chapter represents the data gathered, the analysis done and the interpretation of the findings. These are presented in tables following the sequence of the specific research problems regarding the effects of discrimination to LGBT youth in General de Jesus College. PROFILE OF THE RESPONDENTS TABLE 2 Age of the Respondents Age

Frequency

Percentage

16

1

11.11%

17

5

55.56%

18

3

33.33%

19

0

0%

TOTAL

9

100%

Table 2 This table shows the age of the respondents, there is one respondents aged 16 with 11.11%, there are five respondents who are 17 years old with 55.56%, three respondents

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who are 18 years old with 33.33% and there are no respondents having the age of 19 with 0%. The presented data above shows that ages 16 to 19 are the ages wherein LGBT youth tend to come out and reveal that they are part of the community. According to Pew Research Center (2013), the age of 17 is the median age wherein youth came to realization that they know for sure that they are lesbian, gay or bisexual. TABLE 3 Sexual Orientation of the Respondents Age

Frequency

Percentage

Lesbian

3

33.33%

Gay

3

33.33%

Bisexual

3

33.33%

TOTAL

9

100%

Table 3 This table shows the sexual orientation of the respondents wherein three of them are lesbian, three are gay and three are bisexual, having the percentage of 33.33% each. This table shows that it is evident that the LGBT community members are present in school campuses. According to youth.gov (2012),some LGBT youth experience supportive, welcoming school

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environments where they are physically and emotionally safe and their LGBT identity is respected, or even embraced while others may experience unwelcoming, unsafe, and unsupportive conditions in schools.

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FACTORS AFFECTING DISCRIMINATION AND HEALTH OF RESPONDENTS TABLE 4 Coming out to people around, specifically to family

THEME

INDICATORS “I told them that I cannot give the grandchild that they are wishing for.” “I did it by saying it through online or indirect communication.”

Coming out to people

“I did not officially came out, it’s more of like they have always known or felt.”

around, specifically to family

“I haven’t come out yet.” “I told them the truth, because they deserve to know about this first.” “I told them my sexuality, personally.” “I just act normal like I am not a lesbian.” “Not yet.” “They didn’t know yet.”

Table 4 This table presents how the respondents came out to their family.Some of the respondents stated that they have not

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came out yet to their family and they just act normal.On the other hand,majority of the respondents said that they came out already by saying it boldly to their family personally, by posting on social media and by their noticeable actions. Based on their statements, it is noticeable that many of the members of LGBT community has admitted their real sexuality to their family boldly. However, some of them are not yet comfortable to tell their families about their sexuality and does not have enough courage to come out. According to healthychildren.org (2018), "Coming out" is a lifelong journey of understanding, it is important for parents of LGBT teens to remember each child is unique and will have their own experiences and feelings along the way.

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TABLE 5 Coming out to people around, specifically to friends

THEME

INDICATORS “I don’t have to. They already know it before I came out.”

Coming out to “I did it by saying it secretly to the friend I people around, specifically to friends

trusted.” “I said it to my best friend. I chatted her one summer when I realized that I am gay.” “I just talked to them and tell them what my feelings were and because they are my true friends they supported me and lend their hands to me.” “They noticed it on the way I act around them.” “I didn’t come out they notice it on how the way I am.” “I am always open to my friends when I already know that I am a lesbian.” “I told them secretly.” “They knew it from the beginning that my sexual reference is both men and women.”

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Table 5 This table shows how the respondents came out to their friends. A respondent stated that he/she came out to his/her friends through chatting. Some of them told their sexual orientation to his friends personally and most of these some respondents did it secretly. In addition, most of the respondents said that they do not need to tell their friends because they already knew based on how they act around them. Therefore, it could be understood that the members of the LGBT community are more comfortable in telling their friends rather than their family regarding their sexuality. As stated in Table 4, some of the respondents have not came out to their families yet.Thus friends has large impact to LGBT youth. According to Gillespie (2015), friends play important roles throughout overall life satisfaction of LGBT members.

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TABLE 6 Effects of coming out to stress

THEME

INDICATORS “I don’t stress out myself over the things that I can’t control.” “My stress was reduced because it felt so good when I already came out.” “It removed the stress about ‘What if they found out? Will they accept me as I am?’” “I am relieved because when I came out I can do

Effects of

what I want and the question “What if they found out” faded.”

coming out to “I was afraid that they will be a big possibility stress

that they may not accept me.” “I am afraid that my family won’t like it.” “I over-think what’s wrong with me.” “I over-think a lot.” “It causes so much stress because every day and night. I’m thinking of how will I come out or how will I tell them about my situation. It leads to over-thinking and it affects my daily living significantly.”

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Table 6 This table shows the effects of coming out to the state of stress of being a member of the LGBT community. A respondent stated that he/she does not want to stress himself/herself over things that he/she obviously cannot control. Several respondents said that they were relieved and their stress is reduced when they came out. Some of them stated that this causes them to over-think things more and that they are afraid that some people will not approve of it. Hence, it can be interpreted that not all LGBT members have the same emotional or stress level. Some of them find it easy dealing with stress and have overcame it. However, some of them find it challenging to deal with stress and it makes them stress more. According to Ahuja (2016),LGBT adolescents are exposed to more stress by being a minority in society and by being explicitly bullied and discriminated against.

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TABLE 7 Effects of coming out to fear to be judged

THEME

INDICATORS “I don’t mind them, their opinions aren’t really needed.” “I am still afraid to be judged but not as that much because there is a support of my friends that boosts my confidence.” “There’s still that fear but with the support from

Effects of coming out to

my friends, I feel confident about who I really am.” “I’m still afraid to be judged because not everyone will respect me.”

fear to be “Those “gossips” and “fake news” that they make

judged

just to ruin my image.” “I am afraid that other people will judge my personality and sexuality.” “Sometimes when I’m with my loved ones they are whispering beside me, but to show that I am an educated person I just ignore it.” “I am afraid to have rumours spreading.” “As a teenager facing this kind of problem really affects me, the fear of not fitting into the box of expectation really hurts.”

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Table 7

The table above presents the effect of coming out

to their fear of being judged. Few respondents said that they just do not mind and ignore those people who judge them. Some of them said that there is still the fear of getting judged but because of their friends' support, they conquer it. Most of the respondents stated that after coming out, they are still afraid of being judged by others and getting their image ruined due to gossips and false rumors. According to their statements, it is noticeable that the members of LGBT community have different perspectives. Some chooses to just ignore it, some are still on their way to conquering it and some still have that fear of being judged. According to Webber (2018), more than half of Lesbian,Gay,Bisexual and Transgender community people have experienced discrimination in the past years, many are afraid to seek for advice because of fears of discrimination.s

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TABLE 8 Motivations in coming out

THEME

INDICATORS “Myself, because I realized that I can’t hold my feelings forever.” “To accept who really I am and for them to be open in the issues of LGBT community.” “Wanting to let people close to me know me better and being free.”

Motivations

“I’ve watched some movies and I have my friend

in coming out that inspired me for me to come out.” “My motivations are the cruel things that they say to me because it boosts my confidence in just being me.” “Other LGBT community members.” “Myself, because for me I am just being myself and enjoying life.” “My friends who support me.” “What motivates me is that LGBT community is getting bigger and bigger and inch by inch i can see progress in accepting us in the society.”

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Table 8 This table shows the motivations of the respondents in coming out. Few respondents stated that their motivation is themselves because according to them they cannot hold their feelings forever and they should be themselves and enjoy life. Some also said that their motivation is the LGBT community. Also, some respondents said that their motivation is the willingness to accept themselves and show people who they really are. Some respondents said that their motivations are movies, their friends and all of the cruel things other people told him/her. From these, it can be drawn out that there are a lot of factors that motivates a person to reveal himself/herself that most people do not even know. Despite their fear of getting judged, there is still hope for them. They are still motivated by these things to reveal themselves and to not just put themselves in a cage. They are ready to conquer the consequences of their deeds just to be their real self.. According to Henry (2013),the initial stages of coming out process may be fraught with emotional difficulty, however, gay and lesbians who have accepted and integrated their sexual orientation ultimately have greater psychological well-being.

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TABLE 9 Verbal harassment experiences of respondents

THEME

INDICATORS “None.” “I experience some harassment like back stabbing because of the personality I have.”

Verbal harassment experiences of respondents

“A lot from the boys in my class and also ignorant kids that say ‘Bakla! Bakla!’” “No one harassed me because all of my friends accept me for who I am.” “People judged me, in terms of calling ‘Bakla’” “Being insulted as gay,bakla and bading.” “Judged by the people around me.” “Being back stabbed by past friends.” “Being hated and judged. Hearing hurtful words.”

Table 9 This table shows the verbal harassment experienced by the respondents. Few respondents said that they do not

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experience any verbal harassment because they are accepted by the people around them. However, few of them experienced backstabbing by their past friends and because of the personality that they portray. Majority of the respondents stated that they experience judgement from other people calling them bading or bakla, from their boy classmates and also from some kids on the street. Based on their statements, it can be interpreted that not everyone around the members of the LGBT community are well-mannered. Instead of choosing to accept who they are, they tend to harass these people who did nothing wrong to them. According to GLSEN (2009),the majority of LGBT middle school students experienced verbal harassment because of their sexual orientation or gender expression. They also added that about 9 in 10 LGBT students in middle school (91%) were verbally harassed (e.g., called names or threatened) in school because of their sexual orientation.

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BAKLA! BAKLA!

Figure 3. Verbal harassment experienced by respondents

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TABLE 10 Physical harassment experiences of respondents

THEME

INDICATORS “None.” “None.” “Chalk throwing. The same boys threw chalk at me

Physical harassment experienced by

one time at class. Also one time a few grade school students threw pebbles at me.” “None.” “None.”

respondents “Being pushed sometimes.” “None.” “None.” “None.”

Table

10

This

table

presents

the

physical

harassment

experienced by the respondents in coming out. Some respondents experienced being thrown pebbles and chalk and even being pushed

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sometimes. However, majority of them said that they do not experience any physical harassment from the people surrounding them. Fortunately, unlike the results from

table 10, the

physical harassment gained by the respondents are less than the verbal harassment they experience. However, there are still some people hurting them physically. According to GLSEN (2009), incidents of physical assault or harassment (e.g., punched, kicked, or injured with a weapon) were less often reported compared to verbal.

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Figure

4.

Physical

harassment

respondents:Being thrown by pebbles

experienced

by

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TABLE 11 Cyberbullying experiences of respondents

THEME

INDICATORS "None.” “None.” “A lot from twitter, mostly coming from Christian

Cyberbullying experienced by

conservatives.” “None.” “None.”

respondents “Some are making fun of me online.” “Judged online.” “Some are spreading hate online.” “None.”

Table 11 In this table, the cyberbullying experiences of respondents are presented.A respondent answered that he/she experience it a lot in Twitter, especially from Christian conservatives.While few respondents said that some are making

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fun of them and that they are being judged and receiving hate online. On the other hand, most of the respondents stated that they do not experience cyberbullying. It is evident that some LGBT youth do experience cyberbullying online. According to National School Climate Survey (2013), 49% of LGBT students experienced cyberbullying in the past years.

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TABLE 12 Graffiti and vandalism experiences of respondents

THEME

INDICATORS “None.” “None.”

Graffiti and vandalism

“None.” “None.”

experienced “None.”

by respondents

“None.” “None.” “None.” “None.”

Table 12 This table shows the grafitti and vandalism experiences of the respondents wherein all of the respondents stated

that

they

do

not

experience

this

kind

of

discrimination.Based on the results, it can be concluded that LGBT youth do not experience graffiti and vandalisms. This

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interpretation contradicts what Rentz (2018) stated, according to hate related vandalism in schools nearly doubled to 62 in 2017, from 34 the year before, and this vandalism are related with sexual orientation.

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TABLE 13 Sexual assault experiences of respondents

THEME

INDICATORS “None.” “Sometimes.”

Sexual assault

“None.” “None.”

experiences of respondents

“None.” “None.” “None.” “None.” “None.”

Table 13 This table shows the sexual assault experienced by the

respondents,

wherein

a

respondent

said

that

he/she

experience it sometimes while majority of the respondents said that they do not experience sexual assault. Based on the results presented, it can be concluded that LGBT youth in schools do

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not experience sexual assault but few does sometimes. This interpretation contradicts National Sexual Violence Resource Center (2010), sexual violence against individuals who have been identified harassment.

as

LGBT

member

has

been

subjected

to

sexual

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TABLE 14 Mental and emotional climate of respondents at home

THEME

INDICATORS “I feel welcomed, because my family is so supportive.” “I isolate myself if I feel I am not comfortable.”

Mental and emotional

“I rather isolate myself a lot as they’re not as open to me being gay, they rather tolerate it.”

climate of

“I

respondents

especially in times when we are talking about

at home

just

keep

myself

out

of

the

business,

sexuality.” “I feel loved by my family members.” “I feel motivated and secured when I am with my family.” “I don’t show my feelings, but when I’m in my room I always think what is wrong.” “I just act normally.”

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“Lowest point.” Table 14 This table presents the mental and emotional climate of the respondents at home. Wherein a respondent said that he/she just acts normally at home. And someone said that being around his/her family is his/her lowest point. And almost half of the respondents stated that they isolate themselves at home. But on the other hand few said that they feel loved, motivated and secured around their family. Hence, we can say that family support affects how a child think, feel and act. According to Wise (2016), levels of family acceptance and rejection may have implications for sexual minority youth’s identity development. It shows that level of parental rejection may affect youth’s ability to accept their own sexual minority identity. Zwier(2009) also added that isolation is due to lack of a supportive family and can result to struggles such as depression.

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TABLE 15 Mental and emotional climate of respondents at school

THEME

INDICATORS “I feel that I am always safe.” “I feel free and comfortable especially to my best friends.”

Mental and

“I feel free with my friends around.”

emotional

“I feel free and comfortable with my friends in

climate of

school and I don’t feel bad in school.”

respondents

“My friends accepted me just the way I am.”

at school “I feel happy with my friends.” “I don’t mind it in school.” “I am me in school.” “School is my happy place. Here with my friends I am accepted.”

Table 15 This table presents the mental and emotional climate of respondents in school. A respondent said that he/she does

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not mind it in school and also a respondent said that he/she is himself/herself whenever he/she is in school. But the majority of the respondents stated that he/she feels free and comfortable when he/she is in school because his/her friends accept him/her.Hence, how people in school interact with an LGBT youth has great effect to his/her mental and emotional health. According to Russel and Fish (2016), positive school climate results to feeling of safety, achievement and positive mental health.

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TABLE 16 Mental and emotional climate at community

THEME

INDICATORS “Sometimes, I feel so small and I don’t belong anywhere else. But I am thankful because I have my friends at my back to remind me that I am special.” “Beside on occasional judgement, I feel relaxed and confident.”

Mental and emotional climate at

“Besides the occasional stares, it is all calm and fine.” “I feel bad or sad whenever people look at me the same way they look at others that have commit

community

something bad.” “I am free to show everyone the real me and the talent God blessed me.” “I feel disliked sometimes.” “Afraid to be judged.” “I just act normally.” “Sad and feeling judged.”

Table 16 In this table, the mental and emotional climate of respondents of community is presented.Wherein a respondent said

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that he/she just acts normal.And someone stated that,he/she feels free to show his/her real self and the talent that God has given him/her .Few of them said that they feel relaxed and fine around the community, but sometimes there are occasional judgment and stares. And some of the respondents stated that they feel bad or sad, and that they are afraid to be judged and to be disliked. Therefore, within the results presented it can be concluded that actions of people in the community affects how an LGBT youth think, feel and act around them, thus we can say that even though there are people who accept the LGBT community, still there are people who do not like them. According to Owen(2017),across a number of measures and scales, the perceptions of LGBT participants were significantly more negative than those of other people, including when the variables of race, income and location type (e.g., rural, small town, suburban, urban).

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TABLE 17 Effects of discrimination in mental health

THEME

INDICATORS “None.” “When I am not accepted by others, I feel stressed about it and decide to keep my secrets forever and try to be a straight person.” “When I was bullied in high school, I found myself isolated, not wanting to go to school and wanting

Effects of

to just sleep my problems away.”

discriminatio “Discrimination makes my brain so messed up, n

because of over-thinking about what did I do wrong for them to make me feel this way.”

in mental health

“It makes me think of so many negative things.” “Over-thinking and stress.” “I always ask what’s wrong with being a lesbian.” “I over-think it and it causes sadness and stress.” “It affects our thinking and it clouded up our thoughts.

Personally,

emotionally drain.”

it

made

me

numb

and

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Table 17 In this table, the effects of discrimination to the respondents’ mental health are presented. Wherein a respondent said that discrimination does not affect his/her mental health.Someone answered that discrimination makes him/her think what is wrong with being a lesbian and another respondent said that it makes him/her think of negative things.Lastly, few of them stated that discrimination clouded and messes up their minds. Thus, as we can see in the results it is evident that discrimination has an effect to mental health of LGBT youth. According to According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness(2016),the risk of a mental health condition, like depression, anxiety disorders, over-thinking or post-traumatic stress disorder, is almost three times as high for youth and adults who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT).

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Figure 4. Effects of discrimination to mental health: Overthinking

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TABLE 18 Effects of discrimination to emotional distress: self harm

THEME

RESPONDENTS “None.” “It’s more on emotional stress but sometimes I think about suicidal thoughts.”

Effects of discriminatio

“Physically degrading myself, doubting myself and just the lack of self-confidence.”

n to emotional “Over-thinking and stress about everything.” distress:

“None.”

self harm “Having low self-esteem.” “I think of hurting myself.” “None.” “None.”

Table 18 This table presents the effects of discrimination to the emotional distress: self harm to the respondents, wherein a respondent said that it is more on emotional stress but

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sometimes he/she thinks about suicidal thoughts and another added that he/she over-thinks and becomes stressed about everything. There’s a respondent who stated that he/she thinks of hurting himself/herself.And few respondents stated that they doubt themselves and lacks self-confidence.But on the other hand, many of these respondents said that it has no effects. Thus, with the help of the results we can see that LGBT youth has different perspective or view in facing discrimination, some wants to hurt themselves and some just ignores it. It is also evident that these discrimination causes LGBT to physically degrade themselves and have low self-esteem and no confidence.Thus, it can be said that the perception of people around LGBT youth can affect their emotions and outlook to themselves.According to Sanders(2013),to truly build confidence in LGBTQ young people, they need more than just being told to look to others for inspiration. They need to know that there are people around them who can give them strength and be role models to fight against hate and self doubt.

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TABLE 19 Effects of discrimination to emotional distress: suicidal ideations

THEME

INDICATORS “None.” “Sometimes but I realized that life is the

Effects of

greatest gift of all.”

discriminatio “None. I have a life to live and I’ll live it to n to emotional the fullest.” distress:

“Suicide should never be an option. I do not think

suicidal

of

ideations

discriminated.”

suicidal

thoughts

whenever

I

am

“None.” “Sometimes, when I am really down, I plan to kill myself.” “Sometimes when I am alone.” “For me, suicide is not a solution.”

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“None.” Table 19 In this table, the effects of discrimination to emotional distress: suicidal ideations of the respondents are presented. Wherein, few respondents said that they think of it sometimes, when they are alone and very down.But on the other hand most of the respondents said that they do not think about suicide, because for them it is not a solution and that they have a life to live to the fullest and even though they think of harming themselves sometimes, in the end they realize that life is the greatest gift of all. Within the results, we can see that LGBT youth has different perspective in life and in facing discrimination, some uses it as an inspiration and some takes it negatively. But in here we can see that it is evident that discrimination can lead to being down or depressed and causes to have suicidal ideations and to do suicide. According to Friedman(2014),bullying because of sexual orientation results in increased depression, and an almost six-fold increased risk for suicide attempts.

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TABLE 20 Developing emotional and mental help despite sexuality

THEME

INDICATORS “They always support my happiness.” “It helps me in the way of believing and boosting myself to the fullest and turn negative thoughts to something positive.”

Developing

“To be honest, my family don’t offer much help. My friends, they uplift me, comfort me, support

emotional and mental help despite sexuality

me through thick and thin ,that really helps me to think straight.” “My family can’t help me because I didn’t come out to them.” “They supported me with all their heart and loved me unconditionally.” “They are my inspiration and motivation to live and continue life.” “When I’m not talking to my family, they know that I have problem so they will comfort me not knowing what my problem is.” “My friends are big help to boost my confidence.” “They didn’t know.”

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Table 20 This table presents how does the people around the respondents help them develop their emotional and mental health despite their sexuality. Wherein, someone answered that his/her family does not know but when she is quiet his/her family knows that there is something wrong so they will comfort him/her.And few respondents said that their family cannot help them because they did not know about their sexual orientation yet. But on the other hand, still most of the respondents said that their family supports their happiness with all their heart and love them unconditionally and that they help him/her in believing and boosting himself/herself, that serves as his/her inspiration to live and continue life. Thus, the results show that the support of family and friends to an LGBT youth can give him/her a better perspective in life. According to Russel and Fish(2016), LGBT youth should be with people whom they can trust, so they can develop a network of support which can be help them develop better mental health towards their sexual orientation.

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TABLE 21 Effects of people’s perception on respondents

THEME

INDICATORS “Sometimes, I blame myself for being like this, I pity myself and I lost my self-confidence.” “It affects me sometimes but I realized who are they to change or judge me. I grow and live by my own, that’s why I don’t mind them.” “I live by the quote, ‘Unless they’re paying bills, pay them bitches no mind”, so like if you don’t bring a significant impact in my life, why would I waste my time on them?’” “It doesn’t affect me because I know myself more than

Effects of people’s perception on respondents

anyone else.” “It makes me view myself in a way that I know that I may not be perfect but that doesn’t mean I can’t or won’t do great and good things to others.” “It changes the view or how I look at myself and to my life. It makes me sad and stressed.” “Sometimes

they

are

suddenly

curious

with

my

sexuality, but in the end my friends accept me.” “It changes my perspective in life and my mood.” “It affects me because human should help each other but here they are judging me for being who I wanted to be.”

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Table 21 In this table, the effects of the perception of other people in the way on how the respondents view themselves are presented. Wherein, a respondent answered that these perceptions make him/her view himself/herself in a way that he/she may not be perfect but that does not mean that he/she cannot do good to others and another respondent added that it affects him/her because instead of judging, humans should be helping each other. A few also answered that these opinions changes their perception and how they view themselves.But still some respondent stated that it does not affect them because according to them they know themselves better than anyone else and these people do not a play a significant role to their lives, so why would they waste their time on them. Thus, LGBT youth has different ways on facing their situations and the judgment they get from other people.But this clearly shows that LGBT youth are strong enough to not let others’ hate and negativity stop them from being the person they want to be.According to Russel and Fish (2016), perceptions and how other people see them as an individual is a great factor on how they see themselves and on their mental and emotional health.

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CHAPTER 5 Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation This chapter includes the summary and conclusion of the findings found in the previous chapter. This chapter also covers the recommendations made by the researchers. SUMMARY 1. Profile of the Respondents 1.1 Age There is one respondent aged 16 with 11.11%, there are five respondents

who

are

17

years

old

with

55.56%,

three

respondents who are 18 years old with 33.33% and there are no respondents having the age of 19 with 0%. 1.2 Sexual Orientation Three of the respondents are lesbian, three are gay and three are bisexual, having the percentage of 33.33% each. 2. Coming out to people around them 2.1 To family Majority of the respondents said that they came out already by saying it boldly to their family personally, by posting on social media and by their noticeable actions and some of

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them stated that they have not came out yet to their family and they just act normal. 2.2 To friends Most of the respondents said that they do not need to tell their friends because they already knew based on how they act around them and some of them told their sexual orientation to their friends personally and other respondents did it secretly. 3. Effects of coming out to respondents 3.1 In Stress Some of them stated that this causes them to over-think things more and that they are afraid that some people will not approve of it and on the other hand, several respondents said that they were relieved and their stress is reduced when they came out. 3.2 In Fear to be judged Most of the respondents stated that after coming out, they are still afraid of being judged by others and getting their image ruined due to gossips and false rumors but some respondents said that they just do not mind and ignore those people who judge them.

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4. Motivations in coming out Some respondents said that their motivation is the willingness to accept themselves and show people who they really are and few

of them stated that their motivation is

themselves, the LGBT community,movies, their friends and all of the cruel things other people did to them. 5. Discrimination experiences of respondents 5.1 Verbal harassment Majority of the respondents stated that they experience judgement from other people calling them bading or bakla and few of them experienced backstabbing by their past friends. But some said that they do not experience any verbal harassment because they are accepted by the people around them. 5.2 Physical harassment Majority of the respondents said that they do not experience

any

physical

harassment

from

the

people

surrounding them but some experienced being thrown pebbles and chalk and even being pushed sometimes.

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5.3 Cyberbullying Most of the respondents stated that they do not experience cyberbullying but some said that they received hate and judgments especially from Christian conservatives. 5.4 Graffiti / Vandalism All of the respondents stated that they do not experience this kind of discrimination. 5.5 Sexual Assault Majority of the respondents said that they do not experience sexual assault while a respondent said that he/she does sometimes. 6. Mental and Emotional Climate of respondents 6.1 At home Almost half of the respondents stated that they isolate themselves at home. But on the other hand, few said that they feel loved, motivated and secured around their family. 6.2 At school Majority of the respondents stated that he/she feels free and comfortable in school and also a respondent said that he/she is himself/herself whenever he/she is in school.

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6.3 At community Some of the respondents stated that they feel bad or sad, and that they are afraid to be judged and to be disliked and few of them said that they feel relaxed and fine around the community, but sometimes there are occasional judgment and stares. 7. Effects of discrimination in health 7.1 Mental health Most of the respondents stated that discrimination clouded and messed up their minds and that it made them over-think think negative things.On the other hand, a respondent said that discrimination does not affect his/her mental health. 7.2 Emotional distress 7.2.1 Self harm Many respondents said that discrimination has no effect to self harm but few respondents stated that they doubt themselves, over-thinks and lacks self-confidence. 7.2.2 Suicidal ideations Most of the respondents said that they do not think about suicide, because for them it is not a solution and that

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they have a life to live to the fullest but few said that they think of it sometimes, when they are alone and very down. 8. Developing emotional and mental help despite sexuality Most of the respondents said that their family supports their

happiness

with

all

their

heart

and

love

them

unconditionally but few respondents said that their family cannot help them because they did not know about their sexual orientation yet. 9. Effects of people’s perception on respondents Some respondent stated that it does not affect them because according to them they know themselves better than anyone else but few respondents answered that these opinions changes their perception and how they view themselves.

CONCLUSION 1. Profile of the Respondents 1.1 Age The age 17 is the median age wherein LGBT youth tend to come out and show others their real sexual orientation.

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1.2 Sexual Orientation LGBT community members are present in school campuses. 2. Coming out to people around them 2.1 To family LGBT youth have different ways and perspective on when and how to come out to their family, it may be easy for some and may be hard for others. 2.2 To friends LGBT community are more comfortable in telling their friends rather than their family regarding their sexuality. 3. Effects of coming out to respondents 3.1 In Stress Not all LGBT members have the same emotional or stress level. Some of them find it easy dealing with stress and have overcame it but some of them find it challenging to deal with stress and it makes them stress more. 3.2 In Fear to be judged LGBT youth differ on facing judgments,some choose to just ignore it, some are still on their way to conquering it and some still have that fear of being judged.

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4. Motivations in coming out There are a lot of factors that motivate a person to reveal himself/herself.Despite the fear of getting judged, there is still hope for them,they are still motivated by different things to reveal themselves and to not just put themselves in a cage. 5. Discrimination experiences of respondents 5.1 Verbal harassment Verbal harassment is the most common discrimination. People tend to humiliate LGBT members by teasing and destructing their image to others. 5.2 Physical harassment Physical harassment gained by the respondents are less than the verbal harassment they experience. However, there are still some people hurting them physically. 5.3 Cyberbullying Members of the LGBT community suffer from cyberbullying especially from Christian conservatives. 5.4 Graffiti / Vandalism LGBT youth do not experience graffiti and vandalism.

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5.5 Sexual Assault LGBT youth members do not experience sexual assault but some of them does sometimes. 6. Mental and Emotional Climate of respondents 6.1 At home Family support affects how an LGBT youth think, feel and act.If parents do not accept an LGBT youth’s perceived sexuality he/she tends to isolate himself/herself. 6.2 At school School is the safest and most comfortable place for an LGBT youth to be in.Hence, how people in school interact with them has great effect to his/her mental and emotional health. 6.3 At community Even though there are people who accept the LGBT youth, still there are people who do not like them. The community is the place wherein LGBT youth feels that they are not free and safe from judgments. 7. Effects of discrimination in health 7.1 Mental health

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Discrimination affects youth’s mental health by making them over-think of their situations and be pessimistic. 7.2 Emotional distress 7.2.1 Self harm Discrimination causes LGBT to physically degrade themselves

and

have

low

self-esteem

and

no

confidence.Thus,perception of people around LGBT youth can affect their emotions and outlook to themselves. 7.2.2 Suicidal ideations LGBT youth have different perspectives in life and in facing discrimination, some uses it as an inspiration and some

takes

it

negatively.

But

it

is

evident

that

discrimination can lead to being down or depressed and causes to have suicidal ideations and to do suicide. 8. Developing emotional and mental help despite sexuality The support of family and friends to an LGBT youth can give him/her a better perspective in life. If their parents and friends support them then they will be uplifted and their confidence will be boosted. 9. Effects of people’s perception on respondents

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LGBT youth have different ways on facing their situations and the judgment they get from others.But this clearly shows that LGBT members are strong enough to not let others’ hate and negativity stop them from being the person they want to be. RECOMMENDATION Based on the conclusions, the researchers recommend the following: To Students 

They must become aware of what discrimination can do to the LGBT members especially to youth.



They should start becoming more open-minded to the fact that the LGBT are no less than a person and should be treated equally not in a harsh way.



They must have a deeper understanding on topics regarding

to

LGBT community and the problem of discrimination that the LGBT is going through. To Parents 

They must have a connection with their children not just as a parent but also as someone that their child can feel at ease to approach with any of their problems.

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

They must also be open-minded as parents to what their children are going through and give their support to them.



They must discipline and educate their children that the LGBT Community is not a subject for discrimination.



They must guide their children to becoming a more accepting and understanding to the members of the LGBT Community as much as possible.



They must be sensitive with the feelings of their children and ask how do they feel to avoid suicidal ideations, over-thinking and depression.

To Teachers 

They must provide guidance and counseling to the LGBT Community members that experience discrimination and also to those who discriminate.



They must promote health and safety among LGBT youth. They can implement the policies and practices which will help lessen the struggle of LGBT members.



They must be role models and teach other students to respect LGBT community members.